The city is 7,300' above sea level and has a cool, dry desert climate.  Set near the gorgeous foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, some of the nearby mountain peaks are over 12,000 feet and local ski areas often have snow pack in excess of 100 inches.  In the summer, nights are cool and days are warm.  Travelers are often treated to some glorious sunsets such as the one below. 
 

We were joined by friends which brought our group total to 14 with ages from 24 to 56 coming from all over the country - Vermont, Boston, Durango, and Texas.  Half drove to Santa Fe, the others flew to Albuquerque.  In past years, we've spent our holidays in Lake Tahoe, Jackson Hole, Banff, and Salt Lake City - quite a distance from our home towns, so I had thought that Santa Fe would be easy to reach via airlines and buses - I was quite wrong!  More about that later. 

When planning this trip, I looked for condominiums near the center of town and found only a few which could accommodate large families.  Fort Marcy Condos north of the Plaza was a possibility, but was booked for our time period, however the Eldorado Hotel manages the Zona Rosa Condominiums and had 3 bedroom units available.  Only 4 blocks from the Plaza, they were an excellent choice!  At the last minute, our youngest daughter and her friend decided to join us, so Eldorado reservations booked them a cute room at the Las Palomas Casitas, another property it manages, and just a half block from our condos. For more information, go to my detailed review of these properties by clicking HERE. 

As always, there is plenty to do in Santa Fe - shop, visit all the museums, browse the stores and galleries on Canyon Road, take day trips to the mountains, and eat. 
 

The first night, we had dinner at the Pinon Grill - the favorite entree was "Chimayo Chile Seared Prime Rib" best described as mesquite grilled, blacked beef encrusted with mild New Mexican spices!  Don't miss ordering this flavorful dish.  The next day, we had an early lunch at Pasquals which offers some of the best mexican food, sandwiches, and soups in Santa Fe.  The restaurant is tiny and there's always a line, but it's well worth the wait. 

The Shed offered excellent New Mexican cuisine - one family ate lunch there; the other enjoyed dinner.  We also discovered the Plaza Restaurant, a diner really, with great choices of good basic American and Mexican food.  One of our favorite Santa Fe restaurants is Tomasita's - while it advertises North New Mexican food, we think it's very close to Tex-Mex.  Our vegetarian daughter was in heaven since they offer lots of meatless choices. 

We chose the Pink Adobe for our "holiday dinner" - as always the selections were excellent and service perfect.  Half of us ordered Mexican food, the others dined on steaks cooked to perfection and succulent salmon. 
 

We discovered a French restaurant on Burro Alley called the Cafe Paris owned by a husband-wife team who prepare fabulous food!  Rahera was born in Tahiti; Paul is from France.  For lunch, we had all kinds of soups, sandwiches, crepes, and omelettes, followed by chocolate truffle desserts.  The dinner menu looked superb and they also serve breakfast.  We also stopped by several times to sample some of their French pastries and specialized coffees. 
 
We didn't have a chance to dine at El Nido (the nest) or the Steaksmith this time, but both are excellent dinner destinations. 
 
We found some other great restaurants on recent trips. 
 

Our 98 pound Akita puppy chewed up my favorite winter boots two weeks before our trip, so I had to wear my 30# snow boots instead. Needless to say, I spent the first day searching for some new boots at every shoe store in town.  Walking On Water (on Water Street) had a nice selection but couldn't fit my size 11 feet.  The Overland Sheepskin Company had some great outdoor boots and Street Feet did too.  Finally, I found the perfect boots at the Yarrow Collection - each pair is handcrafted by a Santa Fe artisan in colorful sheepskin and several low and high top designs are available.  The shop also has fanciful sheepskin coats and vests. 
 

Fenn Gallery at 1075 Paseo de Peralta is one of the finest art galleries in the Southwest.  It features 19th and 20th century American paintings and sculpture, works by early Taos and Santa Fe painters, as well as artists of the American West and masters of American Modernism and Impressionism. 
 
For more information about shopping, go to my Santa Fe Shopping page. 
 

A short drive down Old Santa Fe Trails to Camino Lejo takes you to The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, one of our favorites.  The nearby Museum of International Folk Art is also worth a visit. 
 

Be sure to purchase a small Bandelier guidebook and trail map before you start exploring - it gives details about various areas of the ruins. 
 
Other day trips can be taken to visit pueblos, quaint towns such as Chama, and Native Indian historical ruins. 
 

Summer visitors enjoy white water rafting - check with your hotel for more information. 
 

Even though there was no snow in Santa Fe during our Christmas visit, both ski areas had enough for some fairly good skiing. 
 

AIRPORT SHUTTLES:  It is important to have a reservation with Sandia Shuttle Express before arrival and if your airline schedule runs late, be sure to call them to reserve a later bus.  Some of our group who had delayed airline schedules forgot to call and were left standing at the curb -- they ended up renting a car to reach Santa Fe.  For information, reservations, and current bus schedules, call (505) 438-0687 in Santa Fe or (888) 775-5696. 
 
RENTAL CARS: All the major car rental companies are available and we usually rent a car. 

If you have time for a scenic drive to Santa Fe, take the lovely Turquoise Trail about 2 leisurely hours through hills and valleys.  Stop in Madrid, a funky little artists' town and browse the shops and have a beer at the  Mine Shaft Tavern or coffee at Java Junction shown below.  All the studios and shops are in old buildings like this one.