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NETrainfan

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353
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One of our favorite stopovers from the Southwest Chief is Santa Fe, New Mexico. The station stop is Lamy- there is a van which meets the train to bring people to Santa Fe. We like to stay one or two nights, near town, and walk to the Plaza with its restaurants,shops, Indian Market,nearby museums, art galleries, and old buildings. When we get the van from the Lamy station, we make plans with the driver for the trip back. It is convenient and enjoyable to visit this old city full of color, ancient art, and activity.
 
One of our favorite stopovers from the Southwest Chief is Santa Fe, New Mexico. The station stop is Lamy- there is a van which meets the train to bring people to Santa Fe. We like to stay one or two nights, near town, and walk to the Plaza with its restaurants,shops, Indian Market,nearby museums, art galleries, and old buildings. When we get the van from the Lamy station, we make plans with the driver for the trip back. It is convenient and enjoyable to visit this old city full of color, ancient art, and activity.
May I ask, which hotel you stay at? I live in Albuquerque and would enjoy a few days in Santa Fe.
 
I have visited Santa Fe overnight on three occasions, and each time I stayed at La Fonda. Yes, it's one of the most expensive hotels in town, but I love its Fred Harvey heritage and its location right on the Plaza. The first two times I stayed there happened to be the kickoff to Fiesta week (the burning of Zozobra) and rates were high but I got a bit of a discount from the online hotel booking sites. The last time I passed through (this past June, in conjunction with a ride on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR), I couldn't find any online rates that were within my budget. So I picked up the phone, called the hotel directly, asked for a manager, and told him the honest truth: I had plans to come to Santa Fe, I had stayed at his hotel twice before and would love to stay there again, but I hadn't been able to find any rates which fit my budget. Was there something that he could do for me, or did I need to look elsewhere? I was quoted a rate that I was well pleased with, and for a premium room at that.
 
I'll be stopping in Santa Fe for 48 hours in May (2017). So far I've booked the shuttle to get to Hertz so I can have a car for these 2 days, and I've booked a cheap hotel for 2 nights. I've got tentative plans to spend a few hours in the studio of a local potter the afternoon of my arrival day. And I plan to go to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum at some point.

I'd like to spend several hours or more driving around to see (and photograph) the landscape and other points of interest. So I'm looking for advice on a route to drive to get interesting/beautiful views. Anyplace special for sunrise or sunset?

Also, suggestions on places for good local food both in Santa Fe and while on the road would be great. I love spicy food and tequila. I'll be on one train or another for about 2 weeks after Santa Fe so grabbing some local snacks that travel well would be a bonus.

All advice and suggestions are welcome! Thank you.
 
I'll be stopping in Santa Fe for 48 hours in May (2017). So far I've booked the shuttle to get to Hertz so I can have a car for these 2 days, and I've booked a cheap hotel for 2 nights. I've got tentative plans to spend a few hours in the studio of a local potter the afternoon of my arrival day. And I plan to go to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum at some point.

I'd like to spend several hours or more driving around to see (and photograph) the landscape and other points of interest. So I'm looking for advice on a route to drive to get interesting/beautiful views. Anyplace special for sunrise or sunset?

Also, suggestions on places for good local food both in Santa Fe and while on the road would be great. I love spicy food and tequila. I'll be on one train or another for about 2 weeks after Santa Fe so grabbing some local snacks that travel well would be a bonus.

All advice and suggestions are welcome! Thank you.
OK, I am a Santa Fe resident, so maybe I can give some local perspective.

Let me start by saying that we sometimes accept pretty long distances as "local" in the wild west: my neighborhood post office is over twenty miles from my house, for example.

So, a couple of nice drives with big views:

1) Up to the local ski area. Ask anyone how to get to Santa Fe ski basin, or just take Paseo de Peralta to Bishop's Lodge Road to Artist Rd. Big overlooks on the access road. Beware the altitude if you are coming from sea level!

2) The White Rock Overlook, for huge views of the Rio Grande gorge. At least 45 minutes from the Santa Fe plaza, but the drive will also feature good panoramas of the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountains.

Some of my favorite local restaurants (Note that SF is famous for its cuisine, so I am sure I am missing many many fantastic choices):

New Mexican (note many New Mexican restaurants are closed Sundays!):

0) My favorite by far, Gabriel's: About 20 minutes north from the plaza on 84/285. Great food selection, good Margaritas, fantastic guacamole bowl. Don't miss this.

1) Tomasita's: Somewhat touristy, but inexpensive and good. Right at the Railrunner train station!

2) Maria's: More local in flavor, excellent Margaritas.

3) Bumblebee Burritos: fast food, a bit pricy but a local favorite. The one on Guadalupe is frequented by movie stars, so keep your eyes peeled.

4) Also note most restaurants will have some New Mexican dishes, whatever their main theme.

Spanish:

El Farol: Very good tapas. Located on Canyon in the heart of the studio district. Reputed to have the oldest bar in the US.

Italian:

Osteria d'Assisi: Wonderful family run-restaurant. Just don't go when the legislature is in session, because it will be _packed_ with politicians. Otherwise a delightfullocal favorite.

Indian:

Raaga. No contest.

Burgers:

Santa Fe Bite: the new name of the former Bobcat Bite, which was awarded "best burger in America" by Bon Appetit a few years ago. The burgers still really are that good.

Date night:

Bistro 315: French Provincial, yum yum yum. Not cheap, but worth every penny.

Coyote Grill: modern cuisine with a New Mexican touch; most famous for its exotic cocktails.

Santa Cafe: I haven't actually been there, but in a poll of my friends, it was number one, so I add it to the list!

Hippy:

Counterculture Cafe: you know, health food and sprouts. Part of the Santa Fe culture.

Tesuque Village Market: a good place for movie star spotting and yummy health food. Ten minutes out of town.

Tune-up Cafe: Formerly Dave's Not Here, a local hippy hangout.

Steakhouses: don't bother. They are all crappy overpriced chain places or crappy overpriced local places. Cater to politicians only.

Breakfast:

Amazingly enough, the best wrapped breakfast burrito for eating in the car is at the Vallejo gas station located at Camel Rock casino, north of town. People in New Mexico take their breakfast burritos SERIOUSLY.

For a local greasy spoon, try the Pantry, on Cerrillos Rd. Expect a line on weekends.

Harry's Roadhouse on the Old Las Vegas Hwy south of town is good and very reasonably priced for all meals.

As for local snacks that travel well, try some roasted pinon nuts. These are the local equivalent of sunflower seeds, often available at roadside stands. Also, I guess some people like beef or elk or whatever jerky, which is available at roadside stands and in the grocery stores. Not a big fan myself.

A few suggestions that might be a bit out of your current plans:

1) The Bradbury Science Museum in Los Alamos: a museum that combines history of the Los Alamos National Lab with an overview of the science being done there now. Might give you a new perspective on where some of your federal tax dollars have gone and are going. Also, you will see at least one picture of me in there (not saying where!)

2) Ojo Caliente hot springs: about 1.5 hours north of SF on 285. Natural (but developed) mineral hot springs. Nice drive and a relaxing soak at the end of it. From the parking lot, you can do an easy hike with a great payoff, out to an abandoned mica mine. It is about two miles round trip on mostly flat ground, and should be cool enough to be pleasant in May. Take twice as much water as you think you will need! At _least_ a liter per person in May!

3) Bandelier National Monument: beautiful and steeped in history and prehistory. See preserved cave dwellings and beautiful mesas and canyons.

Have a great time in Santa Fe!

Ainamkartma
 
Last edited by a moderator:
We had breakfast here one morning. The Huevos Rancheros and breakfast burritos were delicious.

http://www.pantrysantafe.com

Also, Loretto Chapel has a pretty neat history regarding their staircase: http://www.lorettochapel.com/staircase.html

We stopped in there so I could get pictures of the staircase for my parents. It's not too far from the Plaza. We walked there after looking at jewelry and pottery.
 
0) My favorite by far, Gabriel's: About 20 minutes north from the plaza on 84/285. Great food selection, good Margaritas, fantastic guacamole bowl. Don't miss this.
Seconded! They make guacamole right at your table. :)
 
I'll be stopping in Santa Fe for 48 hours in May (2017). So far I've booked the shuttle to get to Hertz so I can have a car for these 2 days, and I've booked a cheap hotel for 2 nights. I've got tentative plans to spend a few hours in the studio of a local potter the afternoon of my arrival day. And I plan to go to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum at some point.

I'd like to spend several hours or more driving around to see (and photograph) the landscape and other points of interest. So I'm looking for advice on a route to drive to get interesting/beautiful views. Anyplace special for sunrise or sunset?

Also, suggestions on places for good local food both in Santa Fe and while on the road would be great. I love spicy food and tequila. I'll be on one train or another for about 2 weeks after Santa Fe so grabbing some local snacks that travel well would be a bonus.

All advice and suggestions are welcome! Thank you.
OK, I am a Santa Fe resident, so maybe I can give some local perspective.

Let me start by saying that we sometimes accept pretty long distances as "local" in the wild west: my neighborhood post office is over twenty miles from my house, for example.

So, a couple of nice drives with big views:

1) Up to the local ski area. Ask anyone how to get to Santa Fe ski basin, or just take Paseo de Peralta to Bishop's Lodge Road to Artist Rd. Big overlooks on the access road. Beware the altitude if you are coming from sea level!

