A Local’s Guide to a Day Trip in Santa Fe
Despite being born and raised in New Mexico, I still haven’t visited many of the incredible places in my home state. I’ve never been to Carlsbad Caverns or White Sands. The Blue Hole in Santa Rosa is still on my list as is Shiprock, the Four Corners, the Bisti badlands and more. I had also never done more than drive through Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico and the oldest capital city in the United States, until I took a day trip there with my husband’s family about six years ago.
I fell in love with the city that day and now it’s one of our favorite day trips to make when we have a little extra time. Come with me on a quick day trip to Santa Fe to celebrate my birthday and I’ll show you how you can visit 14 museums and historical sites in New Mexico for FREE!
Santa Fe is world-renowned for its food, so I always make sure I’m hungry before heading north. The French Pastry Shop & Restaurant, located right off the historic La Fonda hotel, is one of my favorite stops. My obsession with pain au chocolat started after a trip to Paris my senior year of high school and the buttery soft, sweet treat is just as good at this bakery as I remember it being in the city of love. A strong, foamy cappuccino capped off my order and my husband Ben and I sat inside this quaint cafe and enjoyed a slow Santa Fe morning.
After admiring some of the local artisan work showcased in the La Fonda Hotel, we strolled across the Plaza to the New Mexico Museum of Art. We have passed this building a dozen times and never even gave it a second glance but decided to come here today because of a trip Ben recently took to our local library. Keep reading to see how you can get admission for up to 6 people at this and 14 other New Mexico museums for FREE!
It’s as easy as going to your local New Mexico library and asking to check out a Family Pass which provides free admission for up to 6 people to 14 state museums and historic sites. No catches or gimmicks, just an awesome perk provided by the New Mexico State’s Department of Cultural Affairs. Listed below are the 14 amazing locations that the Family Pass can be used at:
New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe
New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe
Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe
Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe
New Mexico Museum of Space History, Alamogordo
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque
New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, Las Cruces
National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque
Coronado Historic Site
Fort Selden Historic Site
Fort Sumner Historic Site
Jemez Historic Site
Lincoln Historic Site
El Camino Real Historic Trail Site
Even though the second floor of the New Mexico Museum of Art was closed for renovations (scheduled reopening February 2022), we still enjoyed wandering through the exhibits on the main floor. There were two large sculpture gardens in addition to the two main galleries and the impressive Saint Francis Auditorium. We are planning on going back in a few months once the second floor is opened and the new Ansel Adams exhibit has started. Even if you’ve been to the museum before, they are always getting new, exciting exhibits so go pay them a visit!
St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art
Feeling inspired by the fabulous art we saw in the museum, we set off for the row of Native American jewelry artisans on the north side of the Plaza. A new birthday tradition I started for my thirties has been to buy myself a turquoise ring so I started my search for the perfect piece. I absolutely love looking at all the beautiful handmade pieces and talking to the artisans that make them. They sell everything from silver rings, necklaces and earrings to kachinas. Pro-tip: Talk to the people selling things instead of awkwardly ignoring them! Say hello or ask a question. They understand not everyone will buy something and creating connections brings us all closer.
About halfway down the row I spotted a man with turquoise rings that caught my eye. The raw nuggets of stone he used had not been completely polished flat and instead retained their natural dips and curves. I was crestfallen after trying on a ring that was a bit too small but a few whacks with his jewelry mallet -his father’s mallet actually, he said, that was passed down to him-it slipped perfectly onto my finger.
I paid him with all the cash I had left and settled up the rest using his card reader. While most of the artisans have card readers it is ALWAYS better to bring cash when shopping at local artisan markets or farmers markets. Credit card fees can be outrageous for small businesses! I am absolutely in LOVE with my new ring, and it has already fallen into my everyday jewelry line up.
If you want to read some more about the local Native American jewelry artisans in Santa Fe, this article from Texas Christian University is great! https://www.tcu360.com/2021/02/tribe-to-trade/
We walked back across the Plaza, admiring all of the beautiful trinkets in the shops and then made our way to Santa Fe Olive Oil & Balsamic Co., located just one block off the main square. I always stop here when we come into town because they carry the BEST flavored olive oil and vinegars. Some of my favorites are the red chile and garlic oil and the 25 year balsamic vinegar but their basil olive oil is an absolute staple in my kitchen. I use it to make salad dressing or sometimes I just drizzle it over a dish for extra flavor.
On this visit, we also picked up some rosemary olive oil and a gift of Santa Fe blend olive oil and bread dip for my mother-in-law’s birthday. They have a huge selection of oils, vinegars, olives, jams and more! Stop in the next time you’re in Santa Fe and grab a treat for yourself or a loved one!
After working up an appetite looking at all the amazing treats at Santa Fe Olive Oil & Balsamic Co., we ended our trip with some lunch at The Pantry. We were craving some good New Mexican food and this restaurant did not disappoint. We sat ourselves at a table covered in a vinyl tablecloth and listened to the cooks speaking Spanish in the kitchen behind us. This is ALWAYS a sign that the food will be incredible, and it certainly rang true for this restaurant. After agonizing over what to order I finally decided on a chile relleno plate and Ben ordered the brisket tacos. The waiter sat our ice-cold Mexican cokes down in front of us and we sat in anticipation of our feast.
Our food arrived shortly after ordering and I hardly had time to take a picture before diving headfirst into the gorgeous plate in front of me. The green chile rellenos were smothered in silky red chile which was accompanied by fluffy spanish rice and tender pinto beans. Ben’s plate had the same perfectly executed sides along with tender brisket tacos and two types of salsas. We started eating, hardly speaking a word before we were scraping the remnants of chile off of our plates the with leftover shreds of flour tortillas.
If you aren’t familiar, chile rellenos are whole Hatch green chiles stuffed with monterey jack cheese then battered and deep fried. The result is a spicy, crispy, cheesy masterpiece. It’s a great vegetarian option (not vegan though, there’s A LOT of cheese). The chile relleno plate at The Pantry was easily one of the best versions I’ve had! Ben also thoroughly enjoyed the brisket tacos and even said the salsa was great! He’s a very tough salsa critic.
With a full belly and a morning full of both new and familiar Santa Fe experiences, we started our trip back down south to Albuquerque with a renewed spirit. The northern New Mexico area has that marvelous effect on people. We were already planning our next trip north before we got on the freeway.
