Serendipity in Santa Fe

"We've definitely got to find an exotic location to celebrate Christmas this year," I complained to my husband Wayne several months ago.  As much as we love our home town of El Paso, Texas, after decades of spending Christmas at home, we had pretty much partaken of all the holiday spirit that is offered locally.

So that's how we found ourselves this December in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  A short drive (in West Texas terms) of six hours took us from an altitude of about 4500 feet to 7000 feet and from about 50 degrees daytime high temperatures to the 20's and 30's. I pulled jackets, sweaters, boots, and gloves out of the back of the closet.  I even found an old pair of long underwear that I tossed in the suitcase at the last minute.

A four day stay at the lively La Fonda Hotel on the Plaza was plenty of time to discover small pleasures that are often not mentioned in travel guides. The first afternoon we sat for a quiet moment in the ornate Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.  Soon the very entertaining dress rehearsal of a Christmas pageant began..The leader instructed children with angel wings to position themselves on the top row of platform, the shepherds to take the middle row, and the animals to position themselves on the bottom row.  Delightful!  

Rehearsal at St. Francis

     

The next stop was the lounge in La Fonda, always an opportunity for great people watching. Chips and salsa and tea sustained us until dinner that evening.

View down the bar at La Fonda Lounge

Dinner  at La Fonda gave us a decorating inspiration for our home.  Why couldn't we (or rather Wayne) paint some of our glass window panels like the ones adorning the hotel dining room?

Decorated glass panels at La Fonda

And why was the guacamole concocted and served fresh at our table so much better than the guacamole we make regularly at home?

Dusk arrived early, but the views around town were memorable.  Our room with a balcony overlooked a quiet side street.

View from our room

The main plaza turned into a wonderland of lights in the evening.

Main plaza

And the Basilica of St. Francis was especially inspiring at night.

St. Francis Basilica

But the highlight of the trip was joining 30,000 revelers in making a Christmas Eve walk, with a full moon adding to the magic. Bundled figures of all ages ( and some magnificent furry dogs) made their way slowly up Canyon Road, stopping to admire houses and art galleries adorned with farolitos and Christmas lights.  Groups of carolers joined in spontaneous singing of Christmas carols around small campfires. The Ghost of Christmas Present must have sprinkled the revelers with magic dust, because a holiday spirit hovered over the crowds.

Canyon Road with moon peeking through tree

We had a memorable Christmas holiday, enjoying the serendipity of small delights in Santa Fe.  I hope your Christmas was a merry one as well.