2) The White Rock Overlook, for huge views of the Rio Grande gorge. At least 45 minutes from the Santa Fe plaza, but the drive will also feature good panoramas of the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountains.

Some of my favorite local restaurants (Note that SF is famous for its cuisine, so I am sure I am missing many many fantastic choices):

New Mexican (note many New Mexican restaurants are closed Sundays!):

0) My favorite by far, Gabriel's: About 20 minutes north from the plaza on 84/285. Great food selection, good Margaritas, fantastic guacamole bowl. Don't miss this.

1) Tomasita's: Somewhat touristy, but inexpensive and good. Right at the Railrunner train station!

2) Maria's: More local in flavor, excellent Margaritas.

3) Bumblebee Burritos: fast food, a bit pricy but a local favorite. The one on Guadalupe is frequented by movie stars, so keep your eyes peeled.

4) Also note most restaurants will have some New Mexican dishes, whatever their main theme.

Spanish:

El Farol: Very good tapas. Located on Canyon in the heart of the studio district. Reputed to have the oldest bar in the US.

Italian:

Osteria d'Assisi: Wonderful family run-restaurant. Just don't go when the legislature is in session, because it will be _packed_ with politicians. Otherwise a delightfullocal favorite.

Indian:

Raaga. No contest.

Burgers:

Santa Fe Bite: the new name of the former Bobcat Bite, which was awarded "best burger in America" by Bon Appetit a few years ago. The burgers still really are that good.

Date night:

Bistro 315: French Provincial, yum yum yum. Not cheap, but worth every penny.

Coyote Grill: modern cuisine with a New Mexican touch; most famous for its exotic cocktails.

Santa Cafe: I haven't actually been there, but in a poll of my friends, it was number one, so I add it to the list!

Hippy:

Counterculture Cafe: you know, health food and sprouts. Part of the Santa Fe culture.

Tesuque Village Market: a good place for movie star spotting and yummy health food. Ten minutes out of town.

Tune-up Cafe: Formerly Dave's Not Here, a local hippy hangout.

Steakhouses: don't bother. They are all crappy overpriced chain places or crappy overpriced local places. Cater to politicians only.

Breakfast:

Amazingly enough, the best wrapped breakfast burrito for eating in the car is at the Vallejo gas station located at Camel Rock casino, north of town. People in New Mexico take their breakfast burritos SERIOUSLY.

For a local greasy spoon, try the Pantry, on Cerrillos Rd. Expect a line on weekends.

Harry's Roadhouse on the Old Las Vegas Hwy south of town is good and very reasonably priced for all meals.

As for local snacks that travel well, try some roasted pinon nuts. These are the local equivalent of sunflower seeds, often available at roadside stands. Also, I guess some people like beef or elk or whatever jerky, which is available at roadside stands and in the grocery stores. Not a big fan myself.

A few suggestions that might be a bit out of your current plans:

1) The Bradbury Science Museum in Los Alamos: a museum that combines history of the Los Alamos National Lab with an overview of the science being done there now. Might give you a new perspective on where some of your federal tax dollars have gone and are going. Also, you will see at least one picture of me in there (not saying where!)

2) Ojo Caliente hot springs: about 1.5 hours north of SF on 285. Natural (but developed) mineral hot springs. Nice drive and a relaxing soak at the end of it. From the parking lot, you can do an easy hike with a great payoff, out to an abandoned mica mine. It is about two miles round trip on mostly flat ground, and should be cool enough to be pleasant in May. Take twice as much water as you think you will need! At _least_ a liter per person in May!

3) Bandelier National Monument: beautiful and steeped in history and prehistory. See preserved cave dwellings and beautiful mesas and canyons.

Have a great time in Santa Fe!

Ainamkartma
Wow, wow, wow! Thank you for such thorough info. I appreciate it.
 
I'll be stopping in Santa Fe for 48 hours in May (2017). So far I've booked the shuttle to get to Hertz so I can have a car for these 2 days, and I've booked a cheap hotel for 2 nights. I've got tentative plans to spend a few hours in the studio of a local potter the afternoon of my arrival day. And I plan to go to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum at some point.

I'd like to spend several hours or more driving around to see (and photograph) the landscape and other points of interest. So I'm looking for advice on a route to drive to get interesting/beautiful views. Anyplace special for sunrise or sunset?

Also, suggestions on places for good local food both in Santa Fe and while on the road would be great. I love spicy food and tequila. I'll be on one train or another for about 2 weeks after Santa Fe so grabbing some local snacks that travel well would be a bonus.

All advice and suggestions are welcome! Thank you.
OK, I am a Santa Fe resident, so maybe I can give some local perspective.

