Santa Fe, New Mexico
By Andrew Collins

Santa Fe sits at 7,000 feet above sea level, clinging to the lower slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and offering an enchanting blend of Rocky Mountain and high desert living. This scenic city is politically progressive, abundant with museums and galleries, renowned for its distinctive adobe architecture, overflowing with sophisticated inns and restaurants, and ideal for outdoors enthusiasts. You won't find much in the way of gay nightlife, but if you're planning a romantic vacation with your significant other, Santa Fe may just have everything else you're seeking.

Even better, if you're starting to think about retirement options, northern New Mexico's "City Different" may be worth scouting out as a potential future home. In November 2005, RainbowVision Properties opened a GLBT retirement community on the south side of town, billing itself the first such full-scale endeavor of its kind (the company has plans for additional communities in Palm Springs, the San Francisco suburbs, and Vancouver). The 13-acre compound geared toward the 50-and-over set is worth checking out even if you're not thinking of buying here - it's home to the Silver Starlight Lounge and Cabaret, which is open to the public and is Santa Fe's only gay nightlife option. It's actually quite popular with folks of all ages, especially for early evening cocktails.

One of the region's greatest lures is the fantastic, sunny weather - Santa Fe and north-central New Mexico enjoy beautiful weather year-round. Summer tends to be the busiest time for a Santa Fe visit - this is opera season as well as a time when many prominent festivals and art markets take place. But a fall or winter visit yields fewer crowds, cool and crisp temperatures, and still plenty to see and do - plus rates tend to be lower at hotels, which are among the priciest in the Southwest.

Many of the city's attractions are right in the center of town. Here you can take a walk around the Plaza; check out the numerous shops and cafes; admire the city's adobe-clad Pueblo Revival, Spanish Colonial, and Victorian buildings; or stop by the circa-1610 Palace of the Governors, a state history museum set inside the nation's oldest public building. There are several museums nearby, dealing mostly with art (such as the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, which has a terrific restaurant).

If you're a die-hard museum explorer, make the short drive (or bus ride) up the Old Santa Fe Trail to Museum Hill, a complex of outstanding cultural attractions, the highlight being the Museum of International Folk Art. The newer Museum of Spanish Colonial Art is another top draw. If you'd rather spend most of your time outside, saunter up Canyon Road, a narrow, winding lane of historic adobe bungalows containing some of the most prestigious art galleries in the Southwest.
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