anybody have any tips? Mid jully plans Thanks

Go to Gabriel's north of town and eat.

Southwestern ? any tips on lodging. Motels or bed and breakfasts/ Saw a lot of BB have specials half off b/c of the economy.

I know Sf has a festicval schedule, Do i want to stay away during that time b/c of higher prices/

Where are some good hiking trails? Also any other places to eat. Anyone taken the train from Albuquerque(sp).

Day Hikes in the Santa Fe Area by the Santa Fe Group of the Sierra club has a bunch of good hikes.

We have stayed at a lot of places but, Garrets Desert Inn is a bargain, if that is what you are looking for.

I like Tia Sophia's for breakfast, and pretty much anywhere but Blue Corn Cafe for everything else. I like the Ore House for steaks and Coyote Cafe for expensive pretentious but great food. There are a lot of great places to eat.

September is my favorite time to visit and We enjoy the burning of Zozobra but, its not that big of a deal. http://www.zozobra.com/

Looks like there isn't much on this thread, so I thought I would add my thoughts.

Places to stay:

1) If you want to stay at "the place" on the square it is La Fanda www.lafondasantafe.com
2) "The resort and spa" in the area is Bishops Lodge. It is about 15 minutes just north of town in the mountains on Bishops Lodge Road between Santa Fe square and Tesuque Valley. www.bishopslodge.com
3) The nicest casino and hotel outside of town is Buffalo Thunder Resort just north of town (about 20 minutes) towards the opera house and Toas. We stayed in the Homewood Suites at the resort and were very happy with it for the price. They have multiple golf courses that we walked every morning and the casino is the nicest in the area and the one you should play at if you are going to hit a casino on your trip. The resort is managed by Hilton and the hotel if very nice in its own right with amenities and restaurants. http://www.buffalothunderresort.com/

Places to Eat:

1) Coyote Cafe & Cantina is just off the square a block or two. It is a great restaurant known as a must eat place if the price tag is in your budget. If not or you don't want to get reservations they have a great grill on the rooftop above the restaurant that is separate from the main restaurant. It overlooks the next street just off the square and is a great evening atmosphere that combines a bar, cantina with music and fireplaces. The food at the grill is a little lighter and less expensive, but still very good itself. I would get to the grill in the early evening and get a drink or two so you have a seat to enjoy the night and eat dinner. http://www.coyotecafe.com/
2) El Farol Tapas Restaurant on Canyon Rd. This is a great tapas restaurant that is known to have a salsa band and dancers on Thursdays- Saturdays. If you are going to eat here for dinner, you will need a reservation especially on one of the salsa nights. They also have a great little porch patio that overlooks Canyon Rd and is a great lunch in between exploring Canyon Rd. (I will discuss later) http://www.elfarolsf.com/
3) A great place to pick up a stone oven pizza for dinner or the perfect brunch / breakfast is Tesuque Village Market. We stopped here multiple times every trip for convenience store type stuff like snacks, drinks, alcohol, and especially the pizza and breakfast. This is where all the locals enjoy breakfast and see their neighbors. They even have home made pastries and breakfast burritos if you are looking to grab breakfast for the car ride up to Taos. http://www.tesuquevillagemarket.com/
4) Gabriel Gallery is north of town almost to Buffalo Thunder Resort and is know for its good southwest / mexican food and its huge patio area out away from everything. It doesn't have a website, but if you search it on google maps, it is easy to find up highway 84. I would get a reservation for the patio if the weather is nice. It is kind of know more for its atmosphere than food, but the food is above average as well.

Honorable Mentions) There is a Starbucks a block west of the square and a French Bakery at La Fonda (both on San Francisco street) that are good places to get off your feet for a second and grab a coffee, hot chocolate or snack. I liked to grab something from either and sit in the square for a break here and there.

There are a dozen or so places that are on all the tourist lists, but these are the ones I would start with. To be honest, there is tons of little bistros and good restaurants around the square and on Canyon Rd as well.

Things to Do:

1) Bishops Lodge Resort : This is where you should make a reservation for Nicole to visit the spa (message about $100) if you can afford it. You can thank me later. They have horse back rides, a huge collection of antique fire arms I am told you can shoot, and hiking trails in addition to the resort.
2) Santa Fe Square : There are a ton of shops, bistros, and galleries on or on the streets just around the square to spend a day or two exploring. Don't miss the square in the mornings on the weekend because the Native Americans line one side to sell silver and turquoise jewelry, trinkets, and ornaments at affordable prices.
3) Canyon Road: This is the mecca of galleries and upscale bistros of Santa Fe just southwest of the square. We got there about 9:00am and stayed until early evening. There is Public Parking just across the street from La Farol that is where I recommend parking and head West up the north side of Canyon Road from there and back up the South side to La Farol for a nice lunch on the porch.
4) St. Francis Cathedral is just East off the Square and La Fonda and is very beautiful. They will let you walk in and look around without a tour. One of the two public parking areas is just behind the church and is where we generally park. You will see the church from the square.
5) Sanfa Fe cooking school is just off the square and is a great place to see what is going on. They have cooking classes, walking tours with area restaurants, and their own restaurants where students learn the ropes with a cost break to the patrons. http://www.santafeschoolofcooking.com/
6) The Santa Fe Opera House is beautiful up in the mountains on highway 84 just west of Tesuque Village. It would be worth checking to see if they have anything going. http://www.santafeopera.org/
7) Hiking / exploring : there are several places to hike up Highway 475 in Hyde Memorial State Park in the Santa Fe National Forest. Ski Santa Fe is at the end of Highway 475 and would be something to look into to see if they are open for hiking as well. If nothing else, go up the highway for breathtaking views and lookout points.

Honorable mention) Taos is only about 1 hour 30 minutes north of Santa Fe and is kind of like a mini Santa Fe with a little square of shopping and restaurants. It is a good half day to day killer if you like the Square in Santa Fe, but are looking for a change of pace. It also has the Ski Village where you might be able to go hiking depending on the time of year. I would check on this before going up there.


“A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines.” F.L.W.

Visit the Loreto Chapel if only to check out the wooden staircase.

Although it is technically a fast food place, grab some tacos at El Parasol, I think there are two locations in Santa Fe. Without a doubt the best crispy chicken tacos I have ever eaten.

This place has great food:

http://www.tesuquevillagemarket.com/

Whoa, didn't realize what an old thread this was, but I'll throw in my 2 cents anyway.

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Go to Gabriel's north of town and eat

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And be sure to ask for fresh guacamole made at your table. Yes, Gabriel's is Mexican food.

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The nicest casino and hotel outside of town is Buffalo Thunder Resort just north of town (about 20 minutes) towards the opera house and Toas. We stayed in the Homewood Suites at the resort and were very happy with it for the price

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Definitely, the motel actually attached to the casino is more expensive, the Homewood is set further from the highway. Very quiet, very new and clean.

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Anyone taken the train from Albuquerque

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No, but I can't imagine doing so unless you're a total train nut. About the same scenery (and I use that term loosely) that you can see from I-25.

Depending on the time of year and your tolerance for driving, I recommend:

Madrid
Valles Caldera
Bandilier National Monument
Walking tour of Los Alamos
Los Alamos farmer's markets, Thursday mornings in season
Bradbury Science museum Los Alamos
Los Alamos historical museum
Jemez Springs
Drive to Gillman Tunnels
High Road to Taos

Near Albuquerque:

Drive back road to top of Sandia Peak
Take tram up front of Sandia Peak
Zoo
Fourth of July Canyon south of Tijeras (especially when maples turn)
Route 66 along Central Avenue
Salinas Pueblo missions (several sites) south of Tijeras
Church Street Cafe off of Square in Old Town
Old Town

[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 12/4/2011 10:51p).]