Kid Friendly Santa Fe

Description:

• This small, intimate, boutique-style hotel is a half-block from the historic Santa Fe plaza, museums and restaurants.

• Rooms showcase hand-crafted furniture and fireplaces. In-room massage services are available upon request (surcharge).

• The hotel offers complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access. Amenities include a bar, outdoor patio, and courtyards.

Our Local Expert Says:

Lots of lively and free Plaza events: Santa Fe Indian Market (July), Fiesta (September), Spanish Market (July) July 4th Pancake Breakfast. Check 800-777-2489. Health tip: Visitors Hydrate - drink more water than normal. Helps the body acclimate to Santa Fe's high altitude of 7,000 feet.

Description:

Signs that say, 'You Are Here' and 'Start Here' tell us where we are and how to get where we want to go. So it is with the Santa Fe Plaza. It's Santa Fe's reference point, the starting point for all the places you want to find. Any destination in Santa Fe is always in relationship to 'The Plaza'. The art gallery you seek is only "two blocks west of the Plaza". The best chili in town is a "five minute walk from the Plaza." You get the picture: think 'start here' from the Plaza. And a more colorful, inviting place than the Santa Fe Plaza would be hard to find. A 300 year-old social center town square, the Spanish conquistadors founded it in the early 1700's. Enjoy the feast-for-the-senses on all four sides with artisans selling their arts and crafts, a strolling mariachi, taste bud-beckoning burritos on one corner and all-around good people-watching. On the north side Indians sell their exquisite silver jewelry under the eaves of the oldest building in the U.S., the Palace of the Governors built in 1612. Shopping and dining abound for every budget and taste. There are plenty of benches and green grass on which visitors can rest, watch and breathe the divinely clean 7,000 elevation air... read more

Description:

This raucous bar/restaurant serves decent food in a festive atmosphere. The main room is a bar -- a hip hangout spot, and a good place to eat as well. The back room is quieter, with wood floors and tables and plenty of cowgirl memorabilia. Best of all is sitting out on a brick patio lit with strings of white lights during the warm season. The service is at times brusque, and the food varies. In winter, my favorite is a big bowl of gumbo or crawfish étoufée, and the rest of the time, I order Jamaican jerk chicken or pork tenderloin when it's a special. Careful, both can be hot. The daily blue-plate special is a real buy, especially on Tuesday nights, when it's chile rellenos. There's even a special "kid's corral" that has horseshoes, a rocking horse, a horse-shaped rubber tire swing, hay bales, and a beanbag toss. Happy hour is from 3 to 6pm. There are also live music almost every night, a pool hall, and a deli.

Description:

Located at the Santa Fe Community College, this planetarium educates the public about the stars and space in general. Special programs are often scheduled, but the main attraction is the show that is held on the first Thursday of each month. This exhibition displays the current position of the stars overhead. Children are encouraged to attend.

Our Local Expert Says:

Home to the best breakfast burrito in town, this diner just off the Plaza is a can't miss spot for breakfast or lunch (they close at 2 pm daily, and all day Sunday). Service is fast and friendly, and portions are more than generous. Parking is tough; we recommend walking from your downtown hotel

Description:

There are many places in Santa Fe that claim to serve authentic New Mexican food, but here you will find out what authentic really means. This is a popular restaurant, so be prepared to wait. For breakfast the most popular item is the Breakfast Burrito. This flour tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, cheese, potatoes, green chile and bacon will take care of your appetite for most of the day. The chile here is hot enough to cure the common cold, and a real taste treat is the Green Chile Stew. They close at 2 pm daily, and all day Sunday.

Description:

The Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is a must-visit for anyone new to Santa Fe. For a bit of offbeat geology and top-notch hiking, drive forty miles southwest of the Santa Fe Plaza to one of the most interesting geological formations in the Northern Hemisphere. Named for their tepee-, or tent-, like shapes, these white rock formations are the curious result of ancient volcanic action for over 1.5 million years. Tent Rocks was named a national monument in 2001. Because it is on Cochiti Indian tribal land, it is open for day use only. A not-too strenuous 1.3 mile hiking trail leads up through a slot canyon to a lookout point where the tent shaped rocks can be viewed from above. Take Interstate Highway 25 southwest about twenty miles towards Albuquerque to the Cochiti Exit. Signs will direct you from there. Pets are not permitted.

Directions:

The national monument includes 4,645 acres of public lands located 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe and 55 miles northeast of Albuquerque, with the most direct access from Interstate 25. From Albuquerque, take the exit for Santo Domingo/Cochiti Lake Recreation Area (Exit 259) off I-25 onto NM 22. Follow the signs on NM 22 to Cochiti Pueblo...

Our Local Expert Says:

Tucked into a pretty courtyard on Palace Avenue, the Shed is a favorite for New Mexican cuisine and margaritas. Instead of sopapillas, they serve garlic french bread with their entrees—the best of which include green-chile chicken enchiladas and pollo adobo. Small, low-ceiled rooms and corner fireplaces (kivas) give the building great Santa Fe ambience.

Description:

This longtime locals' favorite is so popular that during lunch lines often form outside. Half a block east of the plaza, a luncheon institution since 1953, it occupies several rooms and the patio of a rambling hacienda that was built in 1692. Festive folk art adorns the doorways and walls. The food is delicious, some of the best in the state, and a compliment to traditional Hispanic and Pueblo cooking. The red chile cheese enchilada is renowned in Santa Fe. Tacos and burritos are good, too. The green-chile stew is a local favorite. The Shed's Joshua Carswell has added vegetarian and low-fat Mexican foods to the menu, as well as a variety of soups and salads and grilled chicken and steak. Don't leave without trying the mocha cake, possibly the best dessert you'll ever eat. In addition to wine and a number of beers, there's full bar service. The cantina style bar is a fun place to schmooze, and the brick patio is well shaded.

Description:

• This small, intimate, boutique-style hotel is a half-block from the historic Santa Fe plaza, museums and restaurants.

• Rooms showcase hand-crafted furniture and fireplaces. In-room massage services are available upon request (surcharge).

• The hotel offers complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access. Amenities include a bar, outdoor patio, and courtyards.

Description:

Eclectic 1950s is the best way to describe Zia Diner, this long-time favorite of local Santa Fe business people. If you thought mom's meatloaf was the best, try the green chile and pinon nut meatloaf and a new champion will reign. You will not find freeze-dried mashed potatoes here. They serve only the real thing alongside one of the tastiest chicken fried steaks around. A full bar complements the authentic soda fountain, and makes for some interesting combinations of potent potables.

Our Local Expert Says:

Hands down, the best spot to kill some time with the kiddos in Santa Fe. The cool hands-on exhibits encourage interactive discovery, like making magnet bridges, building sculpture from recycled materials, and learning about the laws of physics through a giant bubble machine. Bonus: There's also a climbing wall.

Description:

If you are traveling with children, and they become bored with the historic sites in and around Santa Fe, this is a great way to lift their spirits. The museum is packed with hands-on exhibits like a climbing wall, obstacle course, bubbles, music, and a working greenhouse featuring daily scavenger hunts. For the fearless, there are even snakes on exhibit. The gift shop has an array of educational toys, puzzles and games.