'El Primero' is located in the front part of an adobe house once owned by Civil War Major José D Sena. Local legend says he lost the property and the adjoining corn fields as a gambling debt. However that may be, various parts of this multi-roomed building have served as residence and as stables. You will be staying in rooms with 12 ft ceilings, in which you can still see bits of the adobe that originally served for the roof. But never fear, there are modern touches such as electricity & indoor plumbing! The thick adobe walls which provide insulation & the high ceilings with hand-hewn vigas & boards are some of the authentic historical features. Off-street parking near your door makes it easy to lug home your finds from shopping expeditions. A high-speed internet connection is available in case you have an urge to surf the web or, alas, have to attend to business.
Sure, it's an easy walk to the famous Plaza. But look at what else there is, within a 10 minute walk of La Casa Santa Fe! Here’s a small sample of the neighborhood: Let’s eat! Walk over and pick up fresh and prepared organic food at The Marketplace/La Montanita Co-op: 5 blocks (or drive a few more blocks to Trader Joe’s, Wild Oats, or Whole Foods.) The Farmers’ Market is open Tuesday and Saturday mornings in summer, and Saturday in winter -- we can show you how to take a walking route to shortcut through the neighborhood: also about 5 blocks. On those days you want somebody else to do the cooking (and we all have those) at least two dozen restaurants are a stroll away, most moderately priced. For example, there's New Mexican, barbeque, Japanese, American, Continental, Thai, pizza, and mid-eastern. Look in the La Casa Santa Fe guestbook for sample menus from many of them so you can figure out where you want to go while you work up an appetite.
Maybe you’re up for some unique shopping opportunities? The Guadalupe District is full of arts, crafts, quirky independent shops, antiques, and even some familiar chains. Sanbusco Center (three blocks away) has an eclectic collection of shops, including a Border's bookstore to find maps and guides about New Mexico, and an inexpensive, informal restaurant. Or walk to a variety of museums - between the art galleries and the historical buildings, half the town looks like a museum. But six actual museums within a ten minute walk are: The Santuario de Guadalupe, Site Santa Fe, the Georgia O’Keeffe, the Museo Cultural, the Palace of the Governors, and the Museum of Fine Arts. Bus connections to four more museums on Museum Hill are two blocks away. The New Mexico Rain Runner (commuter train) is 5 blocks away, for daytime excursions to Albuquerque. Give us a call or send e-mail if you have questions. We live around the corner from the property, and we're looking forward to meeting you!
Other Activities:
Kayaking, Hot Air Ballooning
Learn more about this vacation rental at the owner's website:
