My two daughters are planning a meet up for the end of August. They think they have settled on Santa Fe as they can both get there for a decent airfare. They are considering flying into Albuquerque as it looks to be less expensive. The trip will be Friday to Monday so 3 nights and basically 2 full days. Do they need a car or would a shuttle work. Older D is over 25 so no restrictions due to age. Is a car necessary in Santa Fe?
Would love suggestions as to where they should stay. Budget of around $200 per night.
Suggestions of things that might be enjoyable for a 23 and 30 year old.
Thank you.
I love this restaurant there - https://pasquals.com
Santa Fe is where we first let our kids go explore a city alone. We gave them some money, a map, and a room key and told them to go have fun. This was before cell phones but it seemed very walkable, safe and easy.
Pasquals is one of our favorite restaurants in Santa Fe also.
There is a light rail that goes between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. So…they should be able to get to Santa Fe.
Re: lodging. The walkable areas, in my opinion, are within walking distance of the old Santa Fe town square. I imagine there are Uber’s timget you to places like the museums that are up on hill…if they want to go there.
My husband stayed at a Choice Hotel out on the strip…but if they do that, they will definitely need a car!
One of the highlights of our trip to Santa Fe was a drive to Taos. Just a dayntrip, it a gorgeous drive…but a car would be needed for that.
What exactly do they want to do, or what do they like?
Just thinking out loud…Santa Fe is really fun…but Albuquerque has a lot to do,as well. Did they consider staying there?
@WayOutWestMom any suggestions?
We stayed La Fonda, which I hope I’m spelling correctly. I liked the Saturday farmers market, in which my sister sells. When she was working, I strolled thru the amazing art galleries.
We rented a car to get from Albuquerque to Santa Fe and also to get to a few other places we wanted to visit. You do not want to be parking a car on the square. Parking is a pain. Our little casita that we rented was about 1/2 mile walk from the square, which was perfect.
We also stayed about 1/2 mile walk from the square. We never took our car there…but we did use it to get to other places that were not within walking distance.
What do these sisters like to do? Eat out? Sit by a pool? Go to museums? See historical things. I think the need for a car would depend.
But really…that drive to Taos…is gorgeous.
Definitely fly into ABQ. ABQ is a much larger airport than Santa Fe.
Your daughters probably want to rent a car. Abq to Santa Fe is an easy 70 mile drive from the Sunport on I-25.
There is shuttle service to Santa Fe. It costs $30/person each way and includes 2 pieces of luggage per passenger. It will pick-up/leave people at most of major hotels. The Railrunner (local rail service) is $3 for unlimited travel per day, but there is no train station near the airport. You’d need to take a cab to get to the downtown station. And the Santa Fe train stations are bit of hike from the Plaza if you’re lugging suitcases.
Santa Fe is not exact a pedestrian friendly city since except for the area immediately around the Plaza. Once you get away from the Plaza, things are pretty spread out. There is little local public transit. I assume Uber/Lyft has a presence but I wouldn’t know. If your Ds are planning visiting the mountains, Bandelier National Monument, the Santa Fe Opera, the Lensic Performing Art Center, any of the many the hot spring spas, Ten Thousand Waves or some of the galleries/museum NOT located on the Plaza or along Canyon Road–all of those will require a car to get there.
One comment–tell your D’s NOT to plan on a day trip to Taos unless they have tolerance for delays – the main road between Santa Fe and Taos is undergoing major utility (interstate gas line) relocation work and the road is down to a 1 lane in places. But the drive to Taos is lovely–it runs right along the upper Rio Grande–which is seething white water and not at all like the slow muddy trickle people think of when you say Rio Grande.
And as FYI–the Santa Fe Indian Market is set for August 19-20. This is an international art attraction. Santa Fe will very crowded and expensive that weekend. Pick another date.
Where to Stay–
And instead of hotel–which tend to be expensive during high season, maybe a B&B. There are some terrific ones in Santa Fe, often in historic adobes. These run around $145-$190/night and include a breakfast.
What kind of interest do your daughters have?
Artsy? Tons of galleries along Canyon Road and around the Plaza, plus on weekends there is the Indian Market with Native American vendors selling handmade jewelry and other crafts on the Plaza.
Outdoorsy? Hiking in Santa Fe National Forest, Bandelier National Monument, or Tent Rocks National Monument. Zip lining in Glorieta Pass (just outside of Santa Fe) or Sandia Peak Ski area near ABQ. Rock climbing–lots of pre-bolted routes. (PM if you want detail/maps). There are a half dozen or more natural hot spring in the National Forest your Ds can hike to and soak in. White water rafting/kayaking on the upper Rio Grande.
Cultural? Santa Fe Opera (it’s trip. It’s open air except for a shell over the stage. Audience members range from blue jean to black tie. Tailgating before the opera is a very popular activity.) Indian Feast Day Dances. (schedule fo Feast Days here: https://www.visitalbuquerque.org/albuquerque/culture-heritage/native-american/feast-days/. There’s always an art & food market at Feast Day celebrations.)
A few Santa Fe area things, my Ds enjoy–
-
Ojo Caliente Hot Springs & Spa–7 outdoor hot spring pools, plus indoor pools and full spa service. It’s where D1 and her girlfriends go to have a “me” day and ■■■■■ about men.
-
Ten Thousand Waves–traditional Japanese tea room high in the Santa Fe Mountains. Also has a spa with outdoor soaker tubs overlooking spectacular views. D2 says it’s great place to relax after a long day of hiking.
-
The Jean Cocteau Theater–it’s owned by George R.R. Martin who you can frequently run into there and chat with. There’s also a bookstore, coffeeshop and bar in the theater.
-
The Meow Wolf-house of Eternal Return. https://meowwolf.com
ETA-- I forgot to mention that Indian gaming is a big deal in New Mexico. There are 2 casino/resort centers between ABQ and Santa Fe along I-25 (Sandia Pueblo Resort & Casino, San Felipe Casino) plus another one --Camel Rock Casino--on I-25 just north of Santa Fe.
So there's gambling, dining and shows at the casinos. I knew this would be the place to get great information.
Confirms my thought that they will need a car. I think they would like to drive to Taos but I think with the time they have it won’t be enough.
They both like art, food, hiking, hot springs sounds like something they would enjoy. One would be up for opera the other absolutely not. One loves soaking up the sun and the other sunburns. They have a lot of similarities but also a lot of differences. They invited me along but I decided that they would do better without Mom. I’m sure my youngest invited me because she hopes I’ll pay.
This will be there first trip together aside from visiting each other in their college towns.
Not planning on the 20-21.
Great museums in Santa Fe.
I always like to stay at Inn of the Governors in Santa Fe – free parking, free wifi, afternoon tea/sherry and a decent breakfast buffet. It’s also walkable to the main square.
Other things that 20-somethings might enjoy in Santa Fe–
microbreweries-- Santa Fe has a number of them. Several have won national recognitions. New Mexico has has a plethora of microbreweries. (Local joke–it’s all those retired chemists from the National Labs…) Most offer food or food trucks beside beer/ale. And try one of the local hard ciders–the valley between Santa Fe & Taos is full of apple orchards so the local hard ciders tend to be very good.
Kakawa Chocolate House–artisanal chocolates and drinking chocolates.
https://www.kakawachocolates.com
(NOTE: I always stop at Kakawa when I’m in Santa fe)
Restaurants for 20-somethings
It’s hard to go wrong w/ any of the new Mexican restaurants in Santa Fe, but not everyone like spicy food. And some of the restaurants on the Plaza will bust a 25 year old’s budget.
I’d suggest Vinaigrette (http://www.vinaigretteonline.com/santafe_menu)– It’s a salad-centric restaurant that also offers soups, sandwiches and light entrees/starters. Vegan & vegetarian friendly. (My Ds are both vegetarians.) All organic, all locally sourced. I had their Peach Burrata Salad with duck confit last Friday–it was wonderful!
I’ve heard good things about Fire & Hops–get the brussel sprouts!
And no trip to NM is complete without a stop at a Blake’s Lottaburger. It’s a local fast food drive-thru chain that sells a pretty good breakfast burritos and a really decent green chile cheeseburger. Good milkshakes made with soft serve. Lottaburger always use fresh (not frozen) meat and they don’t put the patty on the grill until you order.
