Santa Fe in February -- Historical Snow, etc and Things to Do?
Dec 12th, 2012, 03:04 PM
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Santa Fe in February -- Historical Snow, etc and Things to Do?
We have an opportunity to visit Santa Fe in February, and have booked our flights already so we're committed to our dates, but the more I read around the web the more I wonder what will be open that time of year, and it's starting to feel as though we may be more at the mercy of the weather than I'm used to on the East Coast. (That said a bit tongue in cheek after two years of major storms, and a childhood spent in Illinois and Wisconsin).
I've noticed Art Feast is scheduled for the weekend we are in town (heartening) as we love art and food. I had hoped to go up to Abiquiu and see Ghost Ranch, but it looks like that is closed in February? And Taos Pueblo's calendar looks like it is closed in February?
We have six days, so I"m hoping even if it snows some of the time, or there's a big storm, we'll not be snowed in the entire time but would love to hear whether most restaurants are open, galleries, pueblos (had hoped to visit San Ildefonso and/or Santa Clara, would love to drive the Turquoise Trail and take the High Road to Taos. I know some of this is wait and see but does this sound a. nuts, b. doable if the weather behaves, or c. something I haven't considered?
Of the smaller towns that have had an influx of artists/galleries, could someone tell me which might be the most worth checking out? I'm loving the new Fodor's Guide but would appreciate some insider/native perspective on February. I'm fine with it being quiet -- we've visited some great places off season before.
Thanks ahead of time for your help.
I've noticed Art Feast is scheduled for the weekend we are in town (heartening) as we love art and food. I had hoped to go up to Abiquiu and see Ghost Ranch, but it looks like that is closed in February? And Taos Pueblo's calendar looks like it is closed in February?
We have six days, so I"m hoping even if it snows some of the time, or there's a big storm, we'll not be snowed in the entire time but would love to hear whether most restaurants are open, galleries, pueblos (had hoped to visit San Ildefonso and/or Santa Clara, would love to drive the Turquoise Trail and take the High Road to Taos. I know some of this is wait and see but does this sound a. nuts, b. doable if the weather behaves, or c. something I haven't considered?
Of the smaller towns that have had an influx of artists/galleries, could someone tell me which might be the most worth checking out? I'm loving the new Fodor's Guide but would appreciate some insider/native perspective on February. I'm fine with it being quiet -- we've visited some great places off season before.
Thanks ahead of time for your help.
Dec 12th, 2012, 05:13 PM
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The vast majority of things in Santa Fe and all of NM will be open and business as usual. It is a city of folks that love ,shop, work and play 365 days a year. IF there is a big dump, and there well could be, things might have delayed openings or may be closed for a day. We are pretty used to dealing with snow, we don't tend to shut down unless it is a big honkering storm.
You will have to play it be ear. The road to Taos could be more of a challenge as the further north you go, the chance for more snow.
Restaurants, galleries, museums will all be open. Taos pueblo is closed for 10 weeks, starting Feb 1st. Acoma should be open and is, in my opinion, a much better experience.
Not sure what art fest you are talking about; when will you be in Santa Fe?
You will have to play it be ear. The road to Taos could be more of a challenge as the further north you go, the chance for more snow.
Restaurants, galleries, museums will all be open. Taos pueblo is closed for 10 weeks, starting Feb 1st. Acoma should be open and is, in my opinion, a much better experience.
Not sure what art fest you are talking about; when will you be in Santa Fe?
Dec 13th, 2012, 03:06 AM
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N-S makes a difference in snow, so does elevation. Six days in Santa Fe are not a huge number.
Make your list and play it by ear. I find Los Alamos to be fascinating, not beautiful but fascinating. You can stop at San Ildefonso on the way and go back via Santa Clara and Espanola
On a beautiful day, you could go on from Los Alamos on to Bandelier, if the weather is lousy in the mountains, you could go from Espanola to Chimayo and return to Santa Fe.
Lots of choices.
