Destination: Santa Fe
by James Langford

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U.S. southwest art can be a revelation of spirit. Not only in thought and imagery, but also in the skills that are brought to the canvas and to crafts. Many years ago Santa Fe became an artists' colony. Now, it is their residence, if they can afford to live there. In the summer, the skies are clear. In the winter, they are even more clear.

Santa Fe is a very unique experience. Art abounds! There are more than 200 art galleries in the Santa Fe area. There are 12 museums. Because it is located at approximately seven thousand feet in the lower Rocky Mountains, the climate is usually very mild throughout the year. As a result, the quality of life is very good.

Like many cities, the focus of Santa Fe is on its central plaza. Everything originally was built around the plaza and this is still where everybody likes to gather, during the day as well as at night.

This is where you find the Palace of the Governors. Originally built by the Spanish who first settled the area in the early 1600s, it is the oldest public building still in use in the U.S. Now a history museum, its portal provides an area where American Indian artists can set up shop and sell their art and crafts.

The best way to see Santa Fe is just go to the Plaza and then amble. Within walking distance is the Museum of Fine Arts as well as the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. The latter is definitely a must visit, not only because of the facility, which is beautiful, but because it houses what many critics have described as the work of one of the world's most important artists.

There also is the Museum of International Folk Art, which houses the largest collection of folk art in the world. I can only say it is formidable.

The Santa Fe Children's Museum is without doubt worth a visit. People over the age of 20 will enjoy it because it is a lot of fun.

And then, there is the Awakening Museum. There are more than four hundred panels of wood covering some 8,000 square feet of walls and ceilings reflecting one man's imagery of his religion. I can tell you it has to be seen. Your clients will love it. Everyone just walks out of there with a blank look on their face. It inspires the mind and the spirit.

The food in Santa Fe teases you. You virtually can find any country food experience you want, from Italian to French to Tex-Mex and beyond. It is an adventure that offers a variety of flavors, for the palate as well as the eye and ear.

We must have eaten at some 15 different restaurants. The mother of a friend of my wife lives in Santa Fe. The first time we were there, she took us to dinner at one of her favorites, where the waiters knew her by name. I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but the food was delicious, and the service was excellent. I never had a bad meal in Santa Fe.

On our first trip my wife and I drove up from Albuquerque. About 10 miles south of the city we stopped at a little two-story house that just said antiques and crafts. We spent at least two hours there. There literally is too much to see and too much to do on a vacation of one or two weeks for your clients. So, there does have to be a plan in place.

Santa Fe also is the desert. If you send your clients there, whether it is in the summer or the winter, drinking 48 ounces of water per day is the rule and actually the minimum. More is better. It is amazing how fast the human body will dehydrate.

Now, that having been said, let me talk about Navajo rugs.

Having been brought up in the advertising and TV industry, the quality of the color of any material or product always captures my mind. Plus, my wife is a graphics designer, so we spent four hours, at least, in one store, just looking at Navajo rugs. The dyes were unbelievable and not synthetic! What nature produces, man can never duplicate. And often, man just can't afford it. Our goal was to come home with a genuine Navajo rug. I still laugh when I think about it. We didn't do our research.

There was one rug my wife truly wanted to buy. Of course, there were no price tags on the rugs. I've often read books where at one moment, in a crisis situation, for one reason or another, the author has the character turn pale. I had never believed it could really happen until our visit to the rug store. My wife asked the clerk the cost of the rug she was looking at. The clerk told her and I just stood there and watched all color drain from her face. The cost was equivalent to a major down payment on a home. It was immediately apparent we were not going to buy an original Navajo rug.

On my first visit to Santa Fe we also took a little jaunt up the road to Taos. I bought some very nice jewelry there for my wife. You could easily spend a couple of days there. There was a stream beside the road where we just stopped for a break and looked and listened. It was absolutely beautiful.

Santa Fe is a unique American experience, and one that will always provide unique and positive memories for your customers.

Jim Langford is the president of the Pharmer Group, a communications consulting firm based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.