Exploring Santa Fe: My Quick One Night Budget Stay
Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote any restaurant, hotel, activity, product, or attraction. All opinions are subjective and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
I’ve always wanted to explore Santa Fe but never had the opportunity despite living in neighboring Arizona for over 4 years. The high altitude capital of New Mexico (the city sits at 7199 feet), is located in the Sangre de Cristo foothills. While the city is popular with outdoor adventurers and skiers, it’s also an artsy city (it is home to the 3rd largest art market in the US) and a historical gem (it is the oldest state capital, est. in 1610).
While living in Flagstaff & Tucson, Mike and I took many convenient roadtrips to various New Mexico cities like Las Cruces, Albuquerque (despite the bad reputation we still found plenty of interesting things to do). and Silver City (a beautiful cool low-key escape – it was a nice break from the desert heat!). For some reason, we never made it to Santa Fe despite living reasonably close in both cities for many years. We had so many interesting roadtrips on our bucket list that the city never crossed our mind.
This spring, Mike and I embarked on a cross country road trip from Cleveland to Phoenix and we decided this city would be a great final stop before getting to our new home (it is a 7.5 hour drive from Phoenix). We drove early in the morning from Dodge City, KS and arrived at our hotel by late afternoon. It was an easy drive so we were up for exploring a bit. Strangely, we had no problem with altitude sickness (when we first moved to Flagstaff, we were run down for a good week). Basically, altitude sickness can occur while your body is adjusting to lower oxygen levels (the air is thinner the higher up you go).
We didn’t want to spend a ton of money on our first trip as we were just checking the city out to determine if it was worthy of a longer stay. After seeing what all the fuss was about, we decided we likely will book a longer trip. In short, we both thought it was a super interesting city with lots to do. There were so many galleries and museums closed by the time we arrived that we definitely have to go back for this reason alone. We can’t wait to plan a roadtrip from our new home in suburban Phoenix. It will be a nice cool summer escape that’s for sure! Stay tuned for updates on our next trip to the area!
What we did in our 24 hour stay
Because we were limited on time, we had just a few activities in mind which we crammed into just a few hours. I’ll go over each of these in a bit.
Our itinerary included:
- Checking out the Railway District
- Exploring the historic Plaza
- Checking out some boutique shops and art galleries
- Exploring the grounds of Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
- Eating New Mexican cuisine
Our budget hotel: Clean, convenient, & pet friendly
We booked a room at a super affordable property that had decent reviews called The Sage Hotel. We were traveling with pets and there were not many cat friendly options in the area. Prices were super cheap (~50 bucks on a Sunday night). The main benefit of this property is that it is walkable to the Railway district, a historic area known for its’ art galleries and local restaurants.
Pro’s of The Sage
- Super affordable
- Walkable to the Railway district
- Free shuttle to anywhere in the city (our driver was so nice).
- Pet friendly ($20 per pet fee)
- A free breakfast spread (It was a bit better than your standard La Quinta – the chocolate muffins, local coffee, and eggs with salsa and cheese were decent enough).
- On-site restaurant (Social Kitchen)
- Keurig K Cups (Starbucks Pikes Place roast) available in your room (you can also ask for more)
- Late check out available
- The area seems safe (the property is located next to a Whole Foods/Trader Joe’s Strip plaza)
Con’s of The Sage Hotel
- Outdated, small rooms
- The check in receptionist was super rude
- Service was extremely slow at the restaurant. It took at least 45 minutes for our waiter to take our order and over an hour to get the food. The apps we tried were delicious.
- Breakfast opens late (7am)
- Bills itself as a resort, but appears to be more of a motel (outdoor entry, room quality, etc.)
- A lot of traffic and congestion in the immediate area
Overall, I would say this is a decent property for anyone traveling with pets, looking for the most affordable property in a safe area, and those looking to primarily explore the walkable Railway district.
The Railyard District: A lively entertainment district
Its history dates back to February 9, 1880 when the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company first made it’s way into the Santa Fe station. Following revitalization efforts in September of 2008, it became the thriving central gathering hub that attracts so many tourists today.
Strolling around, we noticed a number of breweries, art galleries, and a specialty dine in theater where you can enjoy high quality food and craft beer (Sky Cinemas). Additionally, a popular farmers market is held every Saturday from 8am-1pm.