Make your list and play it by ear. I find Los Alamos to be fascinating, not beautiful but fascinating. You can stop at San Ildefonso on the way and go back via Santa Clara and Espanola
On a beautiful day, you could go on from Los Alamos on to Bandelier, if the weather is lousy in the mountains, you could go from Espanola to Chimayo and return to Santa Fe.
Lots of choices.
Dec 13th, 2012, 06:43 AM
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We were there in late January last yr. and it was great. Skied up on the mountain just outside of town. We didn't need chains to do so but somtimes you do, it depends. We didn Fireplace in room was going, and fireplaces in restaurants and clubs all over town too. Walked all over, railyard, canyon rd., from one end of town to the other. Great spa time. Internatl. Folk Art Museum, O'Keefe museum in town, etc. It was a dry cold.
I hate to say that in all my trips, I have also not made it to Abiquiu or Taos pueblo, they are closed in winter and we always have so much in Santa Fe that it is hard to get ourselves out of the town even when weather is not co cold.
I hate to say that in all my trips, I have also not made it to Abiquiu or Taos pueblo, they are closed in winter and we always have so much in Santa Fe that it is hard to get ourselves out of the town even when weather is not co cold.
Dec 13th, 2012, 09:14 AM
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Winter snows in the Santa Fe area are typically short-lived and the 300+ days of annual sun do a good job of clearing streets and roads quickly. ArtFeast is a fun and tasty event so you're timing is good there. Ghost Ranch is open during the winter although some of their popular tours - like the O'Keeffe tour - have to be scheduled on a private basis. To explore the amazing landscape there only requires a $3 admission fee. All of Santa Fe's galleries, restaurants, attractions, etc. are open throughout the winter with few exceptions. Don't let worries about the weather deter you, Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico are beautiful in the winter and the weather rarely creates big problems. For some structured thoughts on how to plan your visit look here, http://santafe.org/Visiting_Santa_Fe...ies/index.html. Have a great visit.
Dec 13th, 2012, 09:25 AM
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CityofSantaFe2 - just an fyi - the other account you opened, is till around.
http://www.fodors.com/community/profile/cityofsantafe/
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Dec 13th, 2012, 10:48 PM
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I definitely want to hang out with the crooks that love 
I really appreciate all the feedback and all the suggestions. Good to know I can schedule the O'Keeffe tour privately -- will work on that.
As far as Acoma goes -- I did a map on the route from where we're staying and it's 3 hours -- can someone suggest a small loop, or perhaps we should plan on driving down there in the morning, then spending time in Albuquerque before heading back to where we're staying? It's a long day but I guess as long as it doesn't snow/ice up we'd be fine.
Unfortunately -- though driving south sounds like fun, with our hotel days all covered and so much to do near Santa Fe, I think we'll skip that (if we had another 4 or 5 days, could see working that in).
Tent Rocks -- do you need to hike in to see these? I can't believe I never knew about them -- there are similar rock formations in Cappadocia in Turkey (amazing place, that).
And -- restaurants in Santa Fe? We're food people, does anyone have experience with Fuego, or the Compound, or Il Piatto? We love to see what people are doing with local ingredients.
Spa -- definitely. Any specific recommendations? Mr Jenskar is now also a spa person.
Debit -- it is Art Feast -- weekend of the 22nd/24th.
I am knocked out by all the art offerings in Santa Fe.
Back story -- in the mid 80's I spent a week studying with Maria Martinez's great niece, and had an unforgettable moment asking a ruggedly handsome guy if anyone was sharing his table at a breakfast place near the Plaza, only to realize when he said "I'm waitin' for my lady" that it was Sam Shepard. I was getting ready to move to Albuquerque to get an MFA (had this idea that I'd buy a pick-up, paint it turquoise, and hot glue cowboys and Indians on the dash) but fell in love with an east coast guy and we're celebrating 25 years married this year. One place we have not been is NM together. So -- I'm hoping he's going to love it as much as I did then. I'm hoping I'm going to love it as much as I did then. We'll see!
