Santa Fe

Our first month long stay and I must say that there is a part of me that has a serious itch to get moving. Then there is the other part of me that told Edson I just got my mojo here and we are leaving! I mean... I found my grocery store, I found our weekly story time at La Farge library with Miss Michelle and we found the playgrounds we like to frequent. Funny how you look at things when your home is on wheels. It's hard to get out of developing a routine-- it is just a naturally occurring and comforting thing.

We've done a lot while here and I'll try to keep it condensed as to not lose you completely over a lengthy post. The good news is that there are a lot of pictures. Overall, Santa Fe has been a very nice place for us to spend our time. It really is beautiful and unexpectedly small. It's the capital of New Mexico but feels far from it. There aren't any tall buildings and I've yet to see someone in a suit. It's a laid-back seemingly small and close knit community. Every kid-friendly place we've gone I've seen someone that I recognize from another outing which drives that point home-- it's a small town. We traded in the bikes for hiking in Santa Fe as the biking trail map didn't provide much detail on where we can go that was relatively easy and family-friendly. We asked quite a few people, too (including the visitor center) and no one could provide real recommendations for trails that met our requirements.

Everyone was very nice. The libraries in New Mexico don't offer a card unless you are a New Mexico resident. That was a big let down for us as our kids go through books like crazy. However, a nice man waiting to speak to the lady at the checkout overheard our conversation. He offered to let us use his library card. He said, "You don't look like you'd steal and if you do, well... I'm from Chicago and I know Vinny and Vito and they'll come find you." It was our first week in Santa Fe and a complete stranger (and a funny one) entrusted us with his library card. I checked out 15 books and swore we would return them in a timely manner. It left a lasting impression on me. I knew Santa Fe had to be a great place at that very moment. Even if the guy was from Chicago, he represented Santa Fe well. Thank you for that, Mike. Santa Fe owes you one (and so do I).

Here is a summary of our Santa Fe adventure:

1. Railyard/Santa Fe Farmer's Market- We managed to hit up the last Wednesday eve Farmer's Market in Santa Fe's Railyard neighborhood. Truth be told you could tell it was the last one... there were very few vendors. It honestly didn't matter as the place was full of extremely nice people who told us of a puppet show taking place. We decided to stay and watch and we were glad we did. Apparently I was much too involved in the show as I didn't take any pics! It was hosted by Wise Fool, an incredibly awesome place that has classes for performing arts with a focus on circus. I totally think I could be a circus performer, I'm just saying.

2. Santa Fe Children's Museum- We only went on Thursday evenings from 4-6:30pm as each week they host a kids get in free night. It became somewhat of a weekly ritual. It was something to do as it got colder outside and the kids loved the interaction, the building and the exploration.

The ninja turtle building a magnet robot

I want one of these in our backyard one day. A giant rubik's cube!

Yes, Einstein -- I agree.

The word he did after this one? SUP. I never said I was an English teacher.

So proud of the fort they built and gave any small kid the side eye when they came near. 

Who doesn't need a queen's robe when being hoisted up on a pulley system chair?

3. Canyon Road- I knew Canyon Road as the artists haven. I did not think we would get to go as the idea of 3 kids 11 and under in art galleries seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. So when I found out that Canyon Road was hosting trick-or-treating I was stoked! We spent Halloween going from gallery to gallery collecting treats from all the artists. How cool is that?! We got to see Canyon Road and we could do it without the possibility of breaking anything. Score! Below are some scenic pictures of our time there.

4. Meow Wolf - We went to Meow Wolf our last week in Santa Fe. Countless people had told us about it but it was pricey and no one could really tell me what IT is. We decided to bite the bullet and give it a whirl when Daddy was in Virginia (saving us the cost of one adult ticket- sorry Daddy). So glad we did! You know it's good when the lady checking you in tells your kids, "Touch everything! Explore everything!" It is truly incredible and honestly completely indescribable. It is a maze of wonderment around every corner and only pictures can tell the story. I found the below sign in one of the insanely awesome displays. Andddd yes, yes I'm pretty sure the artists were high when this place was created. I apologize in advance as some of the pics from my phone came out distorted. I think my phone was even feeling the funky vibe of Meow Wolf so it decided to follow suit.

Glow in the dark dino- and you could tap on its bones to make music

Yes, that is a secret door refrigerator

That is a bus on it's side. You aren't seeing things. 

Trippy.

Attempting to take the sword out of the stone.

A camping trailer

They even had an old school arcade!

5. Tent Rocks-  This place represents the beauty that is hidden in our country and is only a short drive away from Santa Fe. It was a 3 mile hike roundtrip and yes our kids complained like champions but we did it! This place wasn't really Cayenne's cup of tea. Our completely potty-trained girl (thanks to our extended visit in Santa Fe) had to use the bathroom on the side of a rock, then sat down next to Reno on some dirt while having snack and got up only to realize she had cactus spines in her tush. When I got them out she peed herself. I then carried our soiled kid a mile and a half down the mountain in my backpack. Still wet, she fell asleep and woke up just as we got to the car where we found 3 more cactus spines in her legs and tush. Fun times. Poor kid. Not one tear shed.

6. Fossil Hill- Our storytime friends brought us to a locally known Fossil Hill which is part of the Santa Fe Canyon Preserve. It was awesome. We first stopped at the Audubon which had beautiful buildings and a large grassy area for the kids to run. Grass is a rare sighting in these parts and it was lush and green and I wanted to roll in it. We then parked at the preserve area and walked a short way up to Fossil Hill where the kids attempted to dig up an entire dino family (it was a lot of digging and banging and I'm exaggerating) and were in awe at the shells and animals they found in rocks. It's pretty cool to find evidence of a time when Santa Fe (with an elevation of over 7,000ft) was underwater. We found some apple trees nearby and ate as many as we could find that hadn't rotted yet. We then picnicked nearby in the woods next to a river. It was awesome! Thank you Cathy, Linden and Avery for letting us share in your local hangout.

The building at the Audubon

Our picnic spot

6. Santa Fe Plaza- This is a lovely old square full of shops, restaurants, museums, great architecture and a nearby Cathedral. There were people taking in the sights, shopping and conversing with local vendors at the famous Palace of the Governors. 

Palace of the Governors

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

Not your typical statue and I LOVE IT: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. She is the first Native American to be recognized as a Saint by the Catholic Church

In the gazebo at the Plaza

Santa Fe was lovely. I particularly enjoyed the library storytime, our day trips (take a gander at Day Trippin' in ABQ, Taos and Bandelier/Valles Caldera), our time at The Food Depot, the Dia De Los Muertos celebration at the Museum of International Folk Art, the playgrounds (particularly Ragle Park and Fort Marcy Park) and Our Best Day Ever. Below are a few pictures that I just couldn't leave out and a few of my favorite memories:

Ragle Park- Best Slide!

Fort Marcy Park

Fort Marcy Park dandelions

Hanging out at the RV Park

At the RV Park- walking the grounds.We stayed at Santa fe Skies.

A few sweet memories:

The first time Cayenne let me braid her hair. She wanted to be like Frozen. 

One of my favorite memories. The boys wanted to do appetizers and a drink menu for both kids and adults. Love it!

Niko started making paninis for lunch. Proud mama. He threw some rosemary on this one.  

On to the next stop on our adventure: White Sands National Monument then Tucson, Arizona! Be sure to share, comment, check out our route and our instagram feed to stay up to date on current pictures.