One of the country’s true melting pots, Santa Fe is a tri-cultural city with a population in equal parts Native American Indian, Hispanic and Anglo. Known in many quarters as “The City Different,” it has a high desert landscape sweeping through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains picturesque enough to inspire renowned artists and writers throughout the centuries.

To some, Santa Fe, and other sections of New Mexico, has a spiritual and sacred dimension, perhaps stemming from the era of Cliff Dwellers whose existence is proven in the ruins scattered throughout the state. More likely it is the sheer beauty of the sage brush desert with lofty cacti and 300-plus days of intense sunshine each year. Santa Fe, at an altitude of 7,000 feet has four distinct seasons. Summers are hot and dry, winters are chilly with enough snow to cover a ski area within city limits. All of this, coupled with contemporary southwestern cuisine and miles of art galleries, makes a land like no other.

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