I really appreciate all the feedback and all the suggestions. Good to know I can schedule the O'Keeffe tour privately -- will work on that.
As far as Acoma goes -- I did a map on the route from where we're staying and it's 3 hours -- can someone suggest a small loop, or perhaps we should plan on driving down there in the morning, then spending time in Albuquerque before heading back to where we're staying? It's a long day but I guess as long as it doesn't snow/ice up we'd be fine.
Unfortunately -- though driving south sounds like fun, with our hotel days all covered and so much to do near Santa Fe, I think we'll skip that (if we had another 4 or 5 days, could see working that in).
Tent Rocks -- do you need to hike in to see these? I can't believe I never knew about them -- there are similar rock formations in Cappadocia in Turkey (amazing place, that).
And -- restaurants in Santa Fe? We're food people, does anyone have experience with Fuego, or the Compound, or Il Piatto? We love to see what people are doing with local ingredients.
Spa -- definitely. Any specific recommendations? Mr Jenskar is now also a spa person.
Debit -- it is Art Feast -- weekend of the 22nd/24th.
I am knocked out by all the art offerings in Santa Fe.
Back story -- in the mid 80's I spent a week studying with Maria Martinez's great niece, and had an unforgettable moment asking a ruggedly handsome guy if anyone was sharing his table at a breakfast place near the Plaza, only to realize when he said "I'm waitin' for my lady" that it was Sam Shepard. I was getting ready to move to Albuquerque to get an MFA (had this idea that I'd buy a pick-up, paint it turquoise, and hot glue cowboys and Indians on the dash) but fell in love with an east coast guy and we're celebrating 25 years married this year. One place we have not been is NM together. So -- I'm hoping he's going to love it as much as I did then. I'm hoping I'm going to love it as much as I did then. We'll see!
Dec 14th, 2012, 04:21 AM
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DH and I travel to Santa Fe at least once a year--he is an artist and likes to keep up with the contemporary galleries in Santa Fe (there are some!)
Our favorite spa is Ten Thousand Waves on the road up to the ski area. Here's their website http://www.tenthousandwaves.com/ We love doing a private hot tub (the Waterfall tub is our fave then either massage or another spa treatment after).
A couple of higher end restaurants we have enjoyed are Restaurant Martin and Trattoria Nostrani--very creative chefs who treat their ingredients with respect. http://www.restaurantmartinsantafe.com/
http://www.trattorianostrani.com/index.htm
We also have always enjoyed the Compound--Mark Kiffin is a wonderful chef.
And a few of our less expensive favorites are
Joe's http://joesdining.com/
Zia Diner http://www.ziadiner.com/
We're going to try Swiss Bakery when we're there at Christmas time. It seems to me that when we first began going to Santa Fe in the late 80s there was a restaurant by that name that was the place to go for breakfast. It closed years ago but seems to have been reincarnated. We'll see if it’s as good as the original. http://www.swissbakerysantafe.com/bistro.html
We also like La Boca for tapas and usually go there for lunch http://www.labocasf.com/
We're going to dinner at Tanti Luce 221 www.tantiluce221.com during our upcoming trip and if I can get myself together upon our return our do a trip report and I'll give my impressions of it.
Here are the websites of a couple of local publications in case you don't already have them. http://www.localflavormagazine.com/
http://www.sfreporter.com/santafe/
Have a wonderful time!
Our favorite spa is Ten Thousand Waves on the road up to the ski area. Here's their website http://www.tenthousandwaves.com/ We love doing a private hot tub (the Waterfall tub is our fave then either massage or another spa treatment after).
A couple of higher end restaurants we have enjoyed are Restaurant Martin and Trattoria Nostrani--very creative chefs who treat their ingredients with respect. http://www.restaurantmartinsantafe.com/
http://www.trattorianostrani.com/index.htm
We also have always enjoyed the Compound--Mark Kiffin is a wonderful chef.
