Santa Fe in a Day, Then Home via the Turquoise Trail

☕ Coffee to Start

We drove up from Albuquerque and parked in a central garage, which made the whole day easier. Our first stop was coffee at Iconik Coffee Roasters, where we couldn't resist a few bags of beans to take home, and some decaf from Sky Coffee.

⛪ Loretto Chapel

The Loretto Chapel is small but beautiful, and its spiral staircase, with no visible means of support, really does make you stop and stare.

🌮 Lunch at Palacio Cafe

Lunch was meat nachos and a Frito pie with a Jamaica drink and a lemonade. It was simple, tasty and great value.

🍫 Kakawa Chocolate House

Kakawa was my favourite stop of the day. We shared an elixir flight with whipped cream, a tasting tour of historic drinking chocolates. Rich, spicy and unlike anything at home.

Photo: Christine Rondeau from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

💃 Dancers and the Turquoise Trail

We caught some tribal dancers near the plaza, then took the scenic Turquoise Trail back to Albuquerque. At a trading post in Los Cerrillos I found a woven basket that now has pride of place at home.

One thing to note: one day only scratches the surface of Santa Fe. Next time we'd stay at least one night.

📋 Tips for Santa Fe

• 🅿️ Use a central garage rather than street parking.
• 🍫 Book in a chocolate stop.
• 💎 Buy jewellery directly from the artists under the portal.
• 🛣️ Take the Turquoise Trail one way for the views.

What's your favourite thing about Santa Fe? Share it below!