The Ultimate Romantic Weekend in Santa Fe

My partner, Sam, and I are sitting on a terrace outside of the North 35 degrees cafe overlooking the plaza in Santa Fe.

I take in the scenery: the two-story adobe houses and old western architecture, the naked deciduous trees, and the faint smell of sage burning in the air. It is so serene here. I looked down at our baby blue Subaru, parked across the street, and noticed we were about to get a ticket.

“Babe! I think we are getting a ticket!” Sam looks up from his computer and is slow to respond. Tickets are a normal part of his existence since he became a car owner years ago.

But my frugal nature leaps into action. I tap, tap, tap his knee and point towards the car, “Be a man of action! Shout down to them!”

He closed his Macbook Pro and walked over to the edge of the red clay balcony.

He shouted down at the woman clicking away at her ticket device and shouted, “Hey! That’s our car. Is it in the wrong spot?”

She turns up to see who is shouting at her, disturbing the peace of the city. We wave and smile, and she waves and smiles back, “Oh good thing you caught me! Yeah, you aren’t even in a spot right now.”

I shouted, “Oh I guess we paid for that other person's meter then!” I said virtue-signaling that we had paid for the meter and weren’t just rocking up from out east and blatantly ignoring traffic laws.

“Oh yeah guess you did. Come on down and move it. Good thing you caught me before I printed the ticket!”

Sam turned down and walked down to move the car and I returned to our cafe table.

As our backs were turned, no one even considered swiping our phones or computers and selling them on eBay.

I would not be so trusting in New York. In Brooklyn, even if we had caught the parking officer in time, they still would have printed out the ticket regardless, licked the back of it, and then stuck it on our foreheads. We would have then watched our car be towed away to an ungodly spot deep in Queens, never to be seen again.

Something as minor as a parking ticket can throw a wrench into a romantic getaway, and we had already traveled thousands of miles just to be there. That kind of interaction– selfless, kind, and helpful– was something Sam and I experienced time and time again in our romantic weekend visit to Santa Fe.

Our journey started in Brooklyn, and we had cut across America at a 45-degree angle. After booking it for two days through the Midwest and the Great Plains, we had finally entered the southwest. Sam and I decided to make a stop in artsy, quirky Santa Fe for a few days before venturing further on our adventure.

Our long weekend in Santa Fe was filled with kindness, spectacular scenery, an abundance of art, good food, and plenty of romance *shakes castellans*

What is Santa Fe All About?

The short answer:chillies, turquoise, and embroidery

In my humble opinion, I think Santa Fe is one of the best small cities in America. Santa Fe is visually stunning. After driving through endless copy/paste houses, towns, and cities for three days, Sam and I were so grateful to wake up and look at a completely new spectacle.

Santa Fe has held onto its roots through all the transitions. Although many people automatically think that Plymouth or Jamestown are the oldest settlements in America, Santa Fe’s origins beat both of them by a few hundred years.

Right as the Romans fell and Charlemagne ruled over the Euroasia continent, the village formerly known as Oghá P'o'oge or "White Shell Water Place" was being built up by the indigenous Tanoan tribe. This ancient Native American tribe settled in the northern Rio Grande Valley for its accessibility to the Sante Fe River.

White Shell Water Place was an ostensibly quiet settlement until the conquistadors arrived. In 1598, the Spanish colonized Oghá P'o'oge and turned it into a province of New Spain. The conquistadors renamed White Shell Water Place to Santa Fe, which means “Holy Faith.” Santa Fe then transformed into the oldest state capital in the, soon to be, United States.

Today, Santa Fe has somehow managed to tenaciously hold onto its architectural roots. Where neighboring cities are made of concrete and steel, filled with uninspiring tiled floors and carpeting, Santa Fe is made of wood and clay. The iconic adobe houses wall the streets. They are thick enough to ward off the cold but airy enough to keep cool during the summer. It seems to be the only American city where the houses are made of the material of its surroundings. Somehow, with all the modernization, the high rises, the commercial big box stores, and tacky neon nightclubs that line every other downtown, Santa Fe is unscathed from all of that, in spirit and aesthetic.

Santa Fe seems to be the only trace of ancient history modern Americans get in their backyard. Where European, Asian, and African cities have been around for centuries, our oldest city is still a child in comparison ( no shade Boston).

New Mexico is still home to 23 tribes and 19 Pueblos: the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the Mescalero Apache Tribe, the Fort Sill Apache Tribe, and the Navajo Nation. Santa Fe does plenty to ensure that its history is not forgotten.

