Timeless charm of Santa Fe

Santa Fe, New Mexico, is one of those iconic towns in the U.S. that really lives up to its hype. Strict zoning codes and a populace that takes their stewardship of the historic landmarks seriously. This makes Santa Fe, a wonderful place to visit and savor, over and over again. We last visited here, during Thanksgiving, 6 years ago, and the city has since expanded outwards in big ways. In fact, Elise and I have seen a lot of vacancy signs on buildings and believe they may have overbuilt during this latest construction boom. Either way, the core downtown historic area was unfazed by the real estate speculators and looks remarkably unchanged and very familiar.
   My kids know a thing or two about chilling in a parque central (central park) and reveled in buying street food from a Cuban vendor at the park. We sat at a shaded table with our Cuba-New Mex food and started speaking with a recent transplant to Santa Fe. She was a retiree from San Francisco and raved about the quality of life in her new adopted town. The way she spoke of Santa Fe reminded us of Granada, back in Nicaragua, and got us all homesick on the spot.
   Elise and I, often wonder if we'll ever find a place again, that each of us can fall in love with, like Granada? We try not to compare, but can't help it. We try to let the past go and focus on the future, but we can't unsee what we have seen. We want a quirky community of caring people, vibrant colors, and not so many rules. Is this too much to ask for? My wife and daughters ache. They long for the grandmas selling handmade tortillas on the streets, the clip-clop of horses pulling their carts, and the noise of everyday living. The only thing that keeps us together, is our love for each other. We will one day, and possibly soon, vote as a family, for our next community to call home. I hope, in my heart, that it won't be a 2/2 or even a 3/1 vote. I pray we can find contentment in our choice, for saying goodbye to wonderful friends tears us apart too much, to repeat.
       

An old cart converted into a floral decoration.

My kids love colorful things.

Modern and antique blend in Santa Fe 

We loved the soft lines of the adobe structures.

Some of these buildings are much older than you think.

One of the nicer hotels in Santa Fe.

This is the oldest house in the U.S.

The cedar wood used for the ceiling, is still in great shape, in this 500 year old home.

They are still making adobe bricks, in Santa Fe, today.

 

Beautiful old town homes.

The indigenous craft market, at the Palace of the Governors, in Santa Fe.

Chilling after lunch and central park.

I loved how the light played with the angles of the architecture here.

The Santa Fe that most people recognize.