Christmas in Santa Fe . . . a new tradition?

I had never visited Santa Fe in the winter before. Typically, I arrive in early- to mid-summer, while the opera season is still in full swing. The weather then is lovely and temperate and well-suited for art gallery strolls and lolling in the sun and off-road travels through the many wooded parks. But this time, we visited at Christmas, kicking off the trip with a transcendental Ten Thousand Waves spa experience. Amazed to remain conscious after that experience, we spent our first evening at a wonderful French bistro with excellent wine and dessert, among other things. The Compound was the site of our second Santa Fe Christmas dinner, a lovely place as always and very restful after a day wandering the O'Keeffe gallery and Canyon Road.

All in all, Santa Fe is a wonderful place to spend the Christmas holiday, even when the snow is not plentiful, as these photos show . . .

Chapel of the San Loretto, near our hotel:



Man at great lunch place--he reminded me of my father, more in his demeanor than in his appearance:



People lining up for snacks in the town square:



Wonderful textiles for sale by American Indians:



And a gorgeous winter sky en route from Santa Fe to Albuquerque: