Another day another adventure begins!
This time around we decided to drive from Sanger to the San Juan mountains of Southwestern Colorado starting on a hot and blue sky filled Sunday afternoon. The roughly fifteen hour drive would take us through Santa Fe where we decided to stop for the night and enjoy the capital of New Mexico.
We arrived at the Eldorado Hotel & Spa late Sunday evening and were pleasantly surprised with the accommodations along with the convenient location nearby the Santa Fe Plaza. After a long day in the 4Runner a nightcap (or two) sounded nice so we walked around the corner to Evangelo's, which happened to have a band playing solid live music. If you have never danced to an extended version of "Hey Ya!" this is definitely the place to do it! The original owner was an immigrant form Greece who came to the USA in the 1930s, served in World War II, established the bar, and now his son runs the cash only establishment.
Monday morning arrived sooner than we would have liked and it was time to explore the Santa Fe Plaza before continuing the drive north through the mountain pass of HWY 84. First stop was at Plaza Cafe Downtown for some delicious and much deserved breakfast while Fox took a business call, as is tradition. Similar to Evangelo's the night before the café has been operated by a Greek family since 1947 and originally opened in 1905, making it the oldest restaurant in Santa Fe. The breakfast was everything we hoped for and more while we enjoyed the outdoor air and views of the plaza!
Following the meal, we strolled over to Loretto Chapel to see the famous spiral staircase that "defies" gravity within the gothic church. Along with the primary attraction, the church boasts stunning stained glass and a relaxing atmosphere, despite the crowd.
Next on the tour was the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assis on the Plaza's east side. We enjoyed the architecture from the outside, listened to a tour guide explain Saint Kateri Tekakwitha's story, and had some laughs walking through a tile maze.
A few stops we did not make near the Plaza that would have been nice to see with more time are Palace of the Governors (NM History Museum), New Mexico Museum of Art, and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Off the Plaza to the southeast Canyon Road boasts a hundred galleries and boutiques for an enjoyable walk. Lastly, directly south of the Plaza is the uniquely round New Mexico State Capitol, which also houses an impressive art collection.
For those heading north, may we suggest a stop for food, or overnight accommodations, at the ElkHorn Lodge in Chama, NM and their Elkhorn Cafe, which had great service and food.
Comments