You can tell people like living here, because they like talking about it. I joined three tours, all led by docents, and all had a lot to say, much more than would be very interesting to a visitor. The first was a walking tour of the historic downtown area that lasted two hours and felt like four. The second was a tour of the Palace of Governors; it was only 45 minutes, and it wasn't that bad, but she was so eager for us to see more of the exhibits in the adjacent New Mexico History Museum (which is where the walking-tour guide volunteers, so she already tried to sell us on the same stuff). The third was at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis, and this tour I walked away from after ten minutes.
Ask me where the Santa Fe Trail started. Ask me about the Camino Real. Or about Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy (but not how to pronounce his last name, as I heard different pronunciations from each docent). Or Diego de Vargas. Or about the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, or the reconquest recolonization twelve years later. I love history, but I think I might have been just as happy exploring on my own.
The only other museum I went to was the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. I can't say I've ever been a big fan of her work, but after watching a short film about her life and then seeing the exhibit, I learned a lot that helped me understand her painting. This was my favorite work in the collection:
I enjoyed a great lunch at a very popular Mexican place called Tia Sophia's, and a great dinner at Zia Diner. It was a beautiful day after some overnight rain and morning clouds, and it was a beautiful night walking back from dinner.
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| Morning at the Palace of Governors |
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| Evening star? |