Santa Fe's Timeless Sense of Place: Honoring Beloved Travel Writer Billie Frank
On October 12, 2017, Santa Fe lost Billie Frank, a passionate local ambassador, travel writer, and blogger. Alongside her husband, Steve Collins, she authored "The Santa Fe Traveler," a beloved blog read by locals, New Mexicans, and visitors nationwide. With four years as a concierge at Santa Fe's premier hotels, Billie's expertise in sales, marketing, and customer service shone through her insightful posts.
In tribute to her enduring love for The City Different, we republish her March 11, 2017, blog post, capturing Santa Fe's unique sense of place. Her spirit continues to inspire friends, colleagues, and all who knew her.
Steve Collins and Billie Frank (Photo by Wendy Forbes, courtesy of Steve Collins)
5 Elements That Define Santa Fe's Unique Sense of Place
From "The Santa Fe Traveler," March 11, 2017, by Billie Frank (reposted with permission from Steve Collins)
The Oldest House in the USA (Photo courtesy of Steve Collins)
Santa Fe recently earned top honors in the Sense of Place category at the National Geographic World Legacy Awards. Their criteria highlight cultural authenticity, vernacular architecture, historic preservation, indigenous heritage, and artistic traditions—perfectly embodying The City Different. Whether drawn by history, art, or adventure, visitors discover what makes Santa Fe truly special.
Drawing from years as concierges, tour guides, planners, and bloggers, we define Santa Fe's sense of place more expansively, encompassing its magic. Here are the five key elements:
History
The Palace of the Governors, dating to 1610 (Photo courtesy of Steve Collins)
As the oldest capital city in the U.S.—and the highest at 7,000 feet—Santa Fe's story begins in 1610, predating Plymouth Rock by a decade. It evolved from Spanish territory to Mexican rule, U.S. territory, and statehood in 1912. Indigenous presence dates back millennia, with documented settlements from 1050–1150 AD. Home to three of America's oldest structures: the Oldest House, San Miguel Mission (oldest church), and Palace of the Governors (oldest continuously used public building). Territorial Governor Lew Wallace penned Ben-Hur there.
Culture
Puye Cliffs, ancestral home of Santa Clara Pueblo (Photo courtesy of Steve Collins)
Shaped by Pueblo peoples (from ~1000 AD), Spanish arrivals (late 1500s), and Anglos via the Santa Fe Trail (1821) through statehood, these cultures define Santa Fe.
Explore ancestral pueblos nearby: Bandelier National Monument (Tsankawi cliff dwellings), Puye Cliffs (Santa Clara Pueblo), Pecos National Historