Santa Fe

Picture: Red chiles for sale on vendor stall at the Plaza, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I spent all day at Santa Fe today walking who knows how many miles. The Plaza is a great pedestrian area with the the original New Mexico state capitol dating from the 1600's, the current state capitol building, San Miguel Mission, and two other catholic churches. Southwestern culture is a unique blend of Native American and Spanish cultures. The buildings all have their own distinct look, and though many are several hundred years old most have been preserved to look modern. On every street corner there are locals selling Indian arts and crafts. A lot of turquoise in particular.

I went to the San Miguel Mission several times during the day to photograph it because the light wasn't good in the morning, but what I'm disappointed about is that I didn't find out that the State Capitol was a block away. I had the tourist maps they give you in town but it didn't list the location. It wasn't until I was waiting for sunset at Fort Marcy Park high above town that I looked at my AAA map and realized I could have easily seen the State Capitol as well. One reason why a first-time tourist to Santa Fe might miss the building is because it doesn't look like the other state capitols. New Mexico's capitol is a circular adobe / stucco style building that blends in with the rest of the town's architecture. So it's not obvious to spot where it is unless you know where to go or happen to walk by it.

Tomorrow afternoon I am flying home and will see what my photos actually look like in a day or two. I have taken mostly travel type photos as the sights I have seen this week have been very colorful. I haven't seen any good scenic nature photo ops here but when the culture is as rich as it is here, it doesn't matter. There is more than enough to keep any photographer satisfied.