| Board the bus at 11:30 AM for a trip to downtown Santa Fe, where you'll partake of a sumptuous Thanksgiving buffet-style dinner at La Fonda Hotel. Some of the finest chefs in the area prepare it, and the tables are loaded with creative cuisine that isn't only beautiful to look at but absolutely delicious! A particular table decoration that we remember from a past La Fonda feast was a parade of penguins fashioned from hard-boiled eggs and black olives marching down the tables.... they were quite fetching! Look forward to this meal, as it's really spectacular! Historical records suggest that La Fonda on the Plaza sits on the oldest hotel corner in America. When Santa Fe was founded by the Spaniards in 1607, records show an inn – or fonda – was among the first businesses established at this location. By the time Captain William Becknell’s party forged their maiden commercial route across the plains from Missouri to Santa Fe in 1821, they happily found a comfortable inn on the Plaza awaiting them. Thus, the Santa Fe Trail was born, as well as La Fonda’s reputation for hospitality. Through the Civil War, railroad expansion, and New Mexico statehood in 1912, the old adobe structure changed hands and names several times but remained a Santa Fe landmark. The current La Fonda, built in 1922, sits on the same site as previous inns. In 1925, the new building was acquired by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and then leased to Fred Harvey. He turned La Fonda into one of the famous Harvey Houses and it remained a Harvey House until 1968 when it was acquired by local businessman, Sam Ballen. La Fonda on the Plaza is a national treasure that has only improved with time. Bus returns to the hotel around 2:00 PM. |