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Santa Fe--the City Different
By Shiela O'Connor

Movie directors usually know a good thing when they see it. So it's no coincidence that movies like Silverado, Young Guns, Wyatt Earp (a western), Twins, and Missing were filmed right here, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The atmosphere is perfect in America's southwest for those high-drama films. The newest movie, The Longest Yard is currently being shot in this area.

But there's more to Santa Fe than just movies. Take the Loretta Chapel with its famous spiral staircase for instance. The steps in this incredible creation complete two full revolutions in a spiral and all the weight rests entirely on the bottom stair. The nuns of the chapel had prayed for a carpenter to come and build them a staircase. One arrived, completed the staircase and just as promptly departed, never seeking payment. A photograph in the church shows how the stair looked when, unnervingly, it had no banister. Fortunately the banister has now been added.

The Loretta Chapel is famous but the names Georgia O'Keefe and Santa Fe are almost synonymous with each other and a visit to The City Different would be incomplete without visiting the gallery of her exquisite works.

Well known for her flower artwork (which has always been open to Freudian interpretation), you may also catch some of her landscapes on view. This is an area O'Keefe loved to paint and in which she felt at home.

Santa Fe is also home to four of the state's finest museums (take the local bus from the Plaza to Museum Hill to get there). The Spanish Colonial Art Museum, the Indian Arts and Culture Museum, the International Folk Art Museum (the most popular in Santa Fe) and the Wheelwright Museum of American Art are all well worth a visit. The Folk Art Museum is the biggest in the world with up to 200,000 exhibits.

You'll know you've arrived when you glimpse the huge wagon train sculpture which looms up to greet you at the entrance. It sits on, and represents, the Santa Fe trail that once extended 900 miles from Missouri to the heart of Santa Fe.

Closer to the Plaza you'll be able to visit both the oldest house in America and the oldest church in America. As you'd expect, most of the buildings around town are in the traditional adobe style. Adobe is simply walls made from a mixture of grass, mud and manure. This style of building is nothing short of charming.

Other treasures that boast being the oldest include La Fonda hotel, which is the oldest hotel in town, dating back to 1923. Theres also the oldest house and the oldest mission dedicated to our Lady of Guadeloupe.

If you're looking for newer activities, however, you'll find plenty of modern entertainment on the plaza itself. This is the heart of the town with activities going on day and night. Anything from open air concerts to performing artists wandering around on stilts, all are considered normal, and modern, by the locals. That's a far cry however, from the square's original use as a corn-growing field and later military barracks.

Also at the square you'll find plenty of opportunity for shopping. You simply can't beat the array of jewelry and other native goods on display outside of the Palace of the Governors. This is the oldest public building in the country, dating back to 1610. It was the seat of government when the Spanish were here. The jewelry traders have to be selected daily to sell their wares by lottery system.

And they're more than happy to do so as trade is good--shopping is the second most popular activity here after sightseeing. For good reason too. Youll find it hard to resist native American art, jewelry, pottery, rugs, chilies, leather and silver.

The Palace of the Governors has recently been restored but the law requires that each time such work is done, an archeological dig be carried out. In this case the dig was assumed to be 90 days, but in fact it took a year, so many artifacts were found. Twelve thousand were found, in fact, in the first six weeks alone. A wall was found indicating that the original palace had been bigger than first expected. It also showed there had been a mixture of cultures using the palace--both Spanish and native American artifacts were found.

To keep with the historic aspect of the city, all buildings are restricted as to how high they can be built. Three stories is the maximum although the Hilton Hotel somehow managed to beat that height--it's five stories high. The height restriction is a good idea however--this is the second oldest city in the country after St. Augustine in Florida and high-rise buildings really don't fit in here.

When it comes to odd buildings, though, check out the St. Francis Cathedral. This is unusual because it's made entirely of stone in the French gothic style, not in the pueblo revival style you'd expect in keeping with the surroundings. Note that there are no steeples. The bishop of the area was so fed up with the time it was taking for the cathedral to be built, that after 20 years in the works, he gave instructions for the cathedral to be completed, steeples or not.

Art buffs won't want to miss out on Canyon Road which was originally an Indian trail. This is Santa Fe's most significant art district with over 250 art galleries along with local and international artists displaying their wares.

As well as artists, movies stars have taken up residence here. This area is home to Adam Sandler, Gene Hackman, Shirley McLean, Marsha Manon and Ali McGraw. Ms. McGraw continually offers her time to various charities in the area.

Santa Fe is also famous for its opera house which can be found outside of town and was founded in 1957. At that time only 20,000 people lived in Santa Fe (today it reaches 60,000). The opera is one of the areas prime attractions with seating for over 2,000 people. The season is short and lasts only through July and August, so don't miss it. Another cultural event that takes place in July and August is the Chamber Music Festival which has been bringing in visitors for over 30 years.

For anyone searching for more open space, it's worth knowing that the Santa Fe National Forest with a million acres of land is only 7 miles from downtown. New Mexico is the fifth largest state in the union with one of the smallest populations. There's lots of space to enjoy here.
And for a trip out of town, check out Bandelier, about 45 minutes away.
Here you'll find cliff dwellings, some of which you can enter, and a one mile interpretive trail. This was home and center of life for the Anasazi Indians hundreds of years ago and their influence can still be seen.

One of the most charming places you can stay while you're here is at Las Palomas, a few blocks from the plaza and the activities of downtown. The hotel is run by Neil Rosenshein, a former Santa Fe opera star. Neil is so down to earth, he's quite happy making his guests cappuccinos at breakfast time. He's also more than happy to tell you about his life as an opera star and teacher in New York. The B&B is like a private village with each room different, all set amidst squares and walkways that meander past fountains and quiet patio tables. Don't miss it. (119 Park. Tel: 505/982 5560. Website: www.laspalomas.com) For more information contact the Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau 800-777-2489. www.santafe.org. Visitors can request a free Santa Fe Visitors Guide either online or on the phone.

Shiela O'Connor is a freelance travel writer living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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