Santa Fe town

I imagined Santa Fe to be a glorious town with golden architecture backed by magnificent mountains, but it's actually in quite a plain area geographically. Santa Fe sits in a high desert that is very dry with a few pine trees and bushes. It's not a desert with green adorable cacti like in Phoenix or Tucson. And the mountains are not the backdrop to the town. In Santa Fe, one feels quite ill from the high altitude and incredibly dry air. The town's saving grace is its adobe buildings which are very cute. 

The nice architecture is mainly clustered around the old square, Santa Fe Plaza. Here you will find some upscale adobe hotels, as well as some cute adobe houses with colorful doorways and window trim, on the side streets. The square itself is not that pretty and there are many homeless people outside the Palace of the Governors. Do not miss the incredible Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. It is everything a cathedral should be! Sit inside and soak up its magnificence. Loretto Chapel (a three minute walk from the Basilica), on the other hand, is privately owned, has an entrance fee, and you can't enjoy it because of the loud piped in informational recording inside the sweet little chapel- what a shame. Walking around the exterior of Loretto Chapel,  however, makes for a lovely stroll. Walk ten minutes to the west to check out the shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe outside Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
It's nice to visit the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum to learn about her life and see some of her beautiful art depicting desert flowers and sun bleached animal bones. 
Later, spend the afternoon at Museum Hill. You can eat at the waiter-service Museum Hill Cafe on their shaded patio and then take in a number of great museums. This area has a really cool feel to it, spacious, modern, and high up above the town. Check out the giant Indian warrior sculpture, the sculpture of an Indian woman leading her sheep, and other sculptures in the garden areas by the cafe.  Make sure you visit the Museum of International Folk Art which has all manner of colorful figures and dioramas from countries around the world.
Enrich your trip by reading with your kids about Pueblo ultra runner Windrunner.

Directions

Santa Fe Plaza, the center of town, is located at 63 Lincoln Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, 131 Cathedral Pl, Santa Fe, NM 87501.
Loretto Chapel, 207 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501. Admission is $4 per person.
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, 217 Johnson St, Santa Fe, NM 87501. Open daily 10-5. Fridays open until 7pm. Entrance is $13 for adults, $11 for students, and free for children under 18 and for NM residents on the first Friday of each month (with ID). 
Museum Hill Cafe, 710 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Open daily 11-3. 
Museum of International Folk Art (colorful folk art figures and dioramas), Museum Hill, 706 Camino Lejo, On Museum Hill, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Open Tues-Sun 10-5. Closed Mondays. Entrance is $12 for adults, $8 for NM residents, free for children aged 16 and under. 
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian (art, jewelry, trading post), Museum Hill, 704 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Open daily 10-5. Entrance is $8 for adults, free for students with ID, children under the age of 12, Native Americans, and military. 
Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (pottery, baskets, turquoise jewelry), Museum Hill, 710 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Open Tues-Sun 10-5. Closed Mondays (except during the summer). Admission is $12 for adults, $7 for NM residents, and free for children aged 16 and under. 
Museum of Spanish Colonial Art (art, furniture, textiles), Museum Hill, 750 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Open daily 10-5. Admission is $10, free for children under 16.

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