Did a search on FT and did not come up with any threads listing attractions/things to do in Santa Fe.

There is this good thread about dining in Santa Fe: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=309482

Attractions I've read about include:

Cristo Rey
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
Indian Arts Research Center
Institute of American Indian Arts Museum
Loretto Chapel Museum
Mission of San Miguel
Museum of Fine Arts
Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
Museum of International Folk Art
Palace of the Governors
Santa Fe Southern Railway
Santuario de Nuestra Se�ora de Guadalupe
Southwest Safaris
St. Francis Cathedral
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian

Can anyone confirm any of the above or recommend other activities?

--

I've heard from my sister in Taos that The Ten Thousand Waves Spa is worth going to. Also, I believe New Mexico residents get a discount, so if you know a resident, get them to go with you and you both can enjoy the discount.
Rita

That's an impressive list of attractions. I passed through Santa Fe last year, spending only one day there, and was not impressed. Surprisingly heavy traffic. I asked at my hotel what was the best thing to do in Santa Fe, and was told: "drive to Taos".

Santa Fe is a real art hub, both for museum/viewing and for perusing/buying. The city has great history, too, and the Palace of the Governors might be a good place to scratch the surface. As mentioned on the other thread, the food is terrific. And there are a multitude of spas. In the summer, the opera is in town, and definitely worthwhile.

Portions of the post that previously appeared in this space have been deleted. I would provide you with a reason why, but doing so would likely be against the TOS.

Your experience in Santa Fe is always going to depend on the specific attractions you see. Most of the items mentioned in this thread are directed specifically to out-of-towners and are thus going to be more expensive. Here's my take as a native New Mexican:

Unless you are specifically interested in the history of the Catholic Church in New Mexico, the cathedrals/chapels are not going to be worth your time. Loretto Chapel (known for the spiral staircase made without nails) is really just a nice church with a spiral staircase. I've been there for a wedding; it's not that interesting on its own. I've also been to the Santuario church in Chimayo (north of SF) for a Mass, and again, cool to go to a Mass there and hear about the "miracle" dirt if you're interested in Catholic history but not a stand-alone tourist attraction.

I highly recommend the galleries on Canyon Rd., and they are all clustered together for a nice afternoon stroll. The area around the Plaza in general is nice to walk around, plenty of shopping if that's your thing. I've never been to the Opera but have heard great things about it too if it's on while you're in town.

Outside of that, I usually spent weekends in Santa Fe going around to yard sales and at the giant flea market that used to be near the Opera House (not sure if it's still there) and made some amazing furniture finds. Not the first thing on most people's vacation list, but I loved it. Also, there are some gorgeous mountain drives if you head toward Los Alamos, Jemez, Pecos, or really anywhere north of the city.

As someone mentioned above, traffic is pretty bad so if you are interested in the Plaza area, try to stay nearby so that you can walk to most things (not sure if you're flying or driving to get there, but you'd still need a car to get from the airport in ABQ and for all the other stuff I mentioned.)

Feel free to PM me if you're looking for more specifics on the particular dates you're considering.

I live about 45 minutes south of SF. When folks talk about it being overpriced, the accomedations can be so, as can the galleries, but I find that's the norm for most 'art colony' places around the world. If you plan on visiting the museums and just doing window shopping, I think SF is pretty reasonable.

You must visit the plaza. It's great during the fall when the wind is blowing, slightly. Also, I like the Loretto Chapel with its neat stairway.

As for eats, there are plenty to enjoy. I like The Shed, Zia Diner, and Guadalupe Cafe.

You might like this link;

http://sfreporter.com/articles/publi...6-shopping.php

Having been born and raised in Santa Fe, I can agree that it is not an inexpensive destination. However you may want to check out http://www.budgettravelonline.com/bt...de_santafe.pdf as it has some great suggestions.
As rkt10 mentioned Ten Thousand Waves is great (swimsuit optional for private tub, depending on hours also optional for public tub). And I agree with others about the Opera. Dress is casual if you want, I've been in jeans and no one cares. Of your above listed attractions I will pare it down to my completely subjective opinion of what I like.

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum (haven't been but heard good things)
Loretto Chapel Museum
Museum of International Folk Art
Palace of the Governors
St. Francis Cathedral
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian

In addition, I recommend:
Oldest Church in the US
Oldest House in the US
Canyon Road
Day trip: Head north on Hwy 84, about 10 miles out of town on the left side is a rock formation called Camel Rock. Stop and take pictures (10 minutes, 15 tops)
Continue North, about 5-8 more miles is a little winery on the right. Stop and get a couple of bottles of Indian Market White. The rest of the wines aren't that great, but this one is very good. The sales person there is very unfriendly, so don't think he is just unfriendly to you.
Once you get close or past Espanola, turn off toward Los Alamos. Go to the Bradbury museum at Los Alamos National Labs (http://www.lanl.gov/museum/).
From Los Alamos (or LA as the locals call it!), go to Bandelier National Monument http://www.nps.gov/band/pphtml/planyourvisit.html. It has some great cave dwellings of ancient indian stuff, and ceremonial pits.

From a dining standpoint, as mentioned Tia Sophia's is good. I also like Maria's Mexican Kitchen (on Cordova road, not near downtown), Bobcat Bite really does have excellent burgers, and the locals favorite for Frito Pies is the at the "Five and Dime General Store" on San Francisco Street on the Plaza. Super touristy store but in the very back is a little known lunch counter that serves the best and spiciest Frito Pie on the planet. When the store used to be a Woolworth's with a real restaurant they had invented this Frito Pie and when Woolworths went out of business and the Frito Pie disappeared from there the locals were so upset that they had to bring it back!

Enjoy! I'll be there in October!

Hi, Sweet Willie!

I had a LOT of fun one day when I did a cooking class at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. I think our teacher was the Chef from the Hilton. It was a very enjoyable experience. The class wasn't too big, I met some fun folks, had a great meal, and the price was reasonable. I also learned a few things!!!

It looks like you are planning on visiting a lot of the museums. I know you research things pretty well, so you might already know these tips, but just in case:

Both the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts are FREE on Fridays from 5 to 8 pm. Else, there are some options for passes which will save a bit on combined museums.

From the web site of the Museum of Intl Folk Art.

Las Vegas New Mexico.

That is where I'm heading in September.

lala

That's where I grew up! What will you be up to there?

My conclusion: great place to visit, not a great place to live.

eating doughnuts at elis, green chile at the rialto and visiting the roundhouse.

I love the buildings, the plaza and the fact that its was a big hub for the ATSF railroad back in the days when tuberculars flocked to NM.

Really.

Excellent, some of my favorite things too. I grew up in a railroad family, and my parents' and grandparents' houses are just on the other side of the railroad tracks from the roundhouse. Enjoy it all!