Let me start by saying that we sometimes accept pretty long distances as "local" in the wild west: my neighborhood post office is over twenty miles from my house, for example.

So, a couple of nice drives with big views:

1) Up to the local ski area. Ask anyone how to get to Santa Fe ski basin, or just take Paseo de Peralta to Bishop's Lodge Road to Artist Rd. Big overlooks on the access road. Beware the altitude if you are coming from sea level!

2) The White Rock Overlook, for huge views of the Rio Grande gorge. At least 45 minutes from the Santa Fe plaza, but the drive will also feature good panoramas of the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountains.

Some of my favorite local restaurants (Note that SF is famous for its cuisine, so I am sure I am missing many many fantastic choices):

New Mexican (note many New Mexican restaurants are closed Sundays!):

0) My favorite by far, Gabriel's: About 20 minutes north from the plaza on 84/285. Great food selection, good Margaritas, fantastic guacamole bowl. Don't miss this.

1) Tomasita's: Somewhat touristy, but inexpensive and good. Right at the Railrunner train station!

2) Maria's: More local in flavor, excellent Margaritas.

3) Bumblebee Burritos: fast food, a bit pricy but a local favorite. The one on Guadalupe is frequented by movie stars, so keep your eyes peeled.

4) Also note most restaurants will have some New Mexican dishes, whatever their main theme.

Spanish:

El Farol: Very good tapas. Located on Canyon in the heart of the studio district. Reputed to have the oldest bar in the US.

Italian:

Osteria d'Assisi: Wonderful family run-restaurant. Just don't go when the legislature is in session, because it will be _packed_ with politicians. Otherwise a delightfullocal favorite.

Indian:

Raaga. No contest.

Burgers:

Santa Fe Bite: the new name of the former Bobcat Bite, which was awarded "best burger in America" by Bon Appetit a few years ago. The burgers still really are that good.

Date night:

Bistro 315: French Provincial, yum yum yum. Not cheap, but worth every penny.

Coyote Grill: modern cuisine with a New Mexican touch; most famous for its exotic cocktails.

Santa Cafe: I haven't actually been there, but in a poll of my friends, it was number one, so I add it to the list!

Hippy:

Counterculture Cafe: you know, health food and sprouts. Part of the Santa Fe culture.

Tesuque Village Market: a good place for movie star spotting and yummy health food. Ten minutes out of town.

Tune-up Cafe: Formerly Dave's Not Here, a local hippy hangout.

Steakhouses: don't bother. They are all crappy overpriced chain places or crappy overpriced local places. Cater to politicians only.

Breakfast:

Amazingly enough, the best wrapped breakfast burrito for eating in the car is at the Vallejo gas station located at Camel Rock casino, north of town. People in New Mexico take their breakfast burritos SERIOUSLY.

For a local greasy spoon, try the Pantry, on Cerrillos Rd. Expect a line on weekends.

Harry's Roadhouse on the Old Las Vegas Hwy south of town is good and very reasonably priced for all meals.

As for local snacks that travel well, try some roasted pinon nuts. These are the local equivalent of sunflower seeds, often available at roadside stands. Also, I guess some people like beef or elk or whatever jerky, which is available at roadside stands and in the grocery stores. Not a big fan myself.

A few suggestions that might be a bit out of your current plans:

1) The Bradbury Science Museum in Los Alamos: a museum that combines history of the Los Alamos National Lab with an overview of the science being done there now. Might give you a new perspective on where some of your federal tax dollars have gone and are going. Also, you will see at least one picture of me in there (not saying where!)

2) Ojo Caliente hot springs: about 1.5 hours north of SF on 285. Natural (but developed) mineral hot springs. Nice drive and a relaxing soak at the end of it. From the parking lot, you can do an easy hike with a great payoff, out to an abandoned mica mine. It is about two miles round trip on mostly flat ground, and should be cool enough to be pleasant in May. Take twice as much water as you think you will need! At _least_ a liter per person in May!

3) Bandelier National Monument: beautiful and steeped in history and prehistory. See preserved cave dwellings and beautiful mesas and canyons.

Have a great time in Santa Fe!

Ainamkartma
Wow, wow, wow! Thank you for such thorough info. I appreciate it.
Thirded! Since maybe I might into a Santa Fe Amtrak trip(via Lamy, and this shuttle), someday. Thanks for posting all this great info, on this post.
 
My favorite place to stay in Santa Fe is El Rey Inn. It's located on Cerrillos Road not in the center of the city.

The place still has a Route 66 feel to it because it's been well maintained over many years. The grounds are a garden.

I highly recommend The Pantry practically next door to the Inn. Excellent, yet unpretentious Southwest cuisine!
 
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