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Santa Fe is known as The City Different.  Visit just once and you'll understand!

When it comes to individual opinions of Santa Fe our experience is that no one is on the fence:  Folks either love it or hate it without question.  In the present age when most US cities seem homogenized (basically all feeling the same, dominated by the same chain restaurants and big-box retailers with only vacant buildings to remind us of prosperous pasts), Santa Fe is different by design.

We are travel experts eager to make your visit to the Land of Enchantment and Santa Fe personalized, effortless and amazing!  We love Santa Fe, visited it for decades, lived there for almost six years until 2021  and are happy to provide complimentary answers and recommendations.  As well, we can handle all your travel and lodging reservations for you.  

Leave the work to us.  You simply dream, pack and enjoy!  The Hill Guys are here for ALL your travel arrangements for Santa Fe, the USA and beyond.  Contact us today for friendly, expert travel planning and reservations for anything, anywhere.

"25 Things We Love about Santa Fe" - Santa Fe Reporter Article, January 2017

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Eats

Sights & Drives

Adventure

Entertainment

Santa Fe Gay

Transport

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The Basics

Ristras and Skulls - Downtown Santa Fe

Santa Fe by the Numbers

• Founded:  1610 (Spanish colonists)
• Native Occupation:  1,000+ years
• ​​Population:  85,000+
• Local Restaurants:  200+
• Art Galleries/Collectives:  250+
• Spas:  20+
• Museums:  15+
• Annual Art Markets/Shows:  12+
• Annual Celebrations/Festivals:  15+
• Minimum Wage:  $10.91/hr (NM $7.50; US $7.25)

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New Mexico and Santa Fe are part of the United States ​(not Mexico) 

• 47th US State:  January 6, 1912
• Travel Documents:  You do not need a passport or travel visa to visit Santa Fe from within the United States
• Currency:  US dollar (not pesos)
• Location:  35.6875° N, 105.9385° W
• US Time Zone:  Mountain Time
• US Area Codes:  505 and 575

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Road Up to Ski Santa Fe

High Desert

​Santa Fe is situated at 7,000 feet above sea level (2,134 m)  in the beautiful high desert of north-central New Mexico.  The combination of high elevation and arid climate results in two wonderful outcomes:

• Santa Fe enjoys all four seasons
• The summers are mild with regular highs in the upper 80s with 15%-25% humidity

The Sun, Amazing Light and Vivid Skies

​One mile is 5,280 feet (1,609 m), so being at 7,000 feet above sea level means that there is 1.3 miles less atmosphere between us and the sun and space than at sea level:

• The sun's rays are more intense in UV, brightness and heat
• The colors of the desert landscapes, mountains and skies are enhanced
• You are closer to the clouds
• Our clear dark night skies give way to stars, the Milky Way and meteor showers that are absolutely dazzling

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Contact Us for FRIENDLY, Expert Travel Planning & Reservations for SANTA FE, THE USA, AND BEYOND

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Climate and Landscape

Santa Fe Elevation:  7,000 ft (2,134 m) with surrounding mountain peaks of 12,000 ft (3,658 m)

Sunny Days Per Year:  280+

Typical Summer:

• Highs:  Upper 80s (around 31 C)
• Lows:  Mid-50s (around 12 C)
• Humidity:  15% - 25%​

Typical Winter:

• Highs:  Around 40 (5 C)
• Lows:  Around 20 (-6 C)
• Humidity:  40% - 60%​

​​Annual Rainfall:  14 inches (36 cm)

Annual Snowfall:  22 inches (56 cm)

Tent Rocks National Monument - View from Trail's End

​Monsoon Season:  

• Mid July through August
• Almost daily thunderstorms somewhere in the area (if we're lucky)
• ​Outdoor Precautions
  • Flash flooding​
  • Lightning - New Mexico is #2 in the US for lightning strikes after Florida

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Inn and Spa at Loretto

Territorial

• Distinction - Anglo elements and manufactured materials
• Pitched roofs with metal or tile
• Red bricks
• Milled lumber 
• Painted white rail porches

Architecture - Santa Fe Style

Part of Santa Fe's charm and harmonious vibe comes from its architecture.  The core elements are rooted in the structural designs and building methods of native peoples (pueblos) that date back over 1,000 years.  There are several distinct styles which stand alone or may be blended, but all maintain elements of Pueblo style with earthen hues.  To protect Santa Fe's distinct history and identity, city zoning mandates height restrictions and that most buildings be in the Spanish, Pueblo and/or Territorial style(s).

Pueblo Style - A Blend of Native and Spanish

• Distinction - Traditional elements from locally-sourced, natural materials
• Thick adobe (mud and straw) brick walls covered with smooth stucco surfaces
• Flat roofs supported by wood poles (vigas) which often protrude to the exterior
• Stepped roofs
• Ladders (which ancestral Pueblos used for access to upper stories of their stepped dwellings)​

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Chile Ristra

Turquoise Gate

Glossary of Common Elements

• ​Adobe - Sun-dried bricks made of mud, earth and straw; a house made of adobe
• Banco - Built-in, stucco or plaster-covered bench for sitting
• Canale - Drain spout for flat roofs
• Corbel - Wood or stone projection from a wall or post to support some structure above
• Coyote Fence - A tall fence constructed of latillas with uneven heights (to make it difficult for a coyote to climb over)
• Kiva (Fireplace) - A round fireplace often in the shape of a beehive
• Latillas - Small poles used in ceilings, fences and furniture; for ceilings they are placed either perpendicularly or diagonally above vigas or beams and may be whole or split-faced
• Lintel - Exposed horizontal wood beam above a window or door
• Nicho - Niche in a wall for displaying objects
• Portál - A porch or patio coverd by a flat roof connected to a building
• Ramada - Standalone covering for a deck, patio or entrance
• Ristra - Ornamental strand of chiles, usually red, that are hung to dry before use in cooking 
• Saltillo - Tile of varying colors of red, orange and yellow
• Viga - A round, stripped log beam used to support a roof; traditionally, vigas protrude through the tops of walls and are visible externally

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Contact Us for FRIENDLY, Expert Travel Planning & Reservations for SANTA FE, THE USA, AND BEYOND

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