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SCSECS 2004
Travel and Hotel Information
Getting to Santa Fe | Where to Stay | What to See
Where to Eat
 
NEW: Brief Excursions and Day Trips Available

Getting to Santa Fe

There are several options for getting to Santa Fe. One is to drive. Santa Fe is located just off Interstate 25, about 55 miles north of Albuquerque. You can get detailed directions from Mapquest. (Clicking this link will open a new window on your web browser.)

Another option is to fly to Albuquerque and rent a car. This might be very convenient for those of you who are traveling with others attending the meeting.

Yet another is to fly to Albuquerque and take one of the shuttle services that serve Santa Fe. The journey is about 60-90 minutes. One is the Sandia Shuttle, and the other is the Santa Fe Shuttle/Herrera. The telephone number for Sandia Shuttle is 888: 775-5696. The telephone number for Santa Fe Shuttle/Herrera is 888: 833-2300. You need to make reservations with one of them, if this is your desired method of travel. If you are using the shuttle, you should consider their schedules before making your airline reservation. The shuttle services do not run a 24-hour schedule.

There is little affordable commercial airline service to Santa Fe.

Where to Stay

The meeting venue is the Eldorado Hotel, one of the finest and most beautiful hotels in Santa Fe. The hotel has given us a very competitive rate of $149.00 plus tax per room. The hotel is lovely and has exceedingly comfortable and attractive public spaces as well as one of the finest restaurants, The Old House, in Santa Fe, a city renowned for its excellent and imaginative cuisine.

We would encourage you to make your reservations at the Eldorado, as the SCSECS will be obligated to pay for the meeting rooms if we do not meet the quota of bedrooms contracted for. The deadline for receiving the rate noted above is January 19, 2004. After that date, the rate will rise. We have to reach our quota, but at the same time keep in mind that there are a limited number of rooms! When they are gone, they are gone. So, reserve early! Support the financial well being of the SCSECS!

You should contact the Eldorado Hotel at 1-800-955-4455 or visit their website at http://www.eldoradohotel.com to make your reservation. Be sure to tell them that you are with the SCSECS conference so you can get the conference rate.

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What to See

Santa Fe was chosen for the provincial capital of what is now New Mexico in 1609-10 by Don Pedro de Peralta, the Spanish governor. By 1610, the Plaza, the governor's palace, and some city walls were in place. Santa Fe is the oldest continuous seat of government in the United States. The Mission of San Miguel was headquarters of the Catholic Church in the region, which by 1710 claimed some 14,000 conversions. The center of Santa Fe, the Plaza area, retains its historic flavor and many historic sites. It is a 17th and 18th century city with many modern additions and influences.

We have tried to leave free time in the schedule so that people can enjoy and experience the ambiance of Santa Fe. Remember that the altitude in Santa Fe is over 7,000 feet. It will be cold at night. You might want to check Weather.com a few days before you come. Suffice it to say that it will be winter in Santa Fe. Snow is a definite possibility! The Eldorado Hotel is within easy walking distance of many of the best sites, restaurants, and shops in Santa Fe. Bring your walking shoes!

 Museums and Other Attractions in Santa Fe, a Selection
*transportation required
 

    The Lensic Theater is just across the street to the east of the Eldorado. There will be concerts by the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra on Saturday February 28, at 6 p.m. and Sunday February 29 at 4 p.m. It will be a Beethoven program. Call the Santa Fe Symphony office at 505: 983-1414 for details and tickets.

    Museum of New Mexico-includes 4 museums

    1. Museum of Fine Arts, 107 W. Palace Avenue Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10-5
    2. *Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, 710 Camino Lejo. Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10-5
    3. *Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo. Includes the Girard Foundation Collection and the Hispanic Heritage Wing Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10-5
    4. Palace of the Governors, north side of Plaza. Said to be the oldest public building in the U. S., the Palace was built in 1610. Native American artisans display their traditional and contemporary creations under the portal of the Palace. Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10-5

    Institute of American Indian Arts Museum
    108 Cathedral Place, 1 block east of Plaza
    Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10-5; Sunday, noon-5

    Mission of San Miguel of Santa Fe, 3 blocks south of Plaza on E. De Vargas St.
    One of the oldest churches in the U. S.
    Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10-4; Sunday, 1:30-4:30

    Oldest House in Santa Fe, 3 blocks south of Plaza at 215 E. De Vargas St.
    Hours: Daily, 11-3.

    Santuario de Guadalupe, 4 blocks west of Plaza at Agua Fria and Guadalupe Sts.
    Nation's oldest shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe
    Hours: Monday -Friday, 9-4.

    *Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, on Camino Lejo. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10-5; Sunday, 1-5

    Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, 1 block east of plaza on Cathedral Place
    Archbishop J. B. Lamy, the model for the main character of Willa Cather's novel, Death Comes for the Archbishop, is buried under the altar. There is a statue of Archbishop Lamy in the Cathedral yard. Hours: Daily, 6-6

    Georgia O'Keefe Museum, 217 Johnson St. Hours: 10-8 Friday; 10-5 M T Th S S; closed Wednesdays

    *Chimayo, New Mexico. Settled in 1598, Chimayo has a population of about 1400. El
    Santuario de Nuestro Senor de Esquipulas is at the s.e. end of town. It is an important destination for pilgrims who come to partake of the reputedly curative earth found in a pit inside the chapel. Hours: Daily, 9-5
    Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant (see restaurant page, below)

Where to Eat

There are literally dozens of restaurants in Santa Fe! Listed below are some favorites. If you do not want to be disappointed, consider making reservations before you arrive in Santa Fe. Reservations are particularly advised for the poshest places! Many have websites you can visit. Most restaurants in Santa Fe have full liquor service, while some have separate bars. Most of the restaurants listed below are within fairly easy walking distance of the Eldorado Hotel, but there are a couple listed at the end that will require transportation to get to. We have also listed a couple of swinging nightspots. Many restaurants are open for three meals a day, but others are only open for lunch and/or dinner. Be prepared to answer the official state question of New Mexico when visiting a New Mexican restaurant and ordering New Mexican food-"Red or Green?"

Coffee and pastries are available at numerous places. Among the best are Café de Paris on Burro Alley, just east of the Eldorado; Tribes, a Coffee House, in a passage between W. Palace Ave. and San Francisco; Starbucks, on W. San Francisco, near the Plaza; the French Pastry Shop in the La Fonda Hotel on the Plaza.