A few of my new favorite places in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I’m still settling in to Santa Fe and, amidst renovating a house, exploring all the new nooks and crannies this town has to offer. There’s so much to see!

One of my favorite finds is a historical landmark in a town just south of Santa Fe: the Legal Tender Saloon & Eating House down in Lamy. Right across from an old train depot, with excellent food, the vibe is straight out of an old Western movie and you feel like you’ve stepped back to 1885! Meanwhile, Kodak (our toy Australian shepard dog) is loving the move and enjoying lots of new sniffs—especially up in the mountain trails where the golden Aspens go on for miles. It reminds me of the Alpine Pendant (below) with tree-filled hills and sunny skies commonly seen here. 

And while I loved my 10 years in Southern California, it’s nice to smell the damp earth of the mountains again and watch the amazing changing weather and clouds each day. I can see why the artist Georgia O’Keeffe fell in love with this place. It’s a juxtaposition of dry dessert and lush mountain, which is simply captivating, and I love how one can flit between both in the same day. If you drive out to Abiquiu, where O’Keeffe lived for many years (about an hour north of Santa Fe), you see the shocking views of pinks and reds in the dirt and rock mesas surrounding you. And you start to understand her paintings like Black Mesa Landscape, New Mexico / Out Back of Marie's II, 1930 – a dead ringer for the natural Bruneau Jasper landscape of my Canyon Necklace. 

The Tea House (conveniently located about 20 yards from my new gallery!) is a long standing institution at the top of the iconic, art-filled Canyon Road here in Santa Fe. It’s a beautiful space based in an old residence with a charming outdoor seating area – and, it has just been revived by new owners with a classic breakfast & lunch food menu. It is particularly famous for a long list of teas where you can really go out-of-the-box finding something exotic and unique, but my go-to’s are the Smokey Tea Latte featuring lapsang souchong for a caffeine kick or the Tulsi Ginger Lemon for something herbal (also good over ice!). However, my newest favorite, or dare I say, obsession? Their excellent Earl Grey Not So Classic cocktail. An amazing combination of earl grey tea and sparkling bubbles from Gruet, with a touch of lavender, thyme, lemon and honey. I have been dreaming of this drink since the first two I consumed… Order up with a snack of the spinach artichoke green Chile dip and relax under the trees for the perfect pick me up. Extra bonus? Make sure to hit up the live music sessions on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays from 3pm-5pm.