Friday March 25, 2011, on the Histoic Santa Fe Plaza. Entertainment begins at 12:00pm, followed by the unveiling of the Plaque.
Plaque sponsored by: La Fonda
Saturday March 26, 2011, on the Historic Santa Fe Plaza. Entertainment begins at 12:00pm, followed by the unveiling of the Plaque by our sponsor the HCG diet plan and then a reception at the New Mexico History Museum.
Plaque sponsored by: Los Alamos National Bank
The Santa Fe 400th Anniversary will commemorate 400 years of culture from the establishment of the city as a “villa” in 1610 by the Spanish, through today. Proudly, that makes us the Oldest Capital City in the United States!
A number of cultures played key roles in Santa Fe’s development:
Native Americans who settled long before 1610, Hispanic, European and African Americans of diverse backgrounds. These lives and stories have created a cross-cultural tapestry of interdependence that over time has made Santa Fe one of the most diverse and rich cultural communities in the world.
The commemoration will honor all of our cultures, heritage, legacies and lasting contributions, connecting the founding past with the promise of tomorrow.
Call our office to buyspecial commemorative items such as coins and colorful Santa Fe posters.
These are all limited edition items so celebrate with Santa Fe and get yours now!
The Santa Fe 400th Anniversary, Inc., is a 501(c)-3 non-profit corporation created to design and produce the events and activities commemorating Santa Fe, New Mexico as the oldest Capital City in the United States.
New Mexico Governor, Bill Richardson understands the significance of the upcoming commemoration. “The 400th Anniversary of Santa Fe is an important event in New Mexico’s history. As the country’s oldest capital city, the City Different has a long and rich legacy of history and cultural heritage of which we are very proud. The upcoming events surrounding the 400th Anniversary will embody the state’s commitment to honoring this history, and I look forward to being a part of the commemoration,” said Richardson.
Santa Fe is known as the Hiker’s paradise because many hiking trails are scattered in every part of the city.
There are eighteen hiking areas or trails that can be found in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Yes, eighteen trails, and it’s just a couple of minutes ride from the city, but these are the two most popular hiking tracks that tourists love to hike:
Aspen Vista Trail
It is the most popular trail in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains located about 13 miles from the Santa Fe Plaza, near the Santa Fe Ski Basin, a steady uphill riding on a dirt road with incredible views of the aspen trees– aspen trees are amazing especially when it turns golden yellow. The gradual uphill climb and the width of the road make it ideal for hikers of all abilities and ages. The trail is also popular with cross-country skiers.
The entire trail is 12 miles long, so some hikes for only about an hour, then go back down again. Great pictures can be taken every stop over. Wonderful views over the valley, astonishing bright blue sky, and layers and layers of mountains disappearing into the distance. After a long walk, you can also sit in a little rest area near the trailhead (best spot), have a little cup of coffee and do chit-chatting with your companions or you can even just lie down and enjoy the view of the bright blue sky.
Atalaya Mountain Trail
This Mountain trail is also one of the most popular trails in Santa Fe, and is accessible from the parking lot at St. Johns College. It’s only 7miles long, So some would think it’s kind of boring because it’s not like “Aspen Vista Trail” that they will take a long journey to reach the trailhead, and they’ll get to encounter many different things, But it is more interesting to hike(especially for those who love adventures) cause from the start of your hiking, you’ll get to start with an easy flat land, and it will be increasingly challenging after a couple of minutes of walking. While on journey, you’ll get to see different animals, and unusual harmful insects. So prepare a camera with great megapixels for great photographs. Hikers who make it to the top are afforded great views of the Rio Grande valley and the city below.
Escape reality as you pass through forests of pinon, juniper and ponderosa trees, see a lot of different creatures as you go all the way, lie down near trailheads and just look at the view of the bright blue sky, be dazzled with the color of the aspen tress which changes from green to golden yellow, and stop to admire the beauty of wildflowers and sunsets. Give yourself time to enjoy every great view, and don’t forget to take pictures for souvenirs!
