Check out this fabulous NEW KDHamptons Travel Diary I just received from my dashing Brit pal, Kieran L. Lewis, who checks in to share this gorgeous photo album from a recent trip to Santa Fe. Just when you think the saturated light and sunsets in the Hamptons can’t be beat……take a long look at some of the breathtaking snaps below. Enjoy Kieran’s NEW KDHamptons Travel Diary below….

 

 

 

 

Kieran shares: The city of Santa Fe lies in the northern central area of New Mexico, an hour’s drive from Albuquerque to the southwest, and an hour and a half north to the boarder of Colorado, with Texas and Arizona cuddling the eastern and western boarders respectively. Its geographical location means a dry, seasonal climate giving reason for the locals to spend a majority of their time and energy outdoors, exploring the flat plains that expand further than the eye can see and the mind can imagine, and the juxtaposed mountain ranges that lie scattered throughout the state.

 

 

 

 

Every morning the sun would contend with the Sangre de Cristo mountains which spread along the eastern boundary of Santa Fe, standing tall and unmoving, their steadiness likened to a disciplined indomitable army, focused on keeping the capital in darkness until it would meet its match at the scheduled time every day. But the outcome was always the same: the sun triumphing over the mountains and spilling its powerful rays over the city, slowly creeping westwards until Santa Fe was bathed in sunlight and splendor. This ritual between the forces of nature woke me at around 5.30am without fail, giving me the true fortune of witnessing the rise and fall of night to day, dusk to dawn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My view was from the Casita of the Painted Sky, an exquisitely decorated home on the northwest side of the city, slightly elevated, allowing a magnificent panorama over the city and those stalwart Sangre de Cristo mountains just beyond. Nancy Duddy, the proprietor of the casita, has spent a large part of her life venturing from one exotic land to the next, collecting objects and artwork along the way which live proudly in the casita.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From traditional Balinese masks to elaborate Moroccan cushions, no detail has been missed or miscalculated. The bedroom feels like an extraordinary journey of colors and shapes, engaging all the senses and leaving one dreaming in the restful bed of the lands where these artifacts originated.

 

 

 

 

The large windows in the living area leave the eye to wander the landscape sprawled out in front while listening to the adobe fireplace crepitating, or enjoying fresh fruit and juice at the characterful wooden table. If it is peace and tranquility, or inspiration and awe one desires, this home is the place to experience them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Activities abound throughout the area, such as the Ojo Caliente natural springs which will produce the effect of ‘wanting one in your back garden’. Iron-rich springs and mud baths allow nothing but relaxation of the mind and body. Just over an hour northwest lies the home of the American modernist painter, Georgia O’Keeffe, many of whose works were inspired by the enchanting topography of New Mexico. If the journey to her home in Abiquiu is not enough to capture how and why she permanently moved here, her property 15 minutes further north known as Ghost Ranch will no doubt impart such knowledge.

 

 

 

 

The weather, fused with the captivating landscape, attracts skiers in the winter, with the Santa Fe ski mountain only 25 minutes from town, and sun addicts in the summer months, bathing in the many natural springs that lie beneath the lands. At an elevation of 7,260 feet, lungs are being worked by the very act of breathing, and if this seems tame to you, there are a plethora of mountain trails that can be attacked on foot, by wheels or by sheer horsepower.

 

 

 

 

The intrigue of Santa Fe reflects the magical nature of the land by which it is surrounded. This magic has been seen and felt by many over the years, attracting the most creative minds to the area, eventually making up a community of individuals with stories that cause shock, amazement and laughter. Brought together, the tale of Santa Fe cannot be fully understood without immersing yourself in it and utilizing all of your optical, aural and olfactory senses.

 

 

Having the second highest number of art galleries per capita in the US, only behind New York City (which has a population 112 times the size of Santa Fe), as well as the highest number of PhDs per capita, Santa Fe can be a place of true artistic and academic enlightenment. Many of the PhD’s find themselves there as a result of the mysteriously clandestine Los Alamos, sitting 45 minutes west of the city (a conundrum about which I dare not attempt to write).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many galleries live on Canyon Road, representing some of the most venerated and distinguished artists in the world. Such a density of art and artistic knowledge can for some seem overwhelming, but the amiable ambience exuded through the crisp air of Santa Fe puts any form of anxiety at rest. In fact, I believe it an impossibility to feel ‘anxious’ or ‘stressed’ in this city (quotations used as these words do not exist in the Santa Fe community).

 

 

 

 

It is precisely this sense of ease and embrace that had my mother at ‘hello’ and after day two, she was ready to put a ring on this city. We were swiftly put in touch with realtors who would potentially assist my mother in the big move from West Sussex, England, to the incredibly dissimilar city that had us under its spell. Dinners with some good friends mixed with the haphazard encounters with strangers on the street meant that she had already established a network of people who had pledged to help her with the move. This transition from stranger to best friends seemed odd as it is a rarity these days, but Santafeans are some of the most embracing breed I have met and they could not do enough to help both myself and my mother; the intriguing personalities in this city seemed to have endless talents.

 

 

 

 

My mother was introduced to a realtor who was also a prolific writer, sculptor, artist, property developer and electronics expert, who seemed capable of answering her every question. This trend of multitalented, multi-tasking individuals became the norm to the point where it would be expected that every person we encountered possessed mastery of at least five different fields. Since arriving back on the East coast, I have read every book possible so that upon my return, I can name more than one area of expertise within my repertoire. Although I make light of this, this is an incredible environment to sink into, and much can be learned and discovered through connecting with the people and the land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

No place has a deeper historical connection to the land than the pueblo of Taos, an hour north of Santa Fe. This ancient Native American community has been inhabited for over 1000 years, making it the longest continually inhabited community in the United States and has been ordained a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as a National Historic Landmark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The land of Kit Carson and frontier America can be felt in the air around this small dwelling, making it easy to relive and imagine the same land of hundreds of years ago. Apart from a slight increase in population and technology, the place remains relatively unchanged, with the tall mountain ridges and big blue skies dominating the landscape, much as it did for the first people to walk that very earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since there is no direct flight access to Santa Fe, most people fly into Albuquerque Airport, then make the hour long journey to Santa Fe. Due to an early morning flight, we decided to spend our last night in town, giving us the day to explore Albuquerque. Apart from the old town section – which was not particularly buzzing – the city did not have much to offer. Perhaps this had something to do with the spiritual, intellectual and emotional stimulation of Santa Fe, creating a very high standard of expectation, but nonetheless, I was left feeling empty.

 

 

 

 

The experience would have been overall quite dull, except for the coincidental discovery of the annual Albuquerque car show which happened to fall on the very day we were in town. Yet, this was far from your average car show, with modern luxuries, or rare old beauties, but instead filled with cars from the 50’s and 60’s that had been entirely gutted, remodeled and brought back to life. Those responsible for these works of restorative skill were also members of notorious gangs around the city and state, characterized in the riveting TV show, Breaking Bad, and after some recon, I discovered that these cars had a lot to do with bragging rights and who could outshine whom. Certain cars were painted in the same colours as the gangs they represented, allowing for easy identification.

 

 

 

 

This odd concoction of slight nervousness mixed with a relentless intrigue rendered it quite humorous that a middle aged woman and her son on an innocent mother-son bonding trip would find themselves here. In order to get a little closer to some of the characters and their metal, my English accent and my mother’s outgoing nature were fully utilized to try and soften up the New Mexican quasi-bandeleros, and for the most part, this strategy worked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no doubt that my time in Santa Fe has left an indelible mark, opening up a novel world, unlike any community I have seen in this country. From the land and natural beauty, to those who have chosen to live upon it, Santa Fe has a curiously tranquil disposition that will put any mind at ease.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for sending such an incredible Travel Diary Kieran! Looking forward to your next adventure….xx KDH