Santa Fe, New Mexico – Samantha Brown’s Places to Love FULL 4K EPISODE

Santa Fe, New Mexico – Samantha Brown’s Places to Love FULL 4K EPISODE

-I’m in a city that began as
the original cultural crossroads of the United States, with an enviable confluence
of Native American, Spanish, Western,
and even Eastern influence. It’s a destination
where traditions are strong and artistic boundaries
are always pushed. Whether it’s the quality of the
light, mountains, or margaritas, people have been drawn
to this city that has been in a state
of evolution for 400 years. I’m in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hi, I’m Samantha Brown, and I have been
traveling the globe for 25 years. Here’s a great episode of my
Emmy-award winning travel series, Places to Love. Like and subscribe to join
me on my adventures! Okay, let’s go! -Out of all the places I’ve been lucky enough
to travel to, the one city that I have
returned to most is Santa Fe. I’ve been here like six times. I’ve brought my mom here,
my sister here, just so they could experience
the city different. So, when I come back,
there are always those things that I want to do
that really represent the traditions of Santa Fe, but then I also want
to go to those places and meet the people who
are changing those traditions. One tradition in Santa Fe
is breakfast at Tia Sophia’s. Opened in 1975, its breakfast burrito is
the gold standard. And I’m enjoying breakfast
like I used to, when I was 9 — over the funnies. [ Laughing ] -So, uh… -[ Laughs ] -This one, I was just
working on a while ago. -“Somebody, I won’t say who,
has no rhythm.” [ Laughs ] -My name is Ricardo Caté. I’m from Santo Domingo Pueblo
here in New Mexico, and I draw the only Native
cartoon in the United States that’s in a mainstream newspaper
as a daily. -And your cartoons appear in the Santa Fe New Mexican?
-Yeah. I usually draw these cartoons
on a single sheet. There’s six different cartoons. There’s Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. -Do you, as a cartoonist,
have to get funnier as the week gets long? Do you feel like you build
to Saturday, and Saturday is sort of your
masterpiece of that week? -Well, I keep in mind that most people
read them Friday and Saturday, so I try to get the funnier ones
towards the end. -And how did you get this gig,
as it were, in a daily newspaper?
-I walked in, and I originally went in
to get a job as a writer. But they didn’t need
any freelance writers, and so, just as an afterthought,
I had my sketchbook with me, and I said, “Well,
do you need a cartoonist?” We went back and forth
for about 10, 15 minutes, and finally she says,
“Okay, let me see the cartoon.” And her reaction
was your reaction. -Was my reaction.
-Same thing, yeah. -This is really good.
-And so that’s what she said, “We have to have
this cartoon in here. The country has been waiting
500-plus years for this cartoon.” The General is one of
my main characters, and the Chief is also
one of my main characters. -So this is your protagonist,
and he’s just known as the Chief?
-Yeah. It worked out because
now the General speaks
for the dominant society, and the Chief speaks
from the Native point of view. -Uh-huh.
-And that’s where the magic happens.
It’s pretty amazing. -Because of the
experience here — the Native American
experience here — this could be very dark,
but you’ve chosen humor. Why is humor important? -Humor breaks the ice
between people, and so, when I first started, a lot of the jokes were from
a Native point of view, and I needed to make them
more universal, so not only do Natives get it
but non-Natives, as well. And so that’s what I’ve been
doing these past few years, is tweaking the cartoon
to where now everyone gets it. I’m not speaking for any tribe
or any individual. I answer to myself, and so
I’m okay with that, you know? I think the country
is ready for it now. I think the country
needs this right now. -Santa Fe is most famous
for its intensity of great art, shown in over 300 galleries,
museums, and shops. But one of its best
collections of art also happens to be completely
under the radar because it resides
in a most unlikely place — the State Capitol building. Cynthia, this is just a stunning building.
-Yeah. Isn’t it? -How many visitors a year do you get
to the art collection? -We get about 1,500 per week.