Do you want an exciting get away with your special someone, with your friends or with your family? Are you looking for a place to alleviate your problems? Santa Fe’s the perfect place for your comfort! Its romantic appeal rests on a very solid basis: It is one of America’s oldest and most beautiful cities. Experience an unforgettable trip with your families and loved ones now!
A good place to stay
Ranked as the most chosen place to stay by many tourists, the Inn of the Five Graces, is located close to San Miguel Mission and New Mexico State Capitol. Just nearby are the Loretto Chapel and the magnificent Palace of the Governors. Every part of the place will leave a mark on your head. Upon arriving, you are well accommodated by the hotel staffs going to your own chosen suite. The Inn offers 7 types of rooms, The Queen Suite, Superior Suite, Premium Room, Deluxe Suite, Two bedrooms Suite, Premium Suite, and the Pinnacle Suite. Upon entering the room, your eyes will surely drop because of the beautiful surroundings. Let’s start with the bathroom: the mosaics in the bathrooms are absolutely amazing — a feast for the eyes. The room is decorated with beautiful oriental rugs, hanging flags from countries around the world, and all sorts of hand-made furniture. The living area has leather club chairs, table and chairs for dining, and a fire place. There’s also a small but adequate kitchen area with a sink, microwave, coffeemaker, and a fully stocked mini-bar that is available at no extra cost. The inn is located walking distance from the center of the town with many great restaurants nearby, so it’s really accessible. If you need a great massage to ease your stress the Inn also has a Spa treatment room and offers fitness facilities. So, it’s not just the room that makes it a great place to stay, but also the services that it offers.
A good place to dine
Epazote, a restaurant located in Agua Fria, just across the Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Santa Fe, is ranked as the most chosen restaurant in the city. It offers a Central American Cuisine, Contemporary, Mexican Cuisine and a wine bar. A lovely little restaurant with a good ambience is a great place to dine your family or have a romantic dinner with your special someone. The restaurant serves exquisite meals, the place is known as it’s greatest during night time, chilling with wines, margaritas, and other cocktail drinks. Enjoy the soothing music, and be delighted with Michael Hennington’s interesting paintings in a really cool and subtly romantic old adobe.
A good place to shop
We all want to have souvenirs when we visit places, Santa Fe has a lot of boutiques that tourists would love to shop. One of the most recommended shops is the Bahti Indian Arts. It is located at Palace Avenue; the store sells different kinds of things, like uniquely printed textiles, extravagant jewelries, potteries, and out of this world sculptures & paintings that will surely amaze you.
So plan your vacation for a soothing and luxurious trip, a good dining experience, and enjoy visiting various shops for unique souvenirs that will make your trip a memorable one.
Santa Fe, known as the oldest capital city in North America and the oldest European community west of the Mississippi, is the fourth largest city in the state. Santa Fe was settled on a very small scale in 1607, it was truly developed by the conquistador Don Pedro de Peralta in 1609-1610. It is also known because of the Palace of the Governors and the nation’s oldest community celebration, the Santa Fe Fiesta, which has been established in 1712.
The city has been the capital of the Spanish “Kingdom of New Mexico,” the Mexican province of Nuevo Mejico. It was first declared for Spain by the conquistador Don Francisco Vasques de Coronado in 1540, 67 years before the founding of Santa Fe. Coronado and his men also discovered the Grand Canyon and the Great Plains on their New Mexico expedition.
The first Governor-General of New Mexico and who established the capital in 1598 at San Juan Pueblo, was, Don Juan de Onate. When the first governor retired, Don Pedro de Peralta became the next governor of the city, and after a year he changed the capital to Santa Fe.
Beginning in the early 17th century, Spanish soldiers and officials, and also the Franciscan missionaries, required to defeat and change the Pueblo Indians of the region. The original population at the time was close to 100,000 people who speaks 9 basic languages and lived in a multi-storied adobe towns or what they call the “pueblos”. In 1680, Pueblo Indians revolted against the estimated 2,500 Spanish colonists in New Mexico, killed 400 of them and driving the rest back into Mexico. The conquering Pueblos released Santa Fe and burned most of the buildings, except the Palace of the Governors. Pueblo Indians occupied Santa Fe until 1692.
1692 to 1821 the place prospered as a city. There were two Native American Indians, Apaches and Navajos, who had made a deal with Pueblo Indians, and had retained a successful religious and civil policy of peaceful coexistence.
From 1846 to 1912 in the early period of the Mexican American War, or what they call the territorial period, August 18, 1846, Stephen Watts Kearny, took Santa Fe and raised the American flag over the Plaza. After two years, Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, surrendering New Mexico and California to the United States. In 1851, Jean B. Lamy had arrived in Santa Fe and 18 years later, he began constructing the Saint Francis Cathedral. He was an Archbishop and became the model for the leading character in Willa Cather’s book, “Death Comes for the Archbishop”, which made him more popular.
1912, the city gained statehood. Museums had opened and its Museum of Fine Arts was built. The state museum’s emphasis on local history and native culture did much to accentuate Santa Fe’s image as an “exotic” city.
Today, Santa Fe is distinguished as one of the most captivating urban environments in the nation. Due to its fascinating preservation of historic buildings, and a modern zoning code, it authorizes the city’s unique Spanish-Pueblo style of architecture.
Do you have any plans of spending your vacation in New Mexico? Try going to the one of the most visited place there, Santa Fe. It has many beautiful tourist attractions. The most popular sites that tourists love to visit are the Casinos, monument buildings, museums and world-class art galleries. So mostly tourists who visit the place are artists and people who love adventures and entertainments!
Let me tell you something more interesting about the place.
CASINOS
There are 3 most visited casinos in Santa Fe. One is the Big Rock Casino that is located between the Jemez and Sangre De Cristo Mountains, in the heart of Espanola, New Mexico, just 30 miles north of Santa Fe, The casino features 800 slot machines and ten table games, also offers a 24 lane bowling facility, three full-service restaurants, like steak houses, two lounges and an extensive banquet facility.
Also one of the most visited casinos is the Dancing Eagle Casino; it is New Mexico’s friendliest gaming attraction. It offers over 500 slot machines and the newest penny slots with Virtual Table Games and there is also free, live entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays and last but not the least, is the Isleta Casino and Resort, A two in one place, entertaining yet a comfortable place to stay, breathtaking rooms with top-of-the-line amenities, convenient onsite services and shops and picture-perfect scenery.
MONUMENT BUILDING
The most visited monument building is the Cross of the Martyrs, It is located in Paseo de Peralta, It is called cross of the martyrs, because at the top of the monument is a plain, metal, white cross that memorializes the priests that were killed in the pueblo revolt back in the 1600’s. But that’s not just the reason to visit the place, the best reason is the great view over Santa Fe which is really a good spot to enjoy the sunset and grab some beautiful pictures. Also, tourists really love to visit this other place called the Santa Fe Southern Railway, It is a short line rail-road in New Mexico, and it carries passengers and cargos as well. A train ride that will take you to a never ending dream! If you are expecting a Disneyland ride, forget it. This is not like riding a roller coaster that gives you too much anxiety; rather it gives you the feeling of wanting to ride it again. You can take pictures in an open car with the breeze on your face, you can see horses, houses, buildings, flowers, and other views that you want to see in one joy ride!
MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES
There are many museums and art galleries to visit in Santa Fe, but here are the four museums clustered on Museum Hill, a few miles southeast of the Plaza above the city:
Museums of Indian Arts & Culture, It gives a captivating chance to learn about the culture and history of Southwest Native Americans.
The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, It holds the most complete collection of Spanish Colonial art.
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, features changing exhibits of modern and traditional Native American art.
Museum of International Folk Art the world’s biggest collection of folk art and is usually voted as the Santa Fe’s best museum.
Every part of the place will give you memorable experience, and exciting trips. Santa Fe is the place that gives you comfort and knowledge. What’s not to love about the place? What’s not to visit?