Finally arrived in my 50^th state. It wasn’t an easy journey.  For many years I’ve wanted to visit Santa Fe and, despite a long delay with our flights and some temporarily missing luggage, I’m finally here.  It’s special to be with a group of good girlfriends and to share some days of intense conversation, laughs and new adventures.

Established in 1610, Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the US, and the beautiful Sangre de Cristo Mountains (the end of the Rocky Mountain range) are always within sight. Today Santa Fe is one the country’s largest art centers.

We started our trip with a culinary adventure at the Santa Fe School of Cooking for a class on the Foods of Spain.  It was interesting – the celery and pear bisque was incredibly delicious.  I’ll leave it to my friends to decide how my paella compares to that of the chef.

Afterwards, we took a short walk to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.  She was a fascinating, independent, incredibly talented woman and I enjoyed learning more about her life and art.

My Front Yard, Georgia O’Keeffe, 1941

Of course, being here, we can see the landscape that inspired her. We strolled through town, stopping in a few shops and galleries to admire the art, clothes, etc. It was such a nice, pleasantly cool day for walking we kept on going to Canyon Road the charming location of many famous high-end galleries. Good thing for my wallet I don’t have room for any more art and know I would never wear the intricate western outfits or luxurious winter clothes on display. It was so nice to walk and window shop with no agenda.

Dinner was New Mexican fare at a historic restaurant in a circa-1692 hacienda (The Shed). I admit I did not care for their style of cooking, the enchiladas and tacos seemed too dry to me and the guacamole too watery. And, I can’t really deal with the super-hot chili sauces!