The Bobcat Paw

The winter season can bring a longing to pack your bags and hit the open road for a much-needed vacation. New Mexico, for decades, has been known as the Land of Enchantment. The city of Santa Fe is the living embodiment of that now-famous slogan. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, Santa Fe is a hub for both avid and beginner skiers. The mountains also provide the perfect place to hike and take in the breathtaking nature of New Mexico. If skiing or hiking isn’t your thing, the town of Santa Fe has you covered with one of a kind charm and amenities. Home to the best museums, restaurants, and shopping, you will never have a lack of things to do in Santa Fe this winter season. To help you breakdown what Santa Fe has to offer before you plan your trip, we have put together a list of our favorite things to do. 1. Hit the Slopes for Some Skiing Skiing is the biggest attraction that brings tens of thousands of visitors to Santa Fe every winter. Ski Santa Fe is home to one of the m...

Everyone needs a getaway every once in a while. If you’re hoping to add a dash of art and culture to your upcoming vacation, one of the best places to find this is Santa Fe, New Mexico. This family-friendly and art-filled destination is historically known as the hot spot to discover art of all shapes and sizes including art shows, performances, fiestas and more. Before you get your travel agent on the phone, check out these recurring events happening in Santa Fe to see which one sounds like the best option for you to visit. Art Festivals and Markets Native Treasures: Indian Arts Festival If you’re hoping to witness high-quality and professional art featured from a variety of artists far and wide, then this is a must-see. The Native Treasures Indian Arts Festival not only showcases art to look at but features pieces that can also be purchased. Each contributing artist has been hand-selected and invited by the members of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC). Once...

Summertime in Santa Fe is a wonderful time to enjoy the full beauty of the Southwest with mountains, valleys, rivers, and prairies. Enjoy outdoor activities before coming back into town for local attractions. Here are some of our favorite things to do in and around Santa Fe in the summertime: photo courtesy of  santafe.org Santa Fe Plaza Ever since the city's 1610 founding, the Santa Fe Plaza has served as the focal point for city life, offering shops and restaurants, bullfights and fandangos, and a gathering place for both locals and visitors. There are still many of the old buildings standing, which act as reminders of the city's rich history and you can still attend Spanish and Indian markets, just like in older times. The Plaza is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and is something that should be on every summertime itinerary. Santa Fe Farmers Market Only about a mile away from Santa Fe Plaza, the Farmers Market is open all year round to offer loca...

There are so many great outdoor activities to do in Santa Fe that it's impossible to list them all in any single article. This is just a brief sampling of our favorites to get you started. Most of these activities are open all year round, thanks to our beautiful weather. image courtesy of SantaFe.org Pueblo Feast Days There are nearly 20 pueblos in the northern region of New Mexico, and each one of these communities has its own annual Feast Days and Religious Events. Most of them allow respectful visitors to observe and partake in the fun so that an understanding can be gained of traditional tribal culture and history. This is a wonderful way to learn about the area natives, and how they have lived for centuries before the arrival of others. Ski Santa Fe Our area provides challenges for experienced skiers as well as great introductions for newcomers. Offering some of the highest elevations for skiing in the United States, Ski Santa Fe has a base elevation of 10,350 f...

Whatever kind of shopping you enjoy most, you're sure to find something for you in the Santa Fe area and you'll not only come away with some terrific purchases, but you will also have loved the shopping experience you had in the process. image courtesy of Keshi - The Zuni Connection Prairie Dog Glass Come to this shop and enjoy browsing through all the wonderful hand-crafted glass creations, then take a class yourself and produce your very own glass art that will be a lifetime reminder of your experience in Santa Fe. Keshi - The Zuni Connection Keshi is the shop to go for authentic and beautifully hand-crafted Zuni crafts and the owners are extremely knowledgeable about all things to do with the Zuni peoples. The owners work very closely with the actual Zuni pueblo today, and sell their products at prices set by the artists themselves. image courtesy of Seret & Sons Origins This is one of the oldest shops in Santa Fe, NM, and it still has an atmosphe...

At the start of the new year, this is the best time to think about travel plans. Santa Fe offers events and festivals all year ‘round. Some of these festivals are related to art, some to celebrations of food and drink, some to music, and some are staged to celebrate Native culture or other ethnic cultures. In truth, there are so many Santa Fe, New Mexico activities and festivals offered, that it might be hard to choose which sounds most appealing, but a few of the most popular are described below. Santa Fe Indian Market For almost 100 years, this festival has been staged as a celebration of Native artists from around the region, from other parts of the U.S., and even from Canada. The works of more than 1,000 artists are on display at this festival, which routinely attracts at least 150,000 visitors from all around the globe. A particular highlight of this festival is that visitors have the opportunity to mingle and converse with the actual artists and make all purchases direct...

By the time fall rolls around to the Santa Fe area, much of the summer heat has dissipated, and you can really enjoy a comfortable visit to the region, even if you include some fairly vigorous Santa Fe, New Mexico activities on your itinerary. By the time it gets cool enough for the first frost to appear on plants, most of the tourist crowd has usually disappeared from the area, so if you're the type who likes to avoid crowds, this might be the perfect time of year to plan your visit and really enjoy the Santa Fe area. Here are some of the best activities to enjoy during the fall and winter when you visit Santa Fe. Skiing in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains This mountain range offers a number of ideal locations for skiing, and you can find slopes to accommodate all kinds of skill levels among the numerous venues offering winter-time fun near Santa Fe. While some of the more popular ski sites in the country may have the advantage of greater publicity, you'll be able to fi...

Whether you are a seasoned opera aficionado planning a Santa Fe music getaway or contemplating buying a ticket for the first time, the range of performances and talent at this year's Santa Fe Opera is as vast as the glorious skies above our spectacular outdoor theater. There are still plenty of seats available for each of the 2012 performances:  Soprano Amanda Echalaz will perform as Tosca in the eponymous opera's debut in Santa Fe. The evil Baron Scarpia is portrayed by Raymond Aceto and heroic Cavaradossi is sung by Andrew Richards. 8:00 pm performances: July 30; August 8, 11, 15, 18, 21, 24 Bizet wrote "The Pearl Fishers" at the tender age of 24, instantly marking him s a musical geniu s. Even novice opera fans will recognize the lovely duet : “Au fond du temple saint”. The performance will be sung in French.  8:00 pm performances: July 31; August 10, 13, 22, 25 Maometto II is the story of the seige of Negroponte by the Turks. Under this dramatc b...

The Bobcat Inn The first Live Stage Performance of Jeff Bridges' Band is to Play at the historic Lensic Theater in Santa Fe , New Mexico on Sunday April 18 at 3:00PM. Bridges was highly acclaimed for his perfomance as Bad Blake in "Crazy Heart". The film was filmed mostly in Santa fe New Mexico, in fact a lot of the movie was filmed at Evangelo's a local watering hole right across from the historic Lensic Theater. Bridges won both the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for his portrayal of a down and out singer , and hard drinker in the movie. TBone Burnett and co-producer Ryan Bingham also won an academy award for Best original song , "The Weary Kind" This charitable event will host an auction on Crazy Heart Movie memorabilia , silent auction and screening of Crazy Heart along with the music. The event is being staged to raise money for New Mexico film Makers Give Back, sponsored by Hutton Broadcasting & NM Filmmakers union. Tickets are available t...

The Bobcat Inn Billy D & The Hoodoos will officially "in person" release their new CD at the bar in The La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe New Mexico March 26 & 27th. They will be playing new songs and old songs from 8:00PM to 11:00PM for rockers to dance the night away. See La Fonda's web site at http://www.lafondasantafe.com for more information.

This is a beautiful poem written about Santa Fe by an unknown author. Enjoy!! Enchanted City We sat by the fire, my friend and I, And talked of Santa Fe. She asked me what I'd miss the most if ever I went away. Then I thought of May when the acequias flow, And the lilacs bloom like mad, When the robins sing in our apple tree: "Spring is here ,be glad! I thought of chile and pinon wood, And my friends of many a day, of hollyhocks reaching to turquoise skies, And the bells of Cristo Rey. Of burros and 'dobes and fiesta so gay, The majestic cathedral for a moment to pray Of the breathless sight when the aspens change In the beautiful Sangre de Cristo range. Of snow softly falling on Chreistmas Eve, Luminarias lighting the way To welcome the Christ child once again, When He is born on Christmas Day- It is hard to say what I'd miss the most If I ever went away, But I hope and pray with all my heart I can remain in Santa Fe... Bobcat Inn

It was so much fun taking a country drive and heading to the small village of Galisteo last weekend. The weather unlike today was gorgeous. This morning it snowed and then turned very cold and damp. The cottonwood trees were at their peak of changing to gold. The art in this small village is incredible. There were 36 artist showing their work and there was all different mediums of art. I bought a retablo of San Pasqual from artist, Catherine Ferguson. I have it hanging in the kitchen at The Bobcat Inn. This artist had even painted her propane tank with ravens and a dark New Mexico blue sky background. Another well known artist , Priscilla Hoback had murals, monotypes and pottery sculptures. There are several other art studio tours happening this fall. La Cienega hosts theirs after Thanksgiving and Dixon will host theirs on November 7 & 8th. It is a great way to meet the artist and contribute to your local economy while getting some fresh air. The Bobcat Inn