I’d suggest getting a car. I loved the art galleries up in the hills. My son is there right now and is having a blast. He has been there for almost 2 weeks. There are polo matches on Wed, Sat and Sun if they want to see something different (my son has had a blast playing in these!) The food was great. They will have a good time.
I loved Taos, but I think they could find plenty to do closer to Santa Fe, since they are only there for a couple of days.
If they really like to Hike, Abique Ghost Ranch is pretty spectacular, but I don’t know how far away it really is.
Abiquiu is a little over an hour’s drive from Santa Fe. (55 miles via State Road 84.) Ghost Ranch is 12 miles north of Abiquiu.
The red rock cliffs along Route 84 north of Española are spectacular. (Oh, and mind your speed, there is ALWAYS a speed trap in Española.)
Inn of the Governors – Yes.
Bandelier – a MUST [even this time of year, but my favorite memory is a trip when D was about 18 months and we went out there after a snow fall and had the place to ourselves and ours were the first footprints].
Tia Sophia for breakfast.
I would recommend a car. There are some really great sites outside of the city. For example, they could visit one of the Native American Pubelos that are north of the city. We visited the Tesque Pubelo. Some pueblos are open to the public at specific times. Some have tours. It is easy to find out which are open and when. Most have shops where you can buy Native American pottery and other artifacts. I thought the pubelo visit was one of the best parts of our trip.
Another place to visit is Chimayo, a small town about 40 minutes north of Santa Fe–it has a quaint chapel and the dirt from the chapel is supposed to have healing powers. Also, there is an excellent restaurant–Rancho de Chimayo. Another fun spot is Shidoni Foundry and Sculpture Gallery–a huge park where you can walk around and view all the sculptures. Some days you can see bronze pouring in the foundry.
I would second the recommendation to go to Bandelier. It is truly unique.
Cafe Pasquale is an excellent breakfast place.
There are some very beautiful hikes high up in the mountains on the road to the ski area which is not much of a drive at all.
Probably not worth a special trip, but Los Alamos National Laboratory, where the first atomic bomb was developed is a short drive away.
I agree with the suggestion to visit a local Pueblo if there are activities scheduled during their visit.
The tram ride on Sandia Mountain in ABQ is always fun, but not for those afraid of heights. If they fly into Albuquerque and have time, they should stop at the original Gardunos Mexican Restaurant on either 2nd or 4th Street. Best Mexican food in NM.
The Indian Market in the Plaza is a must (they call themselves Indian).
Here’s a famous NM joke: So a guy from out of state pulls into a burger place in Tesuque, NM. He goes to the counter and asks “I’m wondering how you pronounce this place?” The burger guy replies “Blake’s Lot-uh-burger” (#10^) (It’s pronounced “Teh - soo - key”) 
Garduños downtown closed. Their airport location is also closed. So is their Montgomery Blvd. location. (The Montgomery location is now a really mediocre El Patron Restaurant.) The company stopped paying its employees & creditors and went bankrupt in 2009.
There are still Garduños at the Cottonwood and Winrock Malls, but Garduños ain’t what it used to be.
Meh. Garduños was never my favorite. I prefer Cocina Azul, Monroe’s, Sadie’s, El Pinto or Padillas. Even The Range Cafe makes some pretty decent enchiladas–and their Huevos Rancheros are killer. Voted Best in ABQ 4 or 5 years running now. As I said it’s pretty hard to go wrong with New Mexican food at just about anywhere here.
Oh–and a word of warning.
We’re having a very active monsoon season this year. Be prepared for violent thunderstorms. Bring rain gear and stay out of arroyos (dry creekbeds), creeks and ditches. Never attempt to drive through water running across the road. Just like what happened in the tragedy in Arizona, it does’t have to rain locally to get caught in a flash flood.
^^ What @WayOutWestMom just said. S called yesterday and sent me a picture of a tree 100 ft from the RV they are staying in that had been hit by lightning yesterday afternoon. His polo match was rained out. Watch the weather.