Bright colors, festive music, and delicious smells greet me as I step into the plaza. An old man in a serape leans down and speaks in Spanish to a young boy, who is showcasing his wooden handicrafts here in the shadow of a centuries-old cathedral. A woman flips fresh corn tortillas on a hot griddle over an open fire. No, I haven’t traveled back in time. I’m not even overseas or south of the border. I am in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the annual Spanish Market.
Santa Fe is a city known for its strong culture and deep roots. My experience in the city was no exception: I had only to look around to see the strong Spanish influences in art, cuisine, and architecture. For instance, most of the buildings in Santa Fe are made of adobe, reddish-brown clay that is replastered every year. Set against the brilliant, cerulean-blue New Mexico sky, the adobe buildings lend a unique feel to Santa Fe: where else in America can you find a city that has not changed its architecture for 400 years?
The people of Santa Fe proudly display the artifacts of their heritage in their many museums. I visited the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, whose collections are the most comprehensive compilation of Spanish Colonial art. I loved its colorful retablos, or religious images painted on carved wood, and was inspired to make my own.The Palace of the Governors, located on The Plaza, is New Mexico’s state history museum. It includes artifacts that help tell the story of New Mexico’s past. I was struck by the history that had occurred here: the museum building itself was established and partially destroyed in the Pueblo Riots of 1680.
Santa Fe’s museums also represent New Mexico’s diversity, as is evident in the Georgia O’Keefe Museum (which houses the largest collection of works by Georgia O’Keefe in the world), and in Canyon Road, which is not a single museum but the second-largest art market in the nation, with over 100 art galleries. Canyon Road attracts thousands of talented artists a year, adding to the city’s already-thriving culture.
One of my favorite places to visit in Santa Fe was El Rancho de las Golondrinas, located on the outskirts of the city. It is the “Colonial Williamsburg” of Spanish America, a living history museum that allows 21st-century visitors like me to immerse themselves in the day-to-day life of Colonial Spanish settlers of the early 1800s. At Las Golondrinas, I got to experience some of the hard work the early Spanish settlers did daily, including grinding dried corn between rocks to make flour, spinning wool into yarn, and placing hot coals inside a beehive-shaped horno, or oven, all while dressed in period clothing.
Twice a year, the city of Santa Fe hosts the Spanish Market, an open-air festival that celebrates its colonial culture. Hundreds of artists and craftspeople sell their traditional handicrafts, ranging from woodcarvings, tinwork, musical instruments, and statues to embroidery, weaving, jewelry, and straw appliqué. My favorite part of the market was the time I spent with a 12-year-old artist selling his amazing crosses made using the art of straw appliqué. After receiving a crash course, I made my own cross, which is now hanging on my bedroom wall. Every time I look at it I am reminded of my time in Santa Fe.
As my stay in New Mexico drew to a close, I felt I had not only visited another modern American city, but encountered a culture that would remain a part of me always. The legacy of Santa Fe’s Spanish Colonial roots lives today in its people, culture, and way of life. New Mexico may be part of the United States, but it truly is a whole different country.
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John, glad you liked the story. This park is in Ohio where the weather can be unpredictable! It’s warmest between late April and November, but even April has the risk of some snow. If you’re camping with kids, the safest bet is June to August, because it’s warmer and there’s little rain. Enjoy your trip.
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which season do you think is the best time to visit this national park?
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Hello Michael, glad to hear your family is interested in a dude ranch holiday.
Since your kids are older and, hopefully, everyone in the family rides, you have lots of options. The Dude Ranchers Association is a really helpful resource in sorting through the many types of ranch vacations. For example, you can go here: https://duderanch.org/by-activity-amenity and search for ‘Advanced Rides’ and “Cattle Drives’ and that would get you some real working ranches that would have more of the lifestyle you seem to be looking for. One of our authors recommends the Hideout in Shell, Wyoming for this type of trip.
Looking for a real ranch experience with horseback riding (lots of it) and time in the open air with my son (15) and daughter (12) and my wife (49). I am 62. We live in NJ, my children have been sheltered but I grew up in a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania. I want my children to see another side of life.
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Of course, you can do travel freely and easily through these two countries yourself, but I enjoyed having the trip curated for me, including well-chosen local guides, comfortable transportation on call and some superb private tours, such as a Khmer cooking class or historic walking tour of Saigon, with flexibility in the itinerary for our group of five to follow their own paths, such as making an emotional detour to the moving Genocide Museum housed in the old S-21 jail in Phnom Penh.
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For Richard re: dual citizenship US-Nicaragua… can I use the same to travel back to Nicaragua with the same Power of Attorney (Specific to Minors) since wife is staying back in Nicaragua to keep eyes on the house.
Hi Richard, In our travel experience, this type of document should work well for your travels, but if your wife is available, it can’t hurt to download the sample forms we have online and also have her fill out and notarize one for your trip with your child. The agency responsible in your case will be the carrier — we assume an airline — and if they can make a note in your travel record that they have approved the Nicaraguan documents you should be fine on both departing and entering.
Safe Travels!
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As a signal parent, your life, world, actions are based on your childs well fair. Not your happiness or anything that has to do with you.
It should list where they are going, the dates that they are allowed to go and grant your permission for that trip. You want to include your address and phone number and probably the contact info for the adult traveling as well.
The grand archways and the paintings of Lord Krishna and his cows are a visual treat. Wander through areas opened for tourists and you shall witness the impressive aura and architecture of the Royal state of Rajasthan.
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Hello guys my wife and I have dual citizenship US-Nicaragua, I’m planning to travel to the US with our son also dual citizenship for 3 weeks, with a Power of Attorney (Specific to Minors) from Nicaragua, can I use the same to travel back to Nicaragua with the same Power of Attorney (Specific to Minors) since wife is staying back in Nicaragua to keep eyes on the house.
Congratulations to the winners! A question to all the professional travelers here, how are you planning the route ant the places to see while visiting a new country? As for me I just google the most touristic and popular places. It works mostly, but there were a few times when I realized that I have seen only some the places this country or city is famous for, and that’s sad. On my last trip to Armenia, I decided to take a tour and it was quite productive. It’s much more informative when somebody is telling you history and some interesting facts. If someone wants to save their time – make sure to ask them to help if you’ll ever be there.
Curitiba é uma lugar lindo, além de ser considerada uma das melhores cidades para se morar em Brasil.
Realmente a muito o que conhecer por lá, como também diversas outras belezas do nosso brasil.
Principalmente as praias do Brasil que são muito procurada por inúmeros turistas internacionais e nacionais.
As Praias do Litoral Paulista, divididos entre Praias do Litoral Norte e Litoral Sul.
As mais conhecidas são as Praias de Ubatuba com mais de 100 belas praias no litoral norte paulista.
Já no litoral sul, a região mais procurada são as Praias de Guarujá, a região conta com 23 praias de pura beleza e preservação ambiental.
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Was an honour and pleasure to host you both in the Maori Whakata/Welcome to Wanaka. Welcome back anytime to this wonderful part of the world.
Kia Kaha/Stay strong
[http://www.wanahaka.co.nz]