-And right now, we’re in the rotunda
of the State Capitol? -Yes, we’re in the rotunda. There is no art in this area, but there is on
the existing floors above us. The collection does exist throughout
the entire Capitol complex, which includes
this main building, the Capitol walkway,
and the Capitol North building. -Dr. Sanchez has been
with the collection since its inception in 1990, and she’s helped nurture it
from a handful of items to over 900 works of art. All the artists here,
are they from New Mexico? -Not necessarily from. We feature artists that have
lived and worked in New Mexico. -I see. -Some of them have lived
in other areas and then have
come to New Mexico. They have to have lived
and worked in the state to be part of the collection. -Ah, okay, so they have to have some sort of connection
to this state? -Yes, or have done
a body of work here. -Oh, now, this is stunning. -Yes, done by John Nieto —
a triptych, “Man’s Best Friend,” and he’s a contemporary
Native American artist. -And does this artist know
that they’re right next to the House Appropriations
& Finance Committee? [ Laughs ]
-Probably not. He probably would want
to be taken down if he did. [ Both laugh ] -I love the juxtaposition.
-Oh, yeah. -I really do.
-It’s great. It’s great. These are Douglas Johnson’s
depiction of a Navajo ceremony, “Harmonious Way.” These portals are openings
in the heavens for rain to fall into
the ceremonial vessels. -Ohh. Mm-hmm. So, who created this?
-This was done by Holly Hughes, an artist that lived
in New Mexico for a long period of time. And she primarily, in her work,
uses recycled materials. -Is that right?
I mean, I’m looking at him like, “Is that a fishing reel
for his eye?” -That’s a fishing reel
for one eye, and a lantern here
for the other eye. -Oh, wow. -She wanted to use
the paintbrushes as a reference to how the buffalo was used
with cave-painting, as well. -Oh, okay. -So she wanted to make
tat little reference there. But, for her, the buffalo
is a very important icon for the West, a symbol
of strength, of freedom. So this is her tribute
to the buffalo. -There’s such an interesting
relationship between art and politics. They don’t always get along. You know, artists are there
to challenge politics. -Right.
-Politicians are there sometimes to take away
the funding of artists. -Right, and there are no tax
dollars spent on the collection. -Oh, okay.
-Everything is gifted. People can’t stop in here
and say, “I don’t want my tax dollars
spent on that art!” -Mm-hmm.
-It’s not. -[ Chuckles ]
-Everything is gifted. -What an amazing thing
you have created here. What is the overall mission of having a permanent
collection like this? -Just like Douglas Johnson’s
piece “Harmonious Way,” I feel like these two entities
are existing in harmony, really. The lawmaking that goes on, the politics that go on
in the building, as well as the art collection
and the dialogues that happen about the art
and about the politics. I think they’re existing
and living peacefully, coexisting in this building, you know,
working hand-in-hand here. -That’s right, that’s right,
and it all goes hand-in-hand. I mean, it’s the natural beauty
that really contributed to the whole art scene
and a lot of the historic preservation
relates to the trails. There’s historic trails. -So, Tim, we’re still within the city limits of Santa Fe?
-Yep. Most of the Dale Ball Trails
is within city limits. It’s 25 miles of trails right
on the eastern edge of town. You can be downtown
in less than 10 minutes. It’s actually kind of… This side of Santa Fe
is lesser-known, you know? Everybody knows
about the art scene and some of the history,
of course, but we have
a pretty good outdoors scene. The hiking and biking and skiing and all those things
are great parts of Santa Fe that complement the art
and the history. -But you have a real connection
to these trails in particular. Like, you help maintain them.
-Yes. I come out with volunteers
who help maintain these trails, and I also take kids out on field trips
on these trails, and… -What do you show the kids? What do you hope that children
take away from having this sort of access? -Well, you know,
we want them to be the next generation
of conservationists, so, actually, really,
I want them to understand that these are public trails
that are in public open space. It belongs to everyone. It belongs to them. -So, you were telling me
about a vista that I was going to hike onto.
-Yes. Yeah, we’re here
at junction 8, and so we have these
nifty way-finding signs that help you figure out
which way to go. The vista is just above
junction 7, and so… -So I should go
in the direction of 7? -Yeah. It’s about 3/10 mile.
-Nice. -And when you get to 7,
you can head right. Look up,
you’ll see a high spot. That’s where the bench
and the view are. -Oh, nice. ♪♪ ♪♪ -♪ Thought about you at sunset ♪ And I thought about you
at dawn ♪ ♪ Moon so bright,
I could’ve drove all night ♪ ♪ With just my flashers on -There’s another art form
in Santa Fe — one that’s celebrated
throughout the city and known around the world. It’s the margarita. And if you’re gonna walk the
Santa Fe Margarita Trail, one of the prime watering holes
is this one — the Cowgirl. Ho-ho! Thank you.
-There it is. -All right.
-Yeah, not a problem. -I have been looking forward
to this all day. -It’s a good one.
The red chili rim… -Yeah.
-…kind of adds a whole other layer
to the margarita, definitely. -Just to say,
“You’re in New Mexico.” -I know. The Southwest is known
for margaritas. We’re known for that flavor,
that Southwestern kind of spice. And so they come in here
looking for a margarita. -♪ I turn my headlights on -How many tequilas do you have
here at the Cowgirl? -We have over 40.
So more than enough. [ Laughs ] Yeah.
-Oh, my gosh! -Yeah. It’s a lot. -Do you know that you’re
in this passport book? -Yeah. We get those a lot. It’s really cool having people
come from, you know, all over the world, and they have
this Margarita Trail, and they’ve tried them
everywhere else, and the best
is when they try ours, and they say it’s the best. -Yeah.
-Yeah. -I love how it just
legitimizes drinking. -Yeah. Oh —
-I’ve got this little book, so it’s totally studious.
-Yeah. -And I’m just here for,
like, research purposes. -Exactly, that’s
the whole point. -And I just need to get
a little stamp for my cute little book.
-Yes, you do. Let me stamp that for you.
-[ Chuckles ] -It’s your first one.
That’s exciting. -It’s my only one.
-Yeah. [ Laughs ] -♪ The sky turns red,
and the radio is dead ♪ ♪ And it’s snowing on a ton -This is a place
that celebrates the inner cowgirl
in all of us — great food, great drinks,
great live music every night. [ Music stops ] [ Cheers and applause ] -[ Chuckling ]
Thank you so much. -Whoo!
-Thank you. -Have a good one. ♪♪ -We are here
to solve a mystery. This is the home of a family,
but the family has disappeared, and every now-empty room
has a clue to what happened. But within the rooms,
there are various passageways — portals if you will — that lead to magical,
almost inexplicable worlds. ♪♪ ♪♪ I’ve slid into a truly
unique experience. This is a 20,000-square-foot
art installation and storytelling experience
called House of Eternal Return. -I’m Wylla Skye.
I’m an artist. Currently, I’m working with
other artists collaboratively on an immersive interactive
art installation. -It was created inside of
a derelict bowling alley, here in Santa Fe, by the artist collective
known as Meow Wolf. How do you describe
what this is to people? -I usually say it’s
a new format for storytelling, as well as a new
point to access art. You know, in Santa Fe,
where there’s so many galleries, it’s easy to get
in that mind-set of, like, “Oh, I’m gonna
go see art.” And you’re looking at things
on a white wall, and this is art
you can step inside of. [ Piano notes play ] -It’s art you can
step inside of, play within, and touch. [ Piano notes continue ] There are light designers,
and there’s visual artists. I mean, I’m hearing
music composition. How many artists did it take
to create this? -There are about
500 total people that worked on this project,
including volunteers, and everyone started
as a volunteer. -Why was the subject
of the family important to that? -It’s relatable. Most people who come here
are coming with their families. You recognize a house. You walk in, and, sure, it might
not look like your house. It doesn’t look like
any of the houses in Santa Fe. And then you walk through
the house, and you’re, you know, recognizing elements of what
you might see in your own home, but then things just start
to get a little wonky. -Mm-hmm.
-So you’re more a part of the greater narrative
if you start at that point of accessibility
through relatability. -You implore people
to touch and feel and participate in this story.
-The children, you know, who wouldn’t normally enjoy
a museum or a gallery that they’re dragged to
with their parents, are just running free, gleeful. -Whoa! -I feel like it takes people
out of this desire to escape into a video game
or their cellphones or the Internet or TV
and actually be in a space where they can touch and feel
and sense and enjoy it together. -Right.
-Yeah. -And I feel like it’s
this art installation that it’s so explorable, and yet what you’ve tapped into
is everyone’s innate desire to snoop in other
people’s homes, right? -Oh, yeah.
