Santa Fe Day 2

Vendors on Palace Avenue

OK, call me cynical, but I think they should change the name to Santa Fey Plaza. Back in my stoner days, circa 1969, I came to Santa Fe on a business trip. My memories of that time are fuzzy at best, but what I do remember was a slightly funky plaza with historic buildings in need of repair, some local galleries, Mexican restaurants, and a few head shops. Of course. it's possible that wasn't even Santa Fe. It was the 60s after all and you know what they say, if you remember them you weren't part of them.

New Mexico Museum of Art

Today Santa Fey Plaza is the epicenter of the New Mexico tourist industry. Scattered among the southwestern kitsch and Indian craft galleries  are J. Crew, Talbots, Starbucks, Ben and Jerry's, and uniculture designer boutiques. It oozes picturesque charm, and fat people wearing funny hats and clothes they would never wear back home. Like I said, call me cynical. One notable exception is Santa Fe Dry Goods on the Plaza. A class act by any standard. Would that my budget allowed a shopping spree there.

After a few hours strolling the Plaza and Canyon Road, I had lunch at Much Gusto, a very good Mexican restaurant on Paseo de Peralta, and then drove south with the vague goal of finding a pueblo.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

The first road sign I came to that had pueblo in the name was Cochiti Pueblo. The other name on the sign was Tent Rocks National Monument. Cochiti pueblo is 53,000 acre Keresan reservation. The village is a small settlement with a big sign at the entrance proclaiming photography or sketching are prohibited by the governor. Down the road from the village is  Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. The tent rock formations remind me of Cappadocia, Turkey. I took the 1.7 mile loop trail and got caught in a dramatic thunder and lightening storm that came up out of nowhere and vanished just as quickly. I was soaked to the skin and dry again in almost no time.

Storm approaching

New Mexico is the land of enchantment, land being the operative word. It is probably a failing on my part, but the cities I have seen here do not enchant me. Away from them, I am constantly awestruck  by the magnificence of earth, air, fire, water, and ether.There are more pictures on my Facebook page.