Category: Getaways, Away for a Week

Word Count: 776

Titles: Santa Fe: The City Different ; The City Different ; Pure Imagination;
Note: Multiple introductions written, hoping to find the best elements from both and arrive at a more refined
introduction.
Commented [LJ1]: This title is interesting, but be sure to
explain it, maybe in the introduction, if thats Santa Fes
nickname.

I have also added new pictures, but I will get to a separate document describing them later.

Introduction
New Mexico might not sound like the likely location of your next vacation, but its capital, Santa Fe, is an
artists retreat you wont want to miss! Santa Fe is a UNESCO-designated Creative City in Design, Crafts, and
Folk art, and while the city claims the title of Americas oldest state capital city, it comprises a pleasing blend Commented [LJ2]: I like both of these introductions! This
part was the only thing that threw me off because I dont know
of classical art and cutting-edge creativity and technology. what UNESCO is. If you leave it in, I would explain it so that
readers can understand the significance of it.
Founded in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains over 400 years ago, Santa Fe is the picturesque
city that serves as the capital of the state of New Mexico and as the home of hundreds of artists. The
landscape, history, architecture, and people create an atmosphere that can only be described as uplifting. Far
from being a desert wasteland, Santa Fe is an artists (and art-appreciators) oasis.

Landscape and Outdoor Sports

At an elevation around 7,200 feet, the weather in Santa Fe is moderate, with chilly winters that rarely see
freezing temperatures during the day and summers that generally sit in the 80s with little humidity. There are
numerous trails surrounding the city, with offerings for various outdoor sports including mountain biking and
horseback riding. In the winter, ski resorts are only a half hour into the mountains. Commented [LJ3]: In this section, instead of spending so
much time on the weather, think about focusing on the
outdoor sports available through the landscape, as you imply in
The mountains east of Santa Fe give way to hills and arroyos dotted with shrubbery and short trees. the section heading. Is there a specific mountain biking trail
thats really popular that you could describe, and what are the
Light pollution is very low around Santa Fe, allowing visitors to see stars breathtaking in number and ski resorts like? Are there other outdoor sports?
brightness. Commented [LJ4]: See if you can get a little more specific
here too. Where should visitors go to see the stars?
Santa Fe Opera House
If you approach Santa Fe from the northwest, you will surely pass by the Santa Fe Opera House. Like a
white-sailed ship on a flat, blue ocean, the Santa Fe Opera House rises prominently in the scrublands with its
unusual arched roof and sail-like wind and rain baffles. The open, outdoor format of the main theatre creates
a unique atmosphere that sometimes includes far-away thunderstorms that often interact with and augment
the drama of the stage. The Santa Fe Opera company engages in bold experimentation, like replacing Commented [LJ5]: This sentence confused me a little. Is it
an outdoor theater, or can you just hear thunderstorms from
distracting supertitle screens with individually adjustable electronic title systems built into the seats. Over 50 inside? Try to make this more clear.
new operas have debuted at the Santa Fe Opera; in the 2017 summer season, they plan to premiere The
(R)evolution of Steve Jobs, based on the life of the late Apple CEO. Down the hill from the opera house is the
Tesuque flea market. Commented [LJ6]: This seems out of place in this section.
Consider removing it, or expanding it a bit to relate to the
opera house more.
Downtown Santa Fe
In the early 1900s the Santa Fe city government imposed a unified building style in the hopes of encouraging
tourism and economic growth. Downtown Santa Fe has some of the oldest buildings that started the restyling
of the city in the stucco and adobe of the Spanish Pueblo Revival architecture.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi is the most prominent building in the downtown area, and
was built in the late 1800s. Within four minutes walking distance of the cathedral, the Loretto Chapel houses
a great spiral staircase that is shrouded in legend and controversy. Commented [LJ7]: This is intriguing! Think about
expounding on this a little to really increase the curiosity of the
reader.
The Santa Fe Plaza is the site of many festivals and performances every year. Nearby shops sell Native
American products from the surrounding pueblos, art of every sort, and exotic local products. Commented [LJ8]: This is a thought that could be taken a
bit further as well. What kind of art, and what exotic products
do they have there? What could draw the reader there?
Meow Wolf
30 miles from Los Alamos, Americas first secret science laboratory, 140 miles from Roswell, the city famous
for its UFOs, and in the middle of Santa Fe is a new, interactive art exhibit that is a stimulating mix of art and
science. Meow Wolf opened in March 2016 and has fast become one of the citys most popular attractions. It Commented [LJ9]: I felt a little distracted by the mention of
these other cities and then coming back to Santa Fe. Play
is an art complex that includes Santa Fes first public maker space and holds regular classes to involve people around with it to see if you can make their mention more
in creative arts, from origami to skateboard making. applicable, or consider removing them.

The crown jewel of Meow Wolf, however, is the House of Eternal Return. Guests first enter an ordinary
Victorian-style home only to find themselves immersed in place where science, art, fact, and fiction intersect
to stunning visual and tactile effect. Casual visitors, adults and children alike, will love entering secret rooms
through the refrigerator, playing music on the dinosaur bones or the laser harp, and climbing through a world
of pure imagination. But the House of Eternal Return is more than just a random collection of fantastic Commented [LJ10]: I would add a description a little more
tangible to match the rest of the sentence, perhaps adding
themes. There is a story being told, of a family whose home is the epicenter of a rent in space and time. something about how theses rooms were designed by local
Adventurous visitors will spend hours discovering clues about what happened in the home of the Selig family. artists.
Commented [LJ11]: Other than my suggestion above, I
really like this paragraph! It really makes me want to go and
check this place out!
Conclusion
Whether its architecture, classical music, or the world of the great outdoors that takes your fancy, Santa Fe is
the place to go and spend some time at the cutting edge of the artistic world. Commented [LJ12]: Great article overall! I think if you
expound just a bit in the areas I pointed out, youll have a
lovely picture of Santa Fe for readers and youll reach your
word count. Clarify points where you think not every reader
would understand so that everyone will want to come here.