The City Different

November 22, 2015

Technology comes to Old Santa Fe

We moved from one capital city (Keep Austin Weird Texas) to another one (The city Different Santa Fe, New Mexico). Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the United States. And we went from a climate where we were swatting mosquitoes to one where we were putting on heavy clothing to go outside in the frosty air.

Santa Fe is another place I've had the opportunity to spend a lot of time. When I was consulting, I helped establish a radio station here: Coyote Radio. It was an eclectic station that reflected the area. And with Mike Marrone as Program Director, the station projected his musical personality. It was a music lover's station, to be sure. Our owner, Elliott McDowell also had a strong eclectic personality. It was the perfect combination of people to create radio magic.

The makeup of the people who live here in Santa Fe is unlike anywhere else. The city was established by Native Americans around the year 1000. In the 1500s, Spain colonized the area as a province of New Spain. But by the end of the century, the native Pueblo people drove the Spaniards out of the area. It wasn't until the Mexican War of Independence of 1810 that it was free of Spanish rule. Texas then claimed it. This history has created a very diverse population base that is part Indian, part Spanish, part Mexican, and part New Age spirituality.

Santa Fe Square downtown

Because of the mashup of cultures, there is underlying tension in the community. That tension sometime explodes, but generally it's just a feeling you get being here. Certainly it's an artist community, and you can find great art, from handmade artifacts sold at the town square Indian Market to expensive art in the fancy galleries throughout the town. The mix of cultures creates a community unlike any other. And that's most of what makes Santa Fe the tourist attraction it is.

Indian Market on Santa Fe Square

Tourism is what the city relies on. It's second only to State Government as the main source of income for the folks who live here. You will find everything from starving artists to millionaires living here. Shirley MacLaine has a home here because of the energy. Julia Roberts, Val Kilmer and Gene Hackman also can be seen walking around the town they call home. We didn't run into any of them while we walked around the downtown square, but we did see lots and lots of expensive jewelry and art shops. You gotta have money to shop in downtown Santa Fe. There were no t-shirt shops to be found.

New Mexico Comfort Food

And the food! New Mexican cuisine has its own flair. Cheri and I are both huge fans of green chile and Santa Fe is the center of the universe for that. We had bowls of green chile stew, green chile soup, smothered green chile rellenos, smothered green chile burritos and enchiladas, Christmas-Style huevos rancheros featuring both green and red chili. We were in food heaven as we visited some of Santa Fe's best restaurants.

Sangre de Cristo Mountains outside Santa Fe are beautiful

Then, there's the beauty of Northern New Mexico. Homes and businesses all sport the Southwestern adobe architecture.
And Santa Fe is surrounded by mountains.

Downtown Taos, New Mexico

Driving through New Mexico's Sangre de Cristo mountains was a thrill. It has been so great to be back in the Rocky Mountains. Where the Appalachian Mountains are soft and rolling and blue, the Rockies are sharp and jagged and stark. We took the "high road" and drove up to Taos, about 90 minutes north of Santa Fe. We got to visit with some friends of ours who have made Taos their home.

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge

Driving back, we took the road over the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. It's the 7th highest bridge in the US over a gorge that is New Mexico's answer to the Grand Canyon. We also visited some of the beautiful historic churches in the area, all built in the New Mexico Spanish Pueblo Revival adobe style. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in downtown Santa Fe and the San Francisco de Asis Mission Church near Taos. Beautiful churches with a Spanish influence.

Dennis & Ira Gordon of KBAC

Santa Fe is home to a great radio station - Radio Free Santa Fe KBAC. Elliott sold The Coyote back in the '90s. So my good friend Ira Gordon picked up the ball and has been programming KBAC for 20 years. He and I have a deep history that goes back to Boulder when I hired him several times at various stages of KBCO. Ira's KBAC reflects the lifestyle and eclectic nature of Santa Fe. Today, most radio stations play it safe by only playing songs that don't offend anyone. But a small group of brave program directors create their stations to fill a need in their particular city. I've heard great stations in Austin, New Orleans, and many other stops along the road. Santa Fe is a better place because of this amazing radio station.

Tomorrow morning, we pack up Dolly and head west toward Arizona.