For the modern explorer, Santa Fe is an artist haven. You don’t have to have a creative touch to enjoy it but at some point, you might have the urge to sit down at a pottery wheel. From indigenous museums to art galleries, ruby red chili braids, and the smell of woodfire wafting in the streets, Santa Fe is known for being a palace to awaken the senses. I am not a religious person, but there is something holy about this place. Maybe because it is the highest town in the United States, we can feel that we are closer to the heavens.

Needless to say, Santa Fe is cool without trying. Maybe because it's an old soul city, unimposing and impressive at the same time. It’s the equivalent of the chill 70- year old lady artist in flowy skirts and Birkenstocks who has gone through the realities of life and is peacefully gardening and painting every day. I can’t wait to have that kind of confidence. In Santa Fe, I already could.

If you are wondering where to go for a romantic getaway, book Santa Fe. Here is a little Santa Fe travel guide if you are looking to escape into a seemingly endless desert background with the one you love for a weekend. For visitors, Santa Fe is a relatively affordable romantic getaway for travel couples. You can choose to spend all of your Biden bucks at the best restaurants or be thrifty and eat out at taco stands. Follow this romantic Santa Fe guide to help plan a romantic weekend in Santa Fe.

Santa Fe Weather

and when to go to Santa Fe.

Santa Fe is nestled on the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, just south of the Rockies. Its mountain location makes the climate semi-arid, with low rain and snow and lots of sun in every season. Yet, being in the mountains and a desert also means it gets cold AF at night.

The summer season in Santa Fe is hit by a North American monsoon. Winter in Santa Fe, New Mexico is cold with some heavy snowfall. I think the ideal time to visit Santa Fe is during the spring or fall when the weather is milder. However, the weather does fluctuate more drastically during the day during the spring or fall. You could get a sunburn during the day and frostbite at night. Fun.

What to bring in Santa Fe: a raincoat, a burka, rubber boots, sandals, thick socks, sunscreen, and an umbrella, just in case.

Sam and I arrived in Santa Fe the first days of March and didn’t need our heavy-duty winter coats. A nice jacket and scarf were usually enough to keep us warm at night.

Day Trips to Santa Fe

How far is Santa Fe from….

Santa Fe is an hour's drive from Albuquerque, five hours from Denver, eight hours from Oklahoma City or Phoenix ( from opposite directions), nine and a half hours from Dallas or Las Vegas, or just fly. Santa Fe is a perfect weekend getaway in the Southwest, no matter where you are coming from.

What To Do in Santa Fe

There is enough to do on a weekend in Santa Fe. The big pull to visit Santa Fe for most people is the art scene. If you are a sport person, you are in the wrong town. Santa Fe is known for its artist havens, spiritual connection, wine scene, and desert landscape. The Bud Light drinking, Friday Night Lights loving jocks can go back to Texas. However, although it is an artist's hub, it is surprisingly unpretentious (unlike that previous sentence). The art there is for people who need to wake up every morning and make something with their hands, their instruments, or keyboards.

The great Julia Cameron who wrote the Artist's Way moved out to Santa Fe in the late 80s/90s to get her creative juices flowing. Georgia O'Keeffe passed through New Mexico by accident and was captivated by the transcending landscape and skyline. Numerous artists of every kind have found pause here. I am not a crystal-holding kind of gal, but I did feel creative energy here that I didn’t in some of our other stops. Maybe the thin mountain air made me breathe deeper. It was calm. No one was in a rush or busting to get by. Everyone was insouciant, not looking to pick a fight.

Museums in Santa Fe

For a city that is smaller than the Mall of America, there are ample museums. Santa Fe honors its history and art through every museum imaginable. From the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art to the Oldest House Museum, there is plenty of art and history for you to cogitate on. But these are the most popular ( dare I say, best) museums in Santa Fe. The New Mexico Museum of Art highlights the great artists who have found inspiration, creativity, and peace while making art in the Southwest. The exhibits range from historical pieces to contemporary pieces by artists who expressed their experience in the southwest. Museum of International Folk Art focuses on crafts and folk art from all over the globe. You can experience the whole world in one walk through Afghanistan War rugs, Japanese Ghost and Demons sculptures, or Hispanic Folk music. Museum of Indian Arts and Culture focuses on specific Native communities and cultures from the Southwest, including the Pueblo, Navajo (Diné), and Apache. Objects, archaeological collections, songs, and stories are on display on the original inhabitants of this land. New Mexico History Museum keeps the old stories of New Mexico’s origins alive by preserving cultural artifacts, objects, and tall tales to keep the narrative alive. For the specialized, there is also Georgia O'Keefe's house. The collection that lines the walls of her former home spans six decades of her painting career.

Art Galleries in Santa Fe

Meow Wolf- I’m not really sure where to categorize Meow Wolf. Is it a museum? An art Gallery? A brief period where you are abducted by aliens and experience an intergalactic trip and gone for hours but only come back seconds later. Needless to say, Meow Wolf is an experience. Unfortunately, it was closed due to a pestilence set on ruining humanity and all of our fun. For something a little more down-to-earth, the Nedra Matteucci Galleries focuses on 19th-20th century art. You can walk around the gardens with bronze statues embedded into the verdant scenery. There are impressionist and modernist paintings, with a focus on western artists.

Best Shopping In Santa Fe

The shopping here is intense. It’s the perfect city to explore if you want to redecorate your whole apartment. There are rock shops with giant amethyst, glass-blown decorations, and heavy silver and turquoise necklaces. The best shops in Santa Fe are Nathalie, Than Povi Fine Art, Traveler's Market, and Keshi.

You can throw a stone without hitting a jewelry shop in Santa Fe. Silver, emerald, opal, and turquoise in every shape, size, and color. Sam got a DOPE turquoise bracelet at Ortega’s and I got lovely turquoise earrings at Cowboys and Indians. For Native American arts and crafts, Rainbow Man is your guy.

Then there are the rug shops. The open spaces of thick multi-colored rugs stacked like pancakes with intense embroidery or a corner of throw pillows stacked on top of each other you will have to resist throwing yourself into them like it's a ball pit. There are chairs so intricately threaded you won’t actually sit on them in your house- you might put them behind a glass case just to look at them. The best upholstery shops and rug stores in Santa Fe are Seret and Sons.

There was also a multitude of lawn decoration shops. We were tempted to bring back a giant wooden bull and squeeze it into our apartment to put it on our 6X10 balcony in Brooklyn.

If you are tired of walking around and need a place to chill out and read, there are several independently owned bookstores like Collected Works Bookstore and Coffeeshop.

Where to Stay in Santa Fe

Inn of the Five Graces, every time

Given that Sam and I had been driving three days to get to Santa Fe, we wanted to make the most of it. I didn’t want to stay in some dinky Hilton Inn in Santa Fe ( the whole time). I wanted to sit by Sam near a clay fireplace, shaped like a teardrop, red with fire, as we wrapped ourselves under a sunset-colored woven blanket and read poetry to each other.

The Inn of the Five Graces was more than that. One of Santa Fe’s most notorious luxury hotels is set right in the center of town, but it's easy to pass by it if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Blocks away from the plaza is a small quiet street with old stone buildings, large blue flower pots, and old decorative wheelbarrows. Two stalwarts, stone elephants guard the steps to the charming adobe building with a Tiffany blue sign that matches the blazing Azul sky above us. Square yellow lights dot the top of the building and glow like a night light on your drunken stumble home.

The Inn of the Five Graces is not a hidden gem; it’s a world renowned hotel, but it does give the allure of seclusion and serenity. When we walked in, we questioned whether we had accidentally driven to Afghanistan. Each room is intricately decorated with embroidered and vibrant pillows, rugs, and furniture. No two rooms are the same. We walked from the lobby into a labyrinth of rooms and courtyards that branched off to secluded rooms. Once we arrived in the Jasmine suite, they opened the heavy wooded and engraved door to a burst of red. Our suite had a master bedroom with curtains to partition the living space, a kitchenette, clay and brick fireplace, and an outside terrace. We had walked into a living piece of art, and I almost didn’t want to touch anything ( but I touched everything).

The staff was beyond friendly and anticipated our senses' in every way. I honestly felt like I could hang out with them if there wasn’t this global pandemic. Their safety standards were top-notch, and they had limited their room capacity. They directed us towards the complementary mini-fridge filled with local snacks and bubbles. It was filled with complimentary snacks ( fancy bree, crackers, and cashews, with freshly made homemade salsa and chips that I still drool over). I wish I brought Tupperware to snag some of the salsa on the way out. I popped open an orange Pellegrino and laid down on the bed. This was the lover's getaway I dreamed of as Sam took one last Zoom call.

Once the staff left and we put our stuff down, I immediately ran to the bathroom. I audibly gasped as I ran my fingers over the intricately decorated layout. Every square inch is covered with hand-laid mosaics on the bathtub, walls, and floors. It was more ornate than the Hagia Sophia.

We took a moment to sit out on our balcony on the chilly but sunny March afternoon. Birds were singing in the courtyard around the juniper bushes and sage shrubs. I couldn’t tell if there was a soft Spanish guitar actually playing or if it was just in my head. At night, we turned our bed into a cave. Even though the Inn of the Five Graces was at half capacity, Sam drew the curtains to ensure full privacy. * eyebrows eyebrows*

Where to Eat Breakfast and Feed Each Other Bites of Bacon

The Inn of the Five Graces offers a complimentary breakfast to guests each morning which was by far the best way to wake up. We chose to sit in the dining room with a giant adobe fire pit crackling as we bit into your bacon ( they also do room service). We ordered almost everything on the menu, which was fresh and perfectly made. I gobbled down the blue cornmeal pancakes with sausage and berries while Sam made god bites out of his huevos rancheros Christmas style ( with red and green sauce). I’m genuinely sad writing about it now because it is so far away from my mouth. Other breakfast options we did not do but were recommended were Dolina’s, an eastern European eatery great for breakfasts and cake, and Whoos doughnut shop. At any of these best restaurants in Santa Fe, you will find yourself lovingly forking bites of bacon, tortilla, and chilis into each other's mouths.

Where to Eat Lunch and Dinner and Stare Into Each Other's Eyes

For food, we got some remote work done at Iconik, which is the coffee shop of my dreams. It holds all the classic elements of a coffee shop, thrifty boho furniture, ficus hanging from windows, and a man in his 60s sitting at a corner table that is monopolized by an old massive computer. Its thick cord snaked its way across the floor, under the feet of several other coffee sippers, to get to the one remote plug that is within reach. But in traditional millennial fashion, I whipped out my phone to take a picture of my horchata latte. He looked at me and I at him. We both saw each other for who we were at that moment. They had tons of healthy options, including gluten-free waffles which I scourged down without fear of future eczema.

We also loved 35 North coffee, which had an upstairs balcony that allowed us to get some work done outside. Brooklyn coffee culture can try all it wants, but it can’t import that southwestern sunshine. Both of these were the best Santa Fe coffee shops we imbibed at while spending our weekend in New Mexico.

We used our dinner points at two exceptional restaurants. The first night, we went to Los Magueyes which is a new Mexican restaurant with margaritas the size of your head and an excellent selection of classic Mexican food and American infusions. The second night we imbibed at La Fonda. La Fonda is a hotel with a renowned restaurant attached. With two trees growing in the center of the dining area and a small brick laid pool in the center to throw some pennies into to make a wish, La Fonda is a smaller size of what I envisioned the ball scene to be in Cinderella. They had big skylights to let the sunshine or moonlight grace your table and make your dining companion mysterious and sexy ( unless it’s your mom). The food and cocktails were incredible and rich. For some after-dinner drinks, Herve Wine Shop was a sexy ending to a delicious night. New Mexico is not known for its budding wine scene, but Herve was the place to imbibe in all of the wine that New Mexico offers.

Best Views in Santa Fe

When Sam and I finished eating at Los Magueyes on our first night, we asked the teenage waitress what to do or where to go for a nightly stroll.

“ Well, Santa Fe is for old people,” she said not thinking, with the honesty that kids have before they are told they are being rude. I’m not sure if she included Sam and me in that but I’m assuming no, and I’ll take the compliment.

“You can go up and walk up the hill for a view of the town,” she said.

“ Yes! I love a view!” I replied through my mask as she grabbed a tourist map and circled where to go.

Minutes later, Sam and I snaked our way around the outskirts of the city, up a serpentine road until we saw it. Santa Fe is small enough and has such little traffic everything is within a five-minute drive. We parked probably in front of someone’s driveway and turned around and stared out at the city. Waves of tiny lights flickered in the dark mirroring the stars above us as the late spring wind wrapped around our bodies. We cuddled in our coats and kissed, taking a moment to appreciate how far we had come to just stand there and look at such a beautiful city.

We had a magically romantic time in Santa Fe. We loved Santa Fe so much, so please please please don’t go there. This trip to Santa Fe hopefully scratched your travel bug and your lover’s back as a romantic weekend getaway for couples.