 Santa
Fe New Mexico, was founded in 1607, and is the capital
of the state of New Mexico in the United States.
With an elevation of 7000 feet, it is not only the
United States' oldest state capital but its highest.
With a population of about 70,000, it's not the
largest capital, but that's part of its charm. Santa
Fe is consistently rated one of the world's top
travel destinations for its confluence of scenic
beauty, long history (at least by American standards),
cultural diversity, and an extraordinary concentration
of arts, music and fine dining.
Santa
Fe New Mexico, was once the capital of Spain, and
then Mexico's, territories north of the Rio Grande,
but its visible history extends far back into time
beyond the arrival of the Spanish; it is thought
to have been the site of Puebloan villages that
had already been long abandoned by the time the
Spanish arrived in 1607. It became the state capital
when the territory of New Mexico achieved statehood
in 1912.
In
the early 20th century, the area attracted a number
of artists, such as Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred
Stieglitz. The region remains important on America's
art scene. The arrival of Igor Stravinsky and the
founding of the Santa Fe Opera, one of the world's
leading opera companies, had a similarly invigorating
and enduring influence on the musical community.
Many people go to Santa Fe New Mexico, for spiritual
gatherings and to practice meditative arts at the
many spas and resorts that are in and around Santa
Fe.
 Santa
Fe New Mexico, is rooted in paradoxes. On the one
hand, it is one of the United States' oldest cities
(by some reckonings the oldest), and many residents
can trace their roots, and property holdings in
town, back to the 17th century. On the other hand,
it has also been the target of a teeming influx
of wealthy immigrants in the last 30 years or so
that has spurred a great deal of new construction
and created outrageous prices for real estate --
and drastically elevated taxes on old family properties,
many of which are owned by families that can't afford
the taxes. The tension between new and old, rich
and poor, etc., is a persistent undercurrent in
the community. These and other factors (not the
least of which is a well-deserved reputation as
a haven for flamboyant characters) contribute to
one of Santa Fe's enduring and proudly-worn nicknames:
"The City Different."
Much
of Santa Fe New Mexico attractiveness, from both
scenic and cultural perspectives, arises from its
setting in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo
Mountains. This location produces a mild continental
climate with four distinct seasons. Winters are
pleasant, with day-time highs usually in the 40s
(Fahrenheit), often "feeling" warmer due
to the sunny conditions. Snow varies wildly from
year to year; some winters see almost no snow, while
others will have several individual storms dropping
a foot or more each. (The sun and high altitude
mean that roads usually aren't clogged too badly,
even by the big storms, for more than a day or two,
as the snow melts rapidly.) Spring, usually dry
and moderate in temperature, is still probably the
least pleasant time to visit from a weather perspective,
because of strong winds. Early summer (June, early
July) is hot and dry, with highs around 90, but
gives way around mid-July to a truly delightful
climate as summer, monsoonal thunderstorms peel
off the mountains and cool the afternoons down.
Bring rainwear if visiting in July or August. The
monsoons typically die out in early September leading
to a fall with dry, sunny days and clear, crisp
evenings; first frost is usually in October, with
snow starting to stick in the mountains at about
that time.
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