La Fonda on the Plaza, then and now. LEFT: A scene from the Canyon Road arts district.
The weekend trip has become somewhat notorious in my family. My mom and aunt follow in tow with too much luggage and an appetite for Hatch chiles. My dad waits at home for some art that he will inevitably hate but stay mum about. My sister and I get a call between their first and second margarita to hear about where they went and what they found. This fall, as they planned their Southwestern pilgrimage, we asked to tag along. And so, in October, three generations of women set out to the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Santa Fe’s history is inimitable. The oldest capital city and the second-oldest city founded by European colonists in the United States, Santa Fe is more than 400 years old, but the land was occupied by indigenous peoples for centuries prior. By 1540, Spanish explorers claimed the land, with Franciscan missionaries joining them in the 17th century. Revolts by the Pueblo Indians of the region caused possession of the territory to change hands, and tumultuous periods came and went. When Mexico gained independence from New Spain in 1821, so with it went Santa Fe, until New Mexico was ceded to the United States in 1848. With a history so long, varied and often marked by conflict, the city of Santa Fe is now somewhat of a dream. Blue desert skies are punctured by the nearby mountains, which include the Santa Fe Ski Basin, only 16 miles from Santa Fe’s central plaza. Walking through town, you find yourself admiring those signature adobe pueblos, with their soft edges and sunbaked facades, which shelter artists, museums, shops and cafés. (The architectural style has remained consistent since 1957, when it was mandated in the name of preservation.) Originally a presidio, the Santa Fe Plaza is the heart of tribeza.com
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