Hi. I was in Santa Fe in August, and had a great time. A late
breakfast at the La Fonda Hotel Restaurant (the large breakfast
burrito is great) will hold you until dinner that evening! Don’t miss
La Fonda’s bell tower patio for drinks at sunset–beautiful view. We
also enjoyed the Coyote Cafe and Geronimo’s.
BLM maintains an office in the area, and can direct you to rock
hounding sites. I was a bit disappointed, actually, but I could have
been in the wrong place.
If you have time, drive up to Taos (about 90 minutes away). It still
has the charm of a small artsy town. Doc Martin’s Restaurant is
great, and there are several family-owned southwestern restaurants on
the main road that are also great (I can’t remember their names). The
Millicent Rogers Museum, just outside of Taos, has a wonderful
collection of vintage Native American jewelry, pottery, and textiles.
You can google it to get the location.
Have a great time. BTW, where are you teaching?
Emie Stewart