Downtown Santa FeSanta Fe in New Mexico boasts a unique cultural fusion. MAL ROGERS investigates the city’s cosmopolitan vibes
WITH THE Rugby World Cup heaving into view, I was reminded of a day in Turkey Bob's bar in Ruidoso Downs, on the edge of the Chama canyon wilderness in northern New Mexico. It was near the Billy the Kid Museum — you should go. There's a gun store nearby whose motto is, "Yes that is a gun in our pocket, and we ARE pleased to see you."
Turkey Bob's giant screen television was on — the USA were playing Italy. But, barring me, no one was interested in the rugby. The volume was down. Instead a loud sound system was pumping out the music of the borderlands: Tex Mex, Mariachi, Southern rock. Occasionally an overlay of country music and Norteño. Amazing stuff.
The hot day, the silent rugby match, the frantic, pounding music, the Hispanic clientele, the cold beer — it all kind of worked. If Turkey Bob had been about I’d have complimented him highly on the atmosphere he has managed to curate.
Sadly, I didn’t have a chance to go to Turkey Bob’s when I visited New Mexico recently, because this time I was going to the opera — in Santa Fe.
The city, tucked away in the northeast corner of the State, is the end of the Santa Fe Trail, the 19th century route across the Mid West from Missouri. Migrants, cowboys, the Pony Express, gold prospectors, ranchers-to-be, outlaws on the lam, and many more trudged along this trail. The railroad also stretched its influence down here; Santa Fe Railyard is right downtown — you’ll likely come eye to eye with more than one dedicated trainspotter. Indeed, you may well be one yourself and only reading this article for more information on one of the great anorak destinations in the world. Sadly anything I could tell you would probably have you sniggering at my lack of loco knowledge.
On more familiar territory, Santa Fe looks like it has evolved from antiquity with the sandstone-coloured adobe (or mud brick) buildings merging with the landscape. But in fact the city was largely rebuilt in the 19th century. No matter, it is a unique looking place, adorned with art galleries and museums — from the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, and from the Wheelwright Museum of The American Indians to the sculpture galleries of Nedra Matteucci.
The Miraculous Staircase ( image courtesy of Christopher Michel, Wikimedia Commons)Used to be, one of the top attractions was a staircase.
In the Loretto Chapel in downtown Santa Fe is a spiral staircase, which almost does seem miraculous. It rises 20 feet (6.1 m) to the choir loft (so not exactly a stairway to heaven), but it does make two full turns, all without the support of a central pole. The staircase is built mostly out of wood and is held together by wooden pegs. Built in the 19th century, probably by a Frenchman called François-Jean "Frenchy" Rochas it is a triumph, probably not of faith, but of pure mathematics, intricately applied. Sadly, it seems that Frenchy was later murdered, although this seems to be unconnected with his endeavours on behalf of the Church. Nearby, The San Miguel Mission or San Miguel Chapel is the oldest church in the continental United States and houses its own museum which gives the history of the Spanish-speaking people in this neck of the woods. Truly, there is nowhere like the past.
The neighbours next door in The House of Eternal Return (image Kate Russell) From tacos to the otherworld
If you’re a fan of Mexican food, or Tex Mex food, you’ll scarcely do better than Santa Fe. Tacos, enchiladas, nachos, fajitas, flautas — all available throughout the city, often served with imaginative twists. My own favourite was served at El Callejon on Galisteo Street. Their chile relleno is a roasted poblano chile pepper filled with melty asadero cheese, lightly battered and pan-fried. It’s served with rice, beans and corn tortillas. This is a serious piece of food. The only problem is, 24 hours later you’re hungry again. As I left, a busker outside was playing a Ry Cooder song —a sinuous piece of mournful Americana set in the Borderlands. It was perfect. I nearly stopped to tell him about Turkey Bob’s.
After lunch, top of my list was a visit to Meow Wolf, an arts and entertainment place in the industrial part of town. The geniuses responsible for this venue create large-scale immersive art installations — like its wildly popular House of Eternal Return. Suffice to say that local chap George R.R. Martin, the author of Game of Thrones, helped bankroll the project.
Starting out as an art collective, this dusty, abandoned 20,000 square foot bowling alley transmogrified into an extraordinary experience. You enter through a seemingly normal-looking Victorian house; inside, are passageways and portals that lead you to multiple parallel universes — if you think you’re hard enough.
There are over 70 deeply strange rooms — each with dreamlike, bizarre or disturbing story to tell. Clearly in the realm of surrealism, we are dealing with giants here.
The questions when you enter prepare you for the journey: What dimensions will your mind make? Which path do you choose? Did you bring enough snacks?
Martin also owns the Jean Cocteau Cinema nearby. As well as showing films it also regularly stages author talks, as well as burlesque, magic and variety shows.
Santa Fe's operatic mirage: Wagner and the desert landscape
Actress Shirley MacLaine, in Belfast for the filming of Closing the Ring, was interviewed by Pat Kenny back in his RTÉ days. “I love the people,” she told Pat. “I’m Scots-Irish. And I love the weather here in Belfast,” she added.
I suppose that’s why she lives in New Mexico, I remember thinking at the time.
Actually, if you come from Northern Ireland, the weather in Santa Fe is not too much of a shock.
Being near a desert, the city is certainly hot during the day, but because of it altitude in the Sangre de Cristo foothills it’s not a searing heat, top temperatures usually about the high twenties in summer. Plus it’s not too humid.
You might even try some gentle hiking.
The Sun Mountain Trail is a 2.6 km out and back hike that overlooks Santa Fe. It’s reasonably flat and easy to begin with, but does get moderately challenging. I did it earlier in the year, before the heat dome descended and even then my lungs were wheezing like an old accordion.
You meet plenty of people on the trail, and also the odd rattler. And of course vultures wheeling overhead, checking out your health in case you might provide a particularly succulent lunch for them.
Santa Fe has a dry atmosphere, as befits desert terrain, so if you’re in the business of staging outdoor operas, this is the place. And they’ve been doing that since 1957.
The opera has packed up for the year now, but you can still have conducted tours of the opera space, and other musical performances are regularly held. So try to catch some Wagner here — if you want someone to set the scene for an epic landscape, Wagner’s your man. Perfect for the desert.
The next series begins on August 1, 2024 with La Traviata.
And Santa Fe Opera is nothing if not prescient. A 2018 world premiere presented Doctor Atomic. The opera tells the story of the day before the atomic bomb was tested. This is just south of Santa Fe the man behind it was J. Robert Oppenheimer.
On that general weaponry score, the one thing you shouldn’t take to the Santa Fe opera is a gun.
In their Frequently Asked Question section of their programme, they say: Firearms are not allowed on the premises. . . Open or concealed carrying of a firearm, either loaded or unloaded, onto these premises is strictly prohibited. Any person carrying a firearm is guilty of a fourth-degree felony. America, eh?
With thanks to Tourism Santa Fe
www.santafe.org
