Conversations with a Local | Santa Fe Travel
If you like hiking, reading, and cafes, then we should probably be friends. But also, I want to share a few places to stop at, and things to do, if you’re visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico. I got the opportunity to interview a local, and she gave me all the inside scoops of a few great bookstores, some cafes, and a magnificent view.
I went to visit my mom for a few weeks over the summer. I have been multiple times, and it is really the hikes that I enjoy the most. It is a very mountainous region, and depending on where you go, also very desert-like or full of forest.
My mom has lived there for a few years now, and has made friends with her neighbor, Anna. Anna is the associate publisher and ad director for the Santa Fe reporter, which is a publication that comes out every Wednesday in Santa Fe with all the current events, and new restaurants that pop up.
One evening, my mom comes in from outside, taking the trash out, and says “I have asked Anna if you can interview her. She says that she is available tomorrow.” I almost had a heart attack. I did not know her; I had no idea what the topic would be about, because it takes so much research just to decide what topic aligns with my niche - even though I do not really have one. I was in the grips of anxiety so I was not really thinking clearly at all. All I thought was TERROR because of my social anxiety. Having to meet someone new, and talk with them. Every social interaction is very much, why is this person talking to me (what am I providing to this conversation so that would benefit the other person). The other reason why I panicked so much is because I did not have any ideas for a video topic for Anna. In my panic, I managed to do a bit of research to come up with something quickly. Interviewing a local of Santa Fe, including: coffee shops, tea shops, bookstores, and her favorite view of Santa Fe. All things that I am interested in already, and hopefully my viewers are too.
Anna was the perfect person to interview. I am pretty sure she has been interviewed before. She grew up in a nearby city called Los Alamos, I have lived in California for a few years, and back in Santa Fe since 2005. It was so easy to interview her because we liked a lot of the same things, like all of the things that I wanted to include in this video.
The first stop was at Iconik on Lena Street. Just as I got out of the car, there was someone working outside and wrapping something, I assumed for the coffee shop. I felt comfortable approaching him because no one was watching, and I was safe already with my mask on. Apparently I had approached the right person; Sean is one of the owners of Iconik, and is very welcoming about me getting footage in the coffee shop. I ordered an horchata latte, and bagel and lox. I sat down and, shortly after, my food was delivered to my table. Where was my coffee? Iconik has a very intense water filtration system in the basement, but sometime the night before it had broken. So instead of having a storage full of already filtered, mineralized, processed water, they were having to wait for it to be processed real time with customers waiting in real time. I was there for over an hour but was not able to get my coffee. Fortunately, I plan to be back the next day. There is an old-fashioned-looking machine, that kind of looks like an old steam engine train, that they use to roast the coffee beans. On Thursday, as well as some other days of the week, the beans are roasted. I came back the next day to watch this, but unfortunately the coffee beans were not ready to be roasted until the afternoon, after I had to be at work already. But I did get my horchata latte. I really enjoyed all of the music that they played; it was very eclectic just like my taste in music. They did have a very lovely patio, and maybe on my next visit I will have a little bit more time to enjoy it.
The next place on the agenda, the Teahouse on Canyon Road. I showed up at exactly the wrong time, which was about 1:40 p.m. on a Friday afternoon. It was packed with people enjoying their lunches. The patio was full, and the hostess was signing people up for the waitlist. Unfortunately I did not have time to wait, but I was able to step inside to pick up a drink to go. I got a lemonade matcha, which I would not necessarily recommend. I really wish I had time to sit down at a table and try a few of their drinks, but I will have to save that for my next visit.
Next stop was Collected Works Books. I almost did not get to film here! I asked one of the employees if I could film, and she directed me to the owner - Dorothy. She seemed a little suspicious of me, but in a nice, concerned way for her customers. She asked me where I was from, and when I answered, “Austin, Texas”, I knew immediately after that is not what she meant. She specified, what publication? I did not even know how to respond. In retrospect, I am not even sure that I did respond. Hahaha Anyway, she ended up just making sure that I knew that I would need permission from anyone that I filmed. I told her not to worry because I was not interested in filming anyone, but that I did know that and I would respect others. So I went around and filmed. There was a really cool public puzzle out on one of the tables near the cafe (within the bookstore). So essentially, anyone could just roll up and work on the puzzle for a bit, and then walk away for someone else to come and continue it. It was just a very cool idea to get a bunch of people, strangers even, to work on something together with it still being pandemic-times. There was hand sanitizer right next to the puzzle and everything. I did manage to add three pieces - no biggie.
My mom had received a text from Anna earlier that day about something saved for me at Collected Works. So, after I had filmed a bit around, I went up to the desk to ask about it. They searched briefly before finding a wrapped gift. Curiosity getting the best of me already, I sat down on the couch next to the cafe to open it. It definitely had to be a book, and I knew which one I hoped it was … and it was! Apeirogon, by Colum McCann, which Anna had gushed over, was the book beautifully wrapped. (By the way, Collected Works wraps gifted books.) She mentioned that within the first 35 pages she was bawling, so I decided to save it for reading at home.
Garcia Street Books was the next stop, and it was just as charming as Anna conveyed. It was small and, because of this, not all of the books could be housed here BUT! The employees were so incredibly friendly and welcoming. I overheard them recommend books, or converse with regulars. I loved it all. It was quaint, light, and open - exactly the kind of vibe that you would hope to find at a bookshop. The only thing that I wished it had more of (if there was more room available), is seating so that I could grab a recommended book and dig in to see if I might enjoy taking it home.
The view at the outlook up to the ski hill was less than 30 minutes from central Santa Fe and incredible, but lots happened up there. I will save that story for next week though.
“Traveling is like flirting with life. It’s like saying, ‘I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station” – Lisa St. Aubin de Teran
What would you like to do in Santa Fe? Or, if you’ve visited previously, what’s been your favourite?
