Drawn by the relaxed pace, unique earthy architecture, art and cuisine, over a million visitors per year flock to a scenic city in the desert where the Rocky Mountains flatten out into the high plains. It's the oldest capital city in the United States, founded more than a hundred years before the Revolution and thirteen years before the Pilgrims carved "1620" into their famous rock. In the nineteenth century, the famous Santa Fe Trail drew three cultures together - Indian, Spanish and Anglo - to create the unique architecture, cuisine and ambience of today's "city different." Early twentieth-century artists flocked to Santa Fe for the "the light." The artistic tradition remains strong, making Santa Fe the third-largest art market in the United States.
When to Visit Santa Fe
Any time is a beautiful time visit Santa Fe, with summer temperatures seldom exceeding 90 F and wintry days rarely below 40 F. Every season is unique. Santa Fe can be almost unbearably crowded in the summer, and during the annual Indian Markets. Spring brings mild weather and fewer people, but allergies can be a problem, with about every third person sneezing or complaining about them. Santa Fe is truly special at Christmas, when many buildings are lit with luminarias (lights inside a paper bag), sometimes peeking through a light layer of snow. Fall weather can be delightful, with crisp, clear days and aspens turning golden in the mountains.