-To open up the medicine cabinet,
to check out behind, and then to open
the doors and closets. And, of course… -Right.
-…they lead to wormholes that take you into
these new universes. -I guess we hope to,
when people leave here, to give them
this sense of possibility and the sense that, you know,
that strange door that looks like a fake door
on the side of some building might open up into
another portal. And who knows?
-Mm-hmm. Yeah. But then what did happen
to that family? The only thing to do is
look for more clues and be open
to trying a new path. ♪♪ ♪♪ The restaurant scene
in Santa Fe rivals cities
three times its size, but no one would fault you for eating great Mexican food
every night. -[ Speaking indistinctly ] -Actually, make that great
Northern New Mexican food, which you can find here
at Tomasita’s. I’m joining Georgia Maryol, who opened this Santa Fe
institution over 45 years ago. Her background may surprise you. -You are a daughter of Greek immigrants.
-That’s right. -Your father came
through Ellis Island. -That’s right. My father was in
the restaurant business. He had this place
in Albuquerque, and he passed away and
left my mother with six of us. -So, then who is Tomasita?
-What happened was, her daughter
had run this restaurant. It was called Flora’s. Her daughter and her husband didn’t know anything about
restaurants and blew it. So then I went to eat there, and the food was like, “God,
just what I’ve always had” — you know, just
how I grew up with. So I took over. I go in, my first day out, and Tomasita
is in there, cooking. So, she says, “Are you going to
keep me or fire me?” I said, “I think
I’m going to keep you.” -[ Laughs ] -It’s Northern New Mexican-style
cooking. -What is that?
What does that mean? -Red and green. -Red and green.
-Pure red and green. -Red chili peppers
and green chili peppers? -Yes.
-Okay. The red and green chili peppers
are also known as Christmas when you order them together, and the enchiladas aren’t rolled
but layered and flat. So, what does a young woman
of Greek immigrants know about
Northern New Mexican cuisine? -Here’s what I know about it. This red and green chili
is New Mexico’s soul food. So if you want to be
very successful in the restaurant business,
that’s what you need to serve, and I love it
’cause I grew up with it. -Well, Georgia,
this is fantastic. -Well, thank you. -Gracias and parakaló.
-Oh, [Speaks Greek] [ Both laugh ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -I’ve been coming here
for close to 20 years because there’s just no place
like it in the world. The baths are all
open to nature. You are surrounded by
a mountain landscape where you not only smell the
piñon and the juniper trees, but you can feel
the air and the wind. This goes way behind relaxation
for me. It’s that more, you know,
challenging-to-get-to sense of inner peace within yourself,
and Santa Fe as a whole is a mecca
for the therapeutic arts. People from all disciplines come from all over
to practice here. And so, for me, this city,
whenever I come here, I make this sense of inner peace
a big part of my experience. -Bodywork, as I see it, is
bigger than massage therapy. I’m Mark Hess. I’m a bodyworker here
in Santa Fe. I’ve been doing this
for 27 years. In my practice,
when I meet somebody and bring someone
into my treatment room, I’m starting to assess them
as they’re approaching me — how they walk,
how they’re moving. -Hello.
-Hi, Samantha. I’m Mark, your therapist today. -Oh, nice to meet you.
-Yeah. You’re here for the traditional
Japanese Shiatsu massage? -Yes, I am.
-Great. Come on in. All these things calculate
into how I’m going to initially
begin the treatment. The big piece of the bodywork
I do is called Anma. We call it, in general terms,
Shiatsu, but it’s actually
a tradition from Japan, and it’s done throughout Asia. If you know anything
about Shiatsu, it’s a rubbing, pulsing,
moving down meridians, and covering the whole body. It’s done clothed,
and in Anma-Shiatsu, we’re working on
mechanical lines of strain. And the body will tell you. Our bodies will tell us. And that’s what I love
about bodywork. When I’m receiving,
I’m listening. It’s always in inventory. When I’m receiving,
I’m wondering, “I wonder how that got there?
I didn’t know that hurt,” or, “Am I really relaxed?
Is this as far as I can relax?” So I’m carrying that dialogue
with my clients with my hands and sometimes,
quite often, verbally. But quite often,
it’s a physical dialogue, a physical exchange
we’re having. And their bodies,
to watch them go from the place they started to the place
that they are trying to get to, and the process
of dropping into their bodies, that’s a game-changer. That itself is a game-changer,
so that’s just where we start. And I think that’s where
we’re all trying to get to, is this place of just feeling
ourselves and knowing ourselves. ♪♪ -You could say that people
have been trying to get to know themselves for centuries
by coming to Santa Fe, and the
Transcontinental Railroad made that even more possible. If you were coming to this city
back then, most likely you were staying
here on this corner, at the La Fonda Hotel. City records show that this
has been the site of a hotel for 400 years, and today, travelers
not only enjoy its history but the romance
of its original 1920s style. But for those who really love
the unknown gems of history, La Fonda was once
a Harvey House. Fred Harvey was the first person
to start a chain of hotels and restaurants in the West that
standardized excellent service. And although there are
no more Harvey hotels, a part of his legacy still
survives — the Harvey Girls. -We really weren’t aware
of what we were, you know, what it was all about. We just needed a job. We were going to spend
the winter and see the world, you know? We were 18 years old. We were ready for adventure,
you know? -Harvey Girls were waitresses — skilled, gracious,
and impeccably dressed. The Harvey Girl legacy spans
from 1880 to 1965. So, who was the clientele here?
Who did you wait on? -If they were filming a movie
at that time, the movie stars stayed here. -I remember
waiting on Glenn Ford when he was filming
“Cowboy” here. And he looked up
with those blue eyes, and I thought I was going to go
through the floor, you know? [ Laughter ] -You came here
to Santa Fe in 1955? -Correct.
-Is that it? -Yeah. -And you were from where?
-Minnesota. -Minnesota.
-We were born and raised on a dairy farm, small. -This was one of the few jobs
available to a young woman who was independent
and wanted to travel. The Harvey Girls were
instrumental in implementing what our idea of
friendly service is today, at a time when there probably
wasn’t a lot of it. And you must still live
in Santa Fe. -That’s right.
-Why’d you stay? -The climate is superb. -The culture, the beauty,
the mountains. It’s just a lovely city. -If you’re really looking
for somewhere to just quiet your mind
and heal yourself, this is definitely a place
to do that. I think that’s why there’s
a high influx of artists and writers
and people who are searching for some sort of inner peace
or contemplative journey. -You also find people
who come here looking for something
in their lives, and Santa Fe has a weird way
of putting you to task. -There’s three different
cultures that are here — the white culture, the Hispanic
culture, and Natives. And I think we could serve
as a model for the rest of the country
or even the rest of the world, where three different cultures
can live together. -When you get to taste
the food of a region that cannot be replicated
anywhere else, when you are challenged
by a diversity of art that is more than a scene
but offers a new way of seeing, when a city allows you to be
at a cultural crossroads and then all by yourself, that is when we share
a love of travel, and that’s why Santa Fe,
New Mexico, is a place to love. Hey, thanks for watching this episode
of Places to Love! What was your favorite scene? Be sure to leave a comment! Now, for a full itinerary of this episode click here! It is a great travel planning tool. And here if you want to watch
more full episodes And, of course, subscribe
to my channel to see new episodes as they
are released. Hope to see you out there!

Travel Itinerary for This Episode: https://samantha-brown.com/episodes/season-2-2/santa-fe-new-mexico/

I’m in a city that began as the original cultural crossroads of the United States. Santa Fe is home to a confluence of Native American, Spanish, western and eastern influence. Here, traditions are strong and artistic boundaries are pushed. Out of all the places I’ve traveled, I return here again and again. Whether it’s the light, the art scene, or the margaritas, I’m simply drawn to The City Different. Here’s why Santa Fe is a place to love.
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Chapters
0:00 Cold Open
0:45 Introduction to Santa Fe
1:09: Tia Sophia’s
4:00 The Capitol Art Collection
7:28 Dale Ball Trails
9:36 Cowgirl BBQ
11:26 House of Eternal Return
15:27 Tomasita’s
17:41 Ten Thousand Waves Spa & Resort
20:56 La Fonda on the Plaza
23:01 Outro