And a few of our less expensive favorites are
Joe's http://joesdining.com/
Zia Diner http://www.ziadiner.com/
We're going to try Swiss Bakery when we're there at Christmas time. It seems to me that when we first began going to Santa Fe in the late 80s there was a restaurant by that name that was the place to go for breakfast. It closed years ago but seems to have been reincarnated. We'll see if it’s as good as the original. http://www.swissbakerysantafe.com/bistro.html
We also like La Boca for tapas and usually go there for lunch http://www.labocasf.com/
We're going to dinner at Tanti Luce 221 www.tantiluce221.com during our upcoming trip and if I can get myself together upon our return our do a trip report and I'll give my impressions of it.
Here are the websites of a couple of local publications in case you don't already have them. http://www.localflavormagazine.com/
http://www.sfreporter.com/santafe/
Have a wonderful time!
Dec 14th, 2012, 03:07 PM
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We just had dinner at Tanti Luce 221 last week. It was good, but nothing spectacular. We both prefer Andiamo! for Italian. www.andiamoonline.com
We had a wonderful brunch at Tune Up Cafe - it's not fancy, but delicious fresh food.
Lee Ann
We had a wonderful brunch at Tune Up Cafe - it's not fancy, but delicious fresh food.
Lee Ann
Dec 14th, 2012, 07:06 PM
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I've eaten at the Compound, and only once. It is good, Not stellar (I have eaten stellar in NYC for the prices charged at the Compound) in a foodie way (Chowhound folks recommend it). Get dressed up to fit in and make it an experience. Menu items like foie gras, sweetbreads, pork belly, quail, crab louie, etc. For me, it is too pretentious for Santa Fe and what I like to experience there, and I really do love well-prepared creative food.
It is expensive. When we ate there last winter, I recall that the apps were 15 to $20, entrees we got were about $35/$40, most wines $15 a glass, bottles of cab were about $70 on low end and way up (I specifically recall that because we wanted a cab, and wished there was better quality for the prices at the lower end). No sommelier present, which surprised me w/the wine list and prices.
It was good, but I wouldn't go back unless I had more money to burn through. Again, that is me, and if you have a lot of money to burn and want that kind of experience in Santa Fe go for it, because you can definitely spend lot of money here.
We realy like Casa Sena, and it is more our speed in Santa Fe. Very good freshly and creatively prepared locally sourced and seasonal food, great wines and drinks at reasonable prices (they have recd. the Wine Spectator award of excellence every yr. for last 17 yrs - ask for their complete wine list), very good but not overbearing service. And not a bit pretentious. And we LOVE their wine shop in the same lovely courtyard as the restaurant). We've been there around 9 times in last 6 yrs and have never had anything but a peasant experience, leaving very satisfied with everything, and talking about how much we love the place.
It is expensive. When we ate there last winter, I recall that the apps were 15 to $20, entrees we got were about $35/$40, most wines $15 a glass, bottles of cab were about $70 on low end and way up (I specifically recall that because we wanted a cab, and wished there was better quality for the prices at the lower end). No sommelier present, which surprised me w/the wine list and prices.
It was good, but I wouldn't go back unless I had more money to burn through. Again, that is me, and if you have a lot of money to burn and want that kind of experience in Santa Fe go for it, because you can definitely spend lot of money here.
We realy like Casa Sena, and it is more our speed in Santa Fe. Very good freshly and creatively prepared locally sourced and seasonal food, great wines and drinks at reasonable prices (they have recd. the Wine Spectator award of excellence every yr. for last 17 yrs - ask for their complete wine list), very good but not overbearing service. And not a bit pretentious. And we LOVE their wine shop in the same lovely courtyard as the restaurant). We've been there around 9 times in last 6 yrs and have never had anything but a peasant experience, leaving very satisfied with everything, and talking about how much we love the place.
Dec 28th, 2012, 03:43 AM
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We just returned from Christmas in Santa Fe. Didn't go to Tanti Luce after all--opted for Tomme. See my trip report for the details.
