Fiesta Santa Fe

Our annual Santa Fe Fiesta was going on during the week my brother and sister in law were here. We went down to the Plaza on Sunday, the day of the Fiesta parade. It was fun walking around, checking out all the crafts and food booths, etc. Lots of local Fiesta color happening and a short memorial service commemorating the tenth anniversary of 9/11/2001.

When the time got closer to parade time, the Plaza got very crowded and we had been there for several hours, so we left before the parade. Still, it was an enjoyable morning. I guess I was too busy looking at all the sights to get many pictures.

Labor Day weekend at the Santa Fe Plaza

I went with my brother and sister in law on Labor Day weekend to the Plaza in Santa Fe. It was a busy weekend there - an arts and crafts fair was going on, the Queen and her Court for the upcoming Fiesta were there, and as usual, the shops were colorful and fun to visit.

Here's a few pictures I got:

We're brewing up some tea in Santa Fe

Tomorrow is our third annual Tax Day Tea Party here in Santa Fe.

We're assembling on the Plaza at noon, to petition the government for the redress of our grievances.

If you are in or around Santa Fe, and you see this, we invite you to join us. It will be a good time bringing our smaller government, lower taxe and less spending on all levels of the government, personal responsibility and free market capitalism message to the public arena. We are a non-partisan grassroots organization, and everyone is welcome to join us as long as you aren't there to disrupt our party.

We have a great slate of excellent speakers, partiotic music, tea party signs, U.S. Constitutions available for a small donation.

Wear your patriotic clothes, bring your flag and a sign (or get one at our table up by the bandstand), your camera, and a chair if you will need one.

The event will last from noon - 1:30 p.m.

LET'S RALLY!


Tea Party 2010

La Plazuela Restaurant at La Fonda

On Friday night we went out to eat with our good friends Mary and Kent; a rare and special treat for all of us. We went to La Plazuela, the restaurant at the La Fonda Hotel on the Plaza in Santa Fe. (I forgot my camera, so the picture above come from the La Plazuela website. )

What a beautiful restaurant! It is designed to look like an outdoor cafe, and the skylights above give it an outdoor feel. I especially loved the small handpainted windows that surround the room.

The wait service was good and the food was excellent. It was fun watching the waiter prepare our guacamole right at our table. It was nice to find a treasure in Santa Fe that we had not discovered before. We will be returning, especially to bring out of town visitors to show off one of the nicest restaurants in our city.

Christmas on the Plaza

Our daughter Karin got a good picture of John and I with our grand-children Victoria and Alessandro when we visited the Plaza during the week before Christmas:

Martinez inauguration and reception - Orlando's photos

Our friend Orlando Baca had a better vantage point at the inauguration than we did, and he has given me permission to post some of his pictures of the event.

The first 5 pictures were taken at the inauguration ceremony on the Plaza in Santa Fe, the last 4 were taken at the public reception at the NM Museum of Fine Arts on the Plaza.

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The helicopter flyover beginning the inauguration:



One of the Pueblo Indian dancers:



21 Gun Salute:



Governor Susana Martinez, carrying the Blankets of Authority, a gift from the Pueblo Indian governors, and First Gentleman Chuck Franco. Behind them is their son Carlo:



Governor Susana Martinez and her husband the First Gentleman Chuck Franco:



Our new Secretary of State Dianna Duran with a young visitor to the public reception:



Our friend Orlando with the new Lt. Governor John Sanchez and his wife Debra:



Our friends Miles & Laurie with Governor Martinez and First Gentleman Chuck Franco:



Orlando with the Governor and the First Dude:

Governor Susana Martinez is inaugurated

Saturday, January 1 was a bitter cold day in Northern New Mexico. Temperature in single digits. Wind chill -21º.

On the Plaza in Santa Fe New Mexico, our new governor Susana Martinez was inaugurated in a beautiful ceremony that included a Blackhawk helicopter flyover, a 21 gun cannon salute, Pueblo Indian dancers performing a prayer dance, Rep. Steve Pearce as the Master of Ceremonies, and the swearing in of the new governor, the new Lt. Governor John Sanchez, and our new Secretary of State Dianna Duran.

We were chilled to the bone standing there in the crowd in the brutal weather, layered in the warmest clothing we all had. But the spirit in the crowd was was warm, and jubilant and hopeful.

This was the first time a New Mexico governor has ever been sworn in outdoors on the Plaza since New Mexico has been a state. We estimated there were approximately 1500 people who gathered in the cold to see Susana take the oath of office. We thrilled to the stirring and optimistic words of our new governor, who is the first woman governor in New Mexico, and the first Hispanic woman governor in the United States. This day was historic for so many reasons. It was just very cool to be there and be a part of it.

We were pretty far from the bandstand, so all of John's pictures were taken from a distance, but I want to share them on my blog.

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Susana taking the oath of office. Her husband First Gentleman Chuck Franco at her side. Also in picture: John Sanchez and Rep. Steve Pearce.



Governor Martinez giving her inaugural address. Also in the picture: Sec. of State Dianna Duran and Lt. Gov. John Sanchez.



Lt. Governor John Sanchez taking the oath of office. His wife Debra is at his side.



Dianna Duran taking the oath of office as Secretary of State, her husband at her side:






One of the Pueblo Indian dancers:



The press contingent at left:

Santa Fe Plaza in September

Things in the heart of town start to slow down a little after tourist season ends following the Santa Fe Fiesta in early September.

We were down on the Plaza a week ago, and there was still a festive, party atmosphere and lots of people, but fall is in the air, and it seemed like there were fewer tourists in the stores and restaurants.

Got a few more pictures:







Me:


Friend Susie:

Plaza Shopping Center

I love this shopping center on the Plaza in Santa Fe.

Very colorful and lots to look at:

Summer scenes at the Plaza in Santa Fe

Summer season is well underway at the Santa Fe Plaza, with interesting scenes, lots of tourists, vendors selling jewelry and food, lots of enticing smells.

We were at the Plaza several times this past week with family visitors from out of town. Here are some of the sights:


Our family group at The Ore House:





Grilling fajitas:


Sena Plaza: