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New Mexico

Santa Fe Landscapes: Art, Culture and History at a Slower Pace

Program No. 25603RJ
Get an insider’s perspective on Santa Fe as you wander through museums, learn about a local pueblo and experience culinary culture with celebrated chefs, all at a slower pace.
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  • The red adobe ruins of the Pecos National Monument mission church and surrounding stone walls stand under a vast, clear blue sky.
  • A large group of smiling older adults wearing casual clothing and hats pose for a photo outdoors on a sunny day.
  • A large red rock mesa rises from the desert floor under a vast, cloud-streaked blue sky, with a dead tree to the left.
  • A row of vibrantly painted, multicolored pillars lines a sunlit covered walkway, receding into the distance.
  • A man in a wide-brimmed hat carefully sculpts a piece of clay pottery outdoors in Santa Fe.
  • Vibrantly colored Southwestern-patterned blankets are displayed for sale at an outdoor market stall.
  • A group of tourists gathers around an ornate bronze water fountain in a sunny park with large green trees.
  • A street lined with adobe buildings in Santa Fe, New Mexico, leads towards a historic cathedral with mountains visible in the distance.
  • A close-up of a large weaving loom with white threads and a partially finished red textile.
Art History & MuseumsRegional StudiesNative American StudiesSmall GroupHistoryNewRegional Discoveries
Length
7 days
Rating
New
Activity Level
Starts at
3,099
Special Offer
Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
7 days
6 nights
What's Included
14 meals ( 6B, 5L, 3D )
4 expert-led lectures
8 expert-led field trips
1 performance
An experienced Group Leader
6 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag.
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 3:00-5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to meet with program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will learn from the Group Leader and a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Transportation for program-related activities will be via motorcoach unless specified otherwise. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
In our private hotel meeting room.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night's rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Walking up to 1 mile over paved and uneven terrain with inclines. Getting on/off a motorcoach; elevations of 7,000–7,500 feet above sea level. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Our Group Leader will lead a discussion in the meeting room about the history of the area that is now New Mexico, from its earliest Ancestral Puebloan inhabitants to the Spanish and American soldiers and settlers who followed. We’ll also hear about Santa Fe and why it’s called “The City Different.” We’ll then head out on foot with the Group Leader to explore Santa Fe’s Plaza area, the historic heart of the city. We’ll visit the impressive Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Sena Plaza and the Palace of the Governors. Then we will board the motorcoach to explore more of the historic areas.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Not to be confused with “Tex-Mex,” New Mexico's unique cuisine has been influenced by ingredients and techniques used in Native American and Spanish cooking. Santa Fe is known for the breadth and depth of its culinary offerings. There are several fine restaurants within walking distance of the hotel and the Santa Fe Plaza.
Evening:
In the meeting room at the hotel, we will enjoy a performance by a local musician who will showcase the music of the Southwest.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 45 miles, 1.5 hours total riding time. Walking up to 2 miles self-paced, standing up to 1 hour at a time at museums; uneven brick sidewalks, unpaved dirt (mud if there is precipitation).
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
In preparation for our field trip to the School for Advanced Research (SAR), a local expert will present a lecture about the history of the organization. The campus of SAR was formerly known to the community of Santa Fe as “El Delirio,” an estate owned by New York native sisters Amelia and Martha White. The White sisters were heavily involved in the local art community advocating for Pueblo rights and preserving Santa Fe history. “El Delirio” was the setting for music concerts, artist meet-ups, and theatrical performances. After our lecture, we’ll board our motorcoach and travel to the School for Advanced Research, where we'll be allowed into the vaults of the Indian Arts Research Center. We’ll see wonderful collections of pottery, weaving, baskets, jewelry, and paintings only seen by the public via special invitation. The School for Advanced Research provides a dynamic environment for the advanced study and communication of knowledge about human culture, evolution, history, and creative expression. SAR draws upon its century-deep roots in the American Southwest, anthropology, and indigenous arts to present programs, publications, and initiatives that impart the learning of social scientists, humanists, and artists.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Next, we’ll board the motorcoach and ride to Museum Hill where we’ll explore the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art. The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture features pottery, jewelry, sculpture, baskets, and other objects made by Native Americans from the earliest times to modern day, scrupulously documented and beautifully displayed. The Museum of International Folk Art focuses on indigenous populations from around the world through their art – ranging from ceremonial dress and masks to furniture. The museum hosts the largest collection of international folk art in the world, including wings featuring some of the 106,000 pieces donated by collectors Alexander and Susan Girard and Lloyd Cotsen's Neutrogena collection. We’ll return to the hotel for some time to freshen up before departing for dinner. Late afternoon, we’ll gather at the hotel, board our motorcoach, and travel a few miles south of Santa Fe to Red Mesa Cuisine in Eldorado. Before dinner, we will hear from local chef Lois Ellen Frank, Ph.D., a Native American foods historian, culinary anthropologist, photographer, and James Beard Award-winning author.
Dinner:
At Red Mesa Cuisine, we’ll enjoy a meal featuring regional cuisine prepared by Dr. Frank and Chef Walter Whitewater.
Evening:
Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Activity Note
Walking up to 1 mile and standing up to 1 hour during field trip. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll start the morning in the meeting room with an expert-led presentation about the life and art of Georgia O’Keeffe. She was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and a pioneer of American modernism. Although best known for the work she produced in New Mexico, O’Keeffe was a prolific artist with over 3,000 works over the course of her career and was the first female artist to have a museum dedicated solely to her work. After the lecture, we’ll walk four blocks to the New Mexico Museum of Art. Since its opening in 1917, the New Mexico Museum of Art has been an iconic architectural landmark in downtown Santa Fe. It has demonstrated that the heart of a people is reflected in the art of place. The museum was launched with an open-door policy that invited New Mexico-based artists to exhibit their works. This progressive policy inspired a vibrant museum environment where the art of established and emerging artists shared space and conversation while engaging viewers in their distinctive cultural expressions. In showcasing a broad range of art and artists, from Native American to Hispanic to European, the museum made every piece and every person welcome.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Free time. There are museums, colorful galleries, and shops within walking distance of the hotel. Museums include the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum (advanced reservations recommended), the New Mexico History Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Native Art. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy the cuisine of your choice.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 150 miles, approximately 3 hours total riding time. Walking up to 1.5 miles, standing up to 1 hour during field trips; varied terrain, uneven sidewalks and unpaved dirt (mud if there is precipitation).
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll board the motorcoach and ride about 20 miles north to San Ildefonso Pueblo, where we will have a visit led by a local expert. San Ildefonso Pueblo history dates to the early 1300s, where the community was known for creating beautiful black on black pottery and other traditional art. Following the pueblo visit, another local expert will lead a pottery demonstration.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will board the motorcoach and ride 30 miles north to the village of Chimayó where we will visit the Centinela Traditional Arts Weaving Gallery. Many local families have been carrying on the traditions of Hispanic-style weaving for generations. We’ll have an opportunity to see some beautiful pieces by an award-winning, seventh-generation weaver, whose work is on display in a number of museums, including the Smithsonian. We will then depart via motorcoach to visit and explore the Santuario de Chimayó, a National Historic Landmark, before heading back to Santa Fe.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy the cuisine of your choice.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 80 miles, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking up to 1 mile, standing up to 1 hour at a time during field trips; varied terrain with inclines, unpaved dirt. Walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll ride on the motorcoach to Pecos National Historical Park to explore a Pueblo ancestral community and the remains of a Spanish colonial church. Once called the Gateway to the Plains, this area served as a trading center and linked the ancestral Puebloans with the Plains tribes who came to trade. The site, once part of the Forked Lightning Ranch, was owned by the late Greer Garson and her husband, Buddy Fogelson. The land was donated with the hope that it would be preserved for future generations. A mile-long, paved hiking trail circles the site, which has remains of pueblo dwellings, kivas, and a mission church, all located on remarkably beautiful land in the Pecos valley 35 miles northeast of Santa Fe. Boarding the motorcoach, we will return to Santa Fe.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Free time.
Dinner:
At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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