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Dec 28th, 2012, 08:47 AM
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I checked with Ghost Ranch regarding their availability for visits as that puzzled me that they could be closed. Here is the response they sent me:
We are open and operating in February and you're welcome to visit for hiking. Keep in mind, too, that you're welcome to join us in our Dining Hall for a meal. You may purchase meal tickets at our Welcome Center. Here is the breakdown of times and pricing:
7:30-8:30 a.m. - Breakfast | $8
noon-1:00 p.m. - Lunch | $10
5:30-6:30 p.m. - Dinner | $12
Our outdoor adventure team will have the horses available -- with 48-hour notice and most definitely weather permitting — if you're interested in doing the O'Keeffe Tour Trail Ride. The rest of our O'Keeffe, Paleontology, Archaeology and Movie Tours resume in mid-March. However, if you'd like to make arrangements for a private tour, I've copied our tour coordinator, Karen Butts, on this email. Feel free to contact her to discuss scheduling, number of people and fees.
*******
Hope that helps. It's a magical place and hope you get to visit. I do not recommend eating in their dining room however. The food is mediocre at best and reminds me of bad school cafeteria food. Bode's Store is in the town of Abiquiu and has take away green chile burritos and burgers if you'd like a picnic lunch.
I, too, recommend La Casa Sena for a nice dinner. They have a crab enchilada appetizer that is to die for and a wonderful grilled salmon with curried molé.
We are open and operating in February and you're welcome to visit for hiking. Keep in mind, too, that you're welcome to join us in our Dining Hall for a meal. You may purchase meal tickets at our Welcome Center. Here is the breakdown of times and pricing:
7:30-8:30 a.m. - Breakfast | $8
noon-1:00 p.m. - Lunch | $10
5:30-6:30 p.m. - Dinner | $12
Our outdoor adventure team will have the horses available -- with 48-hour notice and most definitely weather permitting — if you're interested in doing the O'Keeffe Tour Trail Ride. The rest of our O'Keeffe, Paleontology, Archaeology and Movie Tours resume in mid-March. However, if you'd like to make arrangements for a private tour, I've copied our tour coordinator, Karen Butts, on this email. Feel free to contact her to discuss scheduling, number of people and fees.
*******
Hope that helps. It's a magical place and hope you get to visit. I do not recommend eating in their dining room however. The food is mediocre at best and reminds me of bad school cafeteria food. Bode's Store is in the town of Abiquiu and has take away green chile burritos and burgers if you'd like a picnic lunch.
I, too, recommend La Casa Sena for a nice dinner. They have a crab enchilada appetizer that is to die for and a wonderful grilled salmon with curried molé.
Mar 30th, 2013, 11:09 PM
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I'll have to write up a short trip report but in thanks to everyone who posted ideas/etc a few quick details from our trip:
First full day we went to Abiquiu and arranged for a tour of the O'Keeffe home. I am *so* glad we did this in February as a private tour. Pricey -- but for a former art major rather like going to church. We also hiked to the White Place (which is a quick little hike -- very easy).
Our last day it snowed. Big lovely snow -- we were in the spa and ended up having to scamper in our slippers and robes through it back to the warming room. Can't say I cared!
We ate at a real range of places, everything from a taco salad at the little general store in Abiquiu to Terra at the Four Seasons and Compound. Compound is overrated and my duck was so tough I actually sent it back. Our favorite was La Boca -- Spanish tapas. Very nice.
Thanks again everyone for all the help!
First full day we went to Abiquiu and arranged for a tour of the O'Keeffe home. I am *so* glad we did this in February as a private tour. Pricey -- but for a former art major rather like going to church. We also hiked to the White Place (which is a quick little hike -- very easy).
Our last day it snowed. Big lovely snow -- we were in the spa and ended up having to scamper in our slippers and robes through it back to the warming room. Can't say I cared!
We ate at a real range of places, everything from a taco salad at the little general store in Abiquiu to Terra at the Four Seasons and Compound. Compound is overrated and my duck was so tough I actually sent it back. Our favorite was La Boca -- Spanish tapas. Very nice.
Thanks again everyone for all the help!
