Thank GOD for Santa Fe. The elegant matriarch of New Mexico has held onto it’s charm and proves it all gets better with age. It is the one place in New Mexico we loved and would go back to in a heartbeat. Around every corner is another historic square, beautiful building or fantastic gallery. The City Different holds true to it’s nickname with pride. And it should. This is one of the most unique cities I’ve visited, and that’s something to hold onto.

We passed through Santa Fe for my birthday dinner before getting back to the trail. The impressions we were left with are a result of the glimpse we got and I’m sure locals would have so much more to add. But first impressions are important, and this is ours.

I will forever think of Santa Fe in the rosy glow of the late afternoon, accentuated by the honey colored walls of the city. Santa Fe is choc full of unique art galleries, restaurants, jewelry stores and boutiques selling local wares. You’ll have to venture outside the city center to find things like a convenience store or a chain of any kind. That’s a plus in my book. The local culture is a cornucopia of art, food, history, and they celebrate it all with abandon.

Santa Fe has a rich history in the West spanning more than 400 years. This is evident in the architecture which uniquely pairs Spanish Colonial and Native pueblo adobe in an architectural statement of European invasions and historic battles won and lost. Plaques and monuments adorn most corners in the city as further proof. You only need to look around to feel the history of this place.

We spent most of our time in and around the historic Santa Fe Plaza, which houses The Palace of the Governors (now a museum) as well as the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. Shops and restaurants line the Plaza and buzz with all the life of the city center. Under narrow, covered walkways you’ll see the windows and an occasional doorway that offer glimpses to the bustling world inside. Communal benches nestled inside adobe-walled corridors unfold into courtyards, restaurants and quaint shops.

We ate at The Shed. I had read it was the best margarita in New Mexico and that was a thing we wanted to try. The wait for the dining room was so long that we went to the bar. It’s where I prefer to sit most times anyway since chatting with bartenders and the guy at my elbow is fun for me. First things first: that was a terrible margarita. Second: we both ordered more cocktails plus food and everything else was excellent. The bartenders know their stuff and make great food pairing recommendations for cocktails, which I think is rare, and difficult to do. People can do wine pairings, they can do beer pairings, but cocktail pairings? That’s impressive.

I ordered a combination plate of quesadilla/tamale with posole, rice and beans. The tortilla was hand-made blue corn, filled with melted white cheddar. It was the best thing on my plate. The blue corn tortilla was thick and pillow-y and the cheese added a salty richness that oozed everywhere and made life better. The tamale and sides were above average. Ryan ordered the shrimp skewers. He was nice enough to let me try the shrimp and they were smoky, juicy and flavorful. Shrimp can be surprisingly hard for some chefs to get right. These were right.

Our cocktails were nuanced and inventive and we had a blast talking about all of it with the bartenders. As the night went on and things cleared out a bit more we tasted some neat pours of very good, anejo tequilas that were a nice nightcap and birthday dessert all in one. The word had gotten out that it was my birthday and they really helped us celebrate.

We had to get out of town and find a trail and place to camp for the night, but we were full and happy. Santa Fe was the best place I could have spent my birthday and I look forward to next time.

Click here for my love letter to Susan’s Fine Wine & Spirits in Santa Fe, a discovery we didn’t make until a few days later on our way back to Colorado.