Silver Cowgirls

There are so many things to do in Santa Fe that we feel guilty not staying longer! We haven't entered out of town to the trails, parks, petroglyphs, and historical places in the surrounding hills. Not too far away is a ski resort, and as the nighttime temps drop, the aspen trees on the hills of the resort have started to turn gold and yellow. The resorts are making lift trips available for close up viewing of the colors, and if the photos on the evening news is any indication, it is a spectacular sight! We're sorry to be leaving.

This morning we started our day in the downtown area, vowing to walk as much of the area as possible. The downtown plaza is surrounded by a variety of shops, some are of unusual interest.

San Francisco Street is filled to the brim with clothing and jewelry shops!

What appears to be a straightforward business storefront will become a gallery of jewelry, crafts, and clothes unique to Santa Fe. Unfortunately, most of the merchandise is far out of our price range, particularly the jewelry. Turquoise and silver are the predominate themes here, with an occasional diamond or Rolex thrown into the mix!

Most of the shops are in buildings original to Santa Fe, and consequently, they are built in the Spanish style with interior courtyards that are perfect for outdoor dining.

A small shop just across the street from  the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi looked to be pretty much a pottery shop catering to tourists wanting a ceramic pumpkin or a hanging ceramic chile rostra.

But tucked away on the back wall is a small plaque.

 Outside, the Cathedral dominated the Plaza area, so we decided to visit.

We were not able to go into the interior because a funeral mass was taking place. We took a photo from the entry through a window etched with the figure of Pope John Paul II.

Back outside, we were notified by our stomachs that lunch was in order, so we strolled southwest out of the Plaza area, passing a former movie theater with interesting architecture.

And a casual lion lazing in the sun...

Our destination was Cowgirls BBQ restaurant! The restaurant is a bit of a hodgepodge of buildings and rooms that have been connected over the years. We chose to sit in the patio and enjoy the cool breeze. We were searching for food that was different from the New Mexico cuisine that we've been having the last three days, but we didn't want to go to far afield, so we compromised....

A bowl of Chuckwagon Chili with jalapeños, red onions, sour cream, cheddar cheese and jalapeño cornbread came to the table, followed shortly by The Mother of all Green Chile Cheeseburgers! This burger is a secret blend of black Angus, antibiotic and hormone-free, grass fed, grain-finished, and custom ground with locally raised buffalo and applewood smoked bacon! Serve it in a pretzel bun with melted brie, chopped green chili, a slice of heirloom tomato and a drizzle of truffle oil. Throw in some hand cut french fries, and you really have something! The Chili had chunks of steak in it along with some savory spices. Yum! I've got to admit, though, that we cheated and split lunch between us! It was absolutely a delicious blending of traditional BBQ and New Mexico flavors!

As we walked back to the Plaza, we stopped in a small shop where an unfortunate sign reminded us of the pitfalls of eating out in Santa Fe!

A quick stop at 35 degrees coffee shop finished our afternoon, with a last stroll by the Palace of the Governors, the oldest government building in the US. The veranda is lined with local artists displaying their handiwork. Very beautiful silverwork and pottery.

We will sorely miss Santa Fe, and plan to return one day to expand our explorations. We'll be sure not to eat for a month or so before arriving, so we'll be better prepared! The people have been very courteous and friendly, the food has been great and the architecture is quintessentially Southwest. This is a destination!