Random Factoids about Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe is a picturesque southern mountain town in northern New Mexico, a four-season getaway with breathtaking scenery. You’ll find clean air and endless outdoor activities…from hiking, biking, horseback riding to river rafting and other endeavors to fill four to five days—or, four to five months. “The City Different” is an extremely walkable city with year-round sunshine, beautiful blue skies, renowned museums, legendary historical sites, outdoor activities and fantastic casual and world-class fine-dining restaurants. I can attest to the amazing fine dining in Santa Fe as I was part of the 2012 Travel Channel show, “Best of the Road” in which I got to try over a dozen of Santa Fe’s best culinary options. As a matter of fact, Santa Fe won “Best Food” in small town America that year by USA Today and Rand McNally.

Many readers will be aware of Santa Fe’s accolades and charm listed above, but did you know any of these random factoids:

1. Santa Fe, New Mexico is situated in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at 7,000 feet above sea level, making it the highest U.S. capital city. It’s also the second oldest town in the United States, founded in 1607 by the Spanish, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.

2. New York and Los Angeles aren’t the only cities with exceptional art—Santa Fe is home to the third-largest art market in the United States. Santa Fe’s Canyon Road has the densest concentration of art galleries in the world with more than 100 galleries within one square mile. Santa Fe is the ending point of the Santa Fe Trail, which travels 800 miles from western Missouri. Blazed in 1822, it was the trade route between Mexico and the United States until the 1846 Mexican- American War. It laid the path for the railroad that came in the 1880s

3. The Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe is the oldest government building in the nation. The Spanish built it as part of a fortress during the winter of 1609-1610. In January 2015, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Palace of the Governors a National Treasure.

4. Santa Fe’s no desert! Santa Fe has an average of more than 300 days of sunlight every year and averages 225 inches of snow a year. Ski Santa Fe is just 30 minutes from downtown Santa Fe and offers some of the best skiing in the west. The convenient location allows ski enthusiasts to spend a day on the slopes and make it back to the plaza in time for a world-class dinner.

5. The world famous Santa Fe Opera has a striking, state-of-the-art, open-air theater, which has won numerous design awards and is widely recognized for blending contemporary and traditional design. For a true local experience, pack a picnic and tailgate in the parking lot before the show. Guests can bring their own food and beverage or book a package through the Opera.

If you know any other interesting and/or random facts about Santa Fe, please leave a comment below and share with my readers and me. Click the following link to read about other Random Factoid Friday destinations.