If we have time on our next trip, we would like to take a train ride. They offer numerous specialty themes including: murder mystery, wine train, margarita trail, sunset, and many more. On the Sky Railway ride, you will leave the Santa Fe depot and enjoy live entertainment and mountain/desert scenery until arriving at the Lamy depot. It sounds like fun for both history buffs and photographers!
We arrived a bit too late and only got to explore a handful of galleries. It looked decently crowded even for a Sunday evening so I imagine this place is really hopping on Friday and Saturday. We noticed a handful of breweries including one called Second Street which had a nice patio and looked to be pretty popular. Other options include the As Above, So Below Distillery and Gatsby’s, a roaring 20’s speakeasy.
We easily walked here from our hotel (it’s a quick 10 minute stroll although you do need to cross a busy road). You could also take the free shuttle. Later in the evening (on our way to the Plaza), our driver recommended we try out Tomasita’s (a local New Mexican cafe), but unfortunately we were tempted by a freebie given at check-in to the hotel’s restaurant. Maybe next time! The funny thing is that this is the restaurant I picked out before our trip (the menu looks fabulous!).
We passed this beautiful Yin Yang mural on the way. There are so many colorful murals everywhere you look! I love visiting any cities where you see anything oddball, colorful, or unique especially in today’s age of chains and more chains!
We also took a quick stop at Railyard Park, a beautiful shady oasis. It’s a small space where you will find 28 gardens, a children’s play area, and some public art installations (the art changes throughout the year).
Take a look at the Railway District website for a full directory of dining, shopping, and galleries.
Santa Fe Plaza
This historic center of downtown is where all the tourists go. There are a number of museums, historic churches, touristy restaurants and shops, galleries, and historic sites here. It’s a big place with a lot to explore. It’s the social center of the city for sure – there are so many local businesses to support, independent shops and galleries to browse through, and even live music to enjoy. Overall, I loved the vibe, history, and architecture. It’s a gorgeous city district that I can’t wait to explore more of on our next vacation.
You will notice a lot of these red chiles hanging on doors, strung along fences, etc. They are more than just decorations. These dried chiles, known as Ristras, are said to bring health and good luck. Businesses often use them as a friendly way to say welcome.
There are a number of interesting museums in this area including:
- Museum of Contemporary Native Arts
- New Mexico Museum of Arts
- The New Mexico History Museum
- New Mexico Capitol Art collection (it’s free!)
- Georgia O’Keeffe museum (it’s located a block away and houses the largest collection of work by O’Keeffe).
We noticed a lot of restaurants had lively outdoor dining patios. Most notably, The Plaza Cafe, the city’s oldest restaurant est. in 1905, was really bustling with people. Our shuttle driver told us most of these restaurants are tourist traps, still I wouldn’t mind enjoying the historic vibe and beautiful al fresco dining experience on my next visit.
A few fun & free things to do
Just walking around is fun (you don’t need to even spend a lot of money). The architecture is beautiful and there are plenty of historical sites and churches, art murals, and shops and galleries to browse through to keep you busy. There are plenty of trinkets and beautiful art pieces you could pick up, but then again it’s fun to just browse around too.
Here are just a few of the pics I took of some of the colorful spaces and cool buildings around the plaza.
What can you do for free?
Brose the various art galleries. A few of the highly rated galleries include: Worrell, Manitou, Santa Fe Trails Fine Art, Maya Gallery, The Rainbow Man, and FaraHNHeight Fine Art.
Explore the specialty shops. I highly recommend stopping in Magic Arts to marvel at their homemade mosaic lamps. I have a few of these lamps at home but this shop was over-the-top spectacular.
You will see numerous stores selling all sorts of interesting pottery pieces, ristras, Navajo blankets, and much more. I love strolling around and seeing all the vibrant colors and unique trinkets. There was so much going on in every direction but here are just a few of the many pics I took around the shops. There had to be at least 100! I plan on checking out more on my next visit.
What I love most (I bought a lot of cool pieces while living in Arizona) is Talavera ceramic art. This handmade earthenware featuring vibrant colors dates back to Puebla in the 16th century. You can find tiles, decorative outdoor pieces, garden pots, bowls, mugs, and much more. I now own a mini lizard, a jack o’lantern pumpkin, and a beautiful blue sitting cat. You can find this type of art in many stores including The Shop of the Rainbow Man and DeClores Imports.
To give you a more upclose look at the detail, here is the unique Talavera plant pot I bought a few years ago. It has held up very well and survived many monsoons and snowstorms!
Shop for NM souvenirs at the oldest Five and Dime in the state. This store opened in a former Woolworths department store building. Woolworths closed all of its’ remaining stores in 1997 (the Plaza location was est. in 1935). Our shuttle driver told us that this was the cheapest place on the plaza to shop for souvenirs and general goods. The store is massive and we enjoyed looking at all the trinkets.
Take a walk around the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. It’s not the oldest – that honor goes to San Miguel Mission which dates back to 1610 (this church is just a quick walk away). That being said, Cathedral Basilica is the most beautiful. The French Romanesque Revival architecture is enchanting to say the least.
The gardens surrounding the church are so beautiful too. There is a Stations of the Cross Prayer Garden featuring 14 bronze sculptures depicting the stations.
On an interesting side note, some of the original Spanish settlers were buried here.
The Covid-19 rose Garden is a beautiful memorial to all those who suffered or lost their lives.
The interior features beautiful stained glass. Visitors are welcome to tour the church and gift shop during these hours (unless a service is in session): Tuesday – Friday from 9:30am-4:00pm and Saturdays from 9:30am – 3:00pm.
Trying out New Mexican cuisine
One of the top things you will want to do if you are new to the state is try out some New Mexican cuisine. We are no strangers to this type of food as we lived in Flagstaff for a few years where this type of food was fairly common. Also, we tried some out in Albuquerque and various other locales in the Four Corners region.
It’s very different from Mexican cuisine. Basically, it is a blend of Mexican, Native American, and Spanish food. They use more pinto beans, pinyon nuts, and red and green chili peppers. A common question I’ve seen on menus is – “Would you prefer red or green chile or Christmas (both)?
We received a free coupon for chips and salsa from the hotel, so we figured why not check it out. They had a nice little outdoor patio. It was actually pretty cool outside due to the high elevation. The attached restaurant/bar is called Social Kitchen. They host a lot of special events like trivia nights. Not much ging on during our Sunday visit outside of $4 draft beers.
After a hideously long wait of at least 40 min (seriously we have never waited so long) we finally received our appetizers. We ordered the Hatchos (Blue corn chips loaded with cheese, beans, guacamole, qeso, jalapenos, sour cream, cheddar cheese and red/green chile) and mini Navajo tacos (homemade fry bread topped with beans, quinoa, veggies, sour cream, and cheese).
The food was decent and filling and we received a discount for staying at the hotel. That being said, it took us over 2 hours from start to finish because the service was so dreadfully slow. Unfortunately, we only had one night and this wasted a lot of our time. I probably would have dined at Tomasita’s like I originally planned (I wish those free chips wouldn’t have tempted me!).
What’s next?
We plan to take another trip this summer as we will likely be seeking an escape from the 110+ degree desert heat. It’s a relatively easy weekend roadtrip from Phoenix and the summer temps are much cooler thanks to the high altitude (7000 ft).
It’s funny to think that it was too cold for us to dine outside on our mid May visit but one day later we were in 106 degree heat wishing for those 65 degree temps again! Summer average highs hover in the low to mid 80s, making this artsy city a perfect escape from the Sonoran heat.
Checking out Ojo Santa Fe. We both love hot springs and this one is not only highly rated but located just 30 min from the city.
Hiking one of the Foothills Trails. There are 25 miles of trails. I’ve already researched them and plan on a moderate stroll along the Dorothy Stewart trail. This 2 mile loop offers views of the Rio Grande Valley.
Explore more of the Railway District. Many of the art galleries were closed during our visit (we didn’t get in town until 3 and most closed before 6). I would also like to dine at Tomasita’s.
Meow Wolf. This unique art installation which started in Santa Fe and has since spread to cities like Vegas and Denver was on our bucket list for a while. Unfortunately, they recommend 2-3 hours so we just didn’t have enough time. This is an immersive art experience where you get to go through dozens of cool rooms. It looks like a super cool place for anyone into art.
Check out the local coffee scene. I’ve heard that this city is one of the best for coffee connoisseurs. I love trying out new shops whenever I travel so I’ll definitely hit one or 2 next time!
