Santa Fe, New Mexico, otherwise known as the Land of Enchantment, is a creative oasis, dressed in Mosaic appeal, brimming with impressive abilities in all art mediums, dance, theatre and live music. The official state capital of New Mexico, Santa Fe has taken its leading role as a means to showing that a society can thrive off imagination.

Santa Fe has a quaint population of over 70,000 full time residents, yet is ranked as the second largest market in the United States for fine art, after New York City. Canyon Road is considered the main concentration of art galleries and is a hot spot for international collectors, travelers and locals, alike. Showcasing contemporary Southwestern, Native American and new age art, in addition to global exhibits like Russian and Taos Masters interpretations, the roadside is a literal visual candy store.

Musical appreciation is shown with a large variety of world class shows being presented throughout the year. The Santa Fe Opera hosts an annual late-June and late-August production, in addition to the Santa Fe Desert Chorale and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, held also in the summer. The Lensic Theater is the bustling city's major performing arts venue. Such professional operations as the New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet have entertained as well as the impressive Santa Fe sponsored troupe Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. The refurbished movie theatre is also the performance hall for Santa Fe Jazz and the International Music Festival. Other theatres such as Santa Fe New Music, a presenter of new post-classical music, and GiG, a boutique performing arts center, display jazz and world artists throughout the year. Other rhythmic theatres like the National Dance Institute of New Mexico, Moving People Dance Theatre as well as other smaller groove companies have opened to provide all interpretations of musical salutations.

With a colorful artistic history, Santa Fe is home to many interesting museums. The famous 1920s abstract naturalist painter Georgia O'Keefe has a repository that holds some of her pieces, in addition to other local artists that she has influenced. Other sites that play homage to artistic creations include the New Mexico Museum of Art, Institute of American Indian Arts Museum and Site Santa Fe, a contemporary art plaza located at 1606 Paseo de Peralta that brings the forefathers together with emerging new artists. Cultural educational arenas also are plentiful with such interesting showcases as the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, The History Museum as well as the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and Laboratory of Anthropology.

Possibly one of Santa Fe's greatest attributes is its gourmet dining scene. With a plentiful display of over 300 delightful culinary options, Santa Fe is a literal foodie's paradise. The options range from French delicacies to spicy Mexican fare, from organic vegetarian splendor to five-star, world-class cuisine. The ingredients used in Santa Fe eateries are of exceptional quality and is commonly purchased from local farmers.

The produce created in the community is also celebrated at the year-round Santa Fe Farmer's Market. Vendors offer a variety of veggie choices, including chilies, pumpkins, greens, apples, potatoes, butternut squash, sprouts, herbs, tomatoes, root veggies, eggs, cheeses, grass-fed meats, baked goods, fresh-cut flowers, dried foods, original crafts, body care, lavender products, houseplants, bedding plants, and more! The get-together also features live music, a breakfast/lunch concession, and a cooking and gardening gift shop.

With a deep respect and connection to the environment, Santa Fe also has an extensive network of multi-use bicycle, pedestrian and equestrian city-maintained trails. There is a huge variety of pathways including Dale Ball Trails, a 30-mile interlinking of routes beginning at the Santa Fe Plaza, the Santa Fe Rail Trail which connects distant Lamy and the developing Santa Fe River Trail. Santa Fe is also the culmination point for three nationally historical trails: El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail, the Old Spanish National Historic Trial and the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. Although the hiking and appreciation for Mother Nature is spectacular any time of year in Santa Fe, September is an especially vibrant time with the changing fall colors of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

In addition to the impressive hiking and mountain biking interspersed through Santa Fe, there are also ten different ski areas to provide winter adventure. The closest arena for wintertime fun is Ski Santa Fe, a great family resort with 9 chairlifts accessing 660 acres of skiing and a vertical rise of 1,725 feet. The altitude of the ski area starts at 10, 350 feet and rises to 12, 075 feet, providing an impressive three mile long run. Forty percent of the mountain is rated both intermediate and advanced, offering an ample supply of terrain for everyone in the family to improve their turn. Only sixteen miles from Santa Fe city center and 45 minutes from Mountain Top Estate, entertaining skiing is literally in your backdoor.

Another inspirational aspect to Santa Fe is its healing community. Abundant in a multitude of modalities, there is a huge variety of options allowing for personal growth. From incredible spa experiences like the Japanese-inspired retreat, Thousand Waves to transformation life guidance by renowned healers such as Doctor Mark Acuri, the Santa Fe assemblage of healers is impressive.

Santa Fe is a special community that is full of international appeal. People from around the world travel to the area to enjoy its splendor and many that do find themselves returning on a regular basis. Santa Fe captures the hearts of its visitors easily. It is not uncommon to hear visitors hoping to become a part of the welcoming, intriguing and inspiring township.

And with such magnetizing appeal it is not surprising. Santa Fe truly is an enchanting land!