Best City for Senior Health?

We are learning that seniors can modify their brain heath by eating the right foods, getting aerobic exercise, and changing their activities and environments. I think that if cities competed for the best locale for seniors, Santa Fe just might win.

I thought this while on my early morning walk through the area surrounding the plaza, and then on a second, early afternoon walk along Canyon Road. The walks completely engaged my mind, and I anticipated finding another jewel around every turn.  And the jewels included art, architecture, and gardens. I also passed the oldest church in the United States as well as the oldest house, at least in Santa Fe, and stopped to learn a little about their history.  If I lived in Santa Fe, I would want to go to a different locale every day and walk until I couldn't put one foot in front of the other. And if I was rich, I'd want to stop at a different eatery every day and try out an entree I'd never had before. The city offers all sorts of cuisine, including that based on Indian foods,  and hotel chefs that compete to be the most famous. And I'd take shorts trips out into the countryside for even more stimulating activities.

Great mix of art and architecture 

Great Egrets

Statuary for sale

Street Art - just add water

Steel Art

Beautiful arch with view

Head from building blocks

San Miquel Church - build in 1610 by Talxcalan Indians

Oldest House

Artful arrangement

Apache Plume beauty

Graphic art as building detail

Leaf art

Architectural detail

Puma with geraniums

Statues for sale

Artful fountain

Resting rabbit

Storefront beauty

Scissors wins

Because of all the art, beautiful views, and wonderful food, I left Santa Fe felling exhilarated.  Now if I could find a spring, summer of fall job near this wonderful city, I'd be able to visit more of it. Past visits have made me want to see more of the surrounding area as well as other parts of the city. The railroad area is another place where one can spend an entire day when the farmer's market is open. And on one trip, I got to go to the International Folk Art Market, which was a wonderful experience. Then there must be hundreds of museums, galleries, and churches to visit. (We tried to visit the Native American Museum just across the street from our hotel, but it was closed on Tuesdays.) Several pueblos and archeological sites are nearby. A ride to Sandia Peak by the sky tram is a thrilling, scenic way to access the trails. There is hiking and biking in summer and skiing in winter.  Heck, I could move here in ten years and never run out of things to do before I die. And I bet my mind would stay healthy until the end of my life.

I've scheduled this and the next blog to come out while I'm traveling, mostly off the Internet.  I'll be visiting campsites and interesting places in Eastern Montana, northeastern Wyoming, South Dakota, and Minnesota for two weeks before paddling in the Boundary Waters for eight days. 

Wild Interlude in Santa Fe

Last Tuesday, after breakfast, Hulin and I decided to go visit the Randall Davey Audubon Center which is at the end of Upper Canyon Drive. The property adjoins the Nature Conservancy's property and you can hike both properties. The Audubon property is more for strolling with intermittent standing or sitting to watch the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks coming to the feeders.

We had to get back to the hotel before checkout time at noon, so only had time to sample the Center and take a short hike on the Nature Conservancy Lands.

But the gardens were beautiful and the city noise was completely gone.  It was a lovely, peaceful interlude and we got to see the the first Lewis's woodpecker - an immature - ever seen on this site.

Entrance

Steller's Jay

Ground squirrel and chipmonk

Feeder youngsters

One of several painters

Part of Randell Davey's house

We decided to take a quick look at the Nature Conservancy trail, which started across the road from the service entrance to the Audubon Sanctuary. We only got to walk about a half mile before time was up and we had to rush back to our hotel.

Hulin on  the Nature Conservatory trail

A large- flowering paintbrush

Unknown flower

Trail view

The High Life

At the beginning of our vacation, Hulin picked me up in Albuquerque and then we drove to Santa Fe for the first night. He wanted to eat breakfast at La Fonda Hotel, a hotel in the Old Santa Fe area,  so we drove several miles into the historic part of town to do so. Little did I know that he also had a reservation for the hotel for the next to last night of our vacation.

We checked in mid-afternoon and got to our room just before a huge thunderstorm. But the weather had cleared by the time we had our dinner in the restaurant. The hotel and restaurant had lots to see and was attached to a few stores, while advertising other stores with samples of their wares, all along the hall. It was definitely a few steps up from my usual motel. It even had banks of small windows filled with miniatures that were three-dimensional advertisements for other stores. 

We also splurged on our suppers.  Hulin got the line-caught coho salmon and I got the tortellini with roasted squash and pumpkin seeds. And we shared an appetizer of fried squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese. Everything was totally delicious.   

I took this picture of the front of La Fonda the next morning

The way in from the parking garage

An amazing leather face purse

Another window of wares -loved these shoes

Dining room from hall above it - ours was the empty table by the pool.

Hulin eating bread

The marvelous squash blossoms

There was a wall of these painted windows in the restaurant plus in other places in the hotel

Hulin's  Salmon

My tortellini2ith butternut squash, broccoli, and pumpkin seeds

Fireplace just outside the restaurant

A little seating area we walked through on the way to or from our room

One of many little arrangements behind a window - used to advertise other stores

Even the public bathroom was very stylish

After supper, we had a drink in the bell tower of the hotel

And saw our second rainbow in a week

For breakfast the next morning, we ate at the pastry shop behind this fireplace. They make all their food on site, and it was a delicious and beautiful breakfast.

We walked past this vignette on the way to register

We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon walking around and enjoying the art of Santa Fe. Definitely different from our usual hiking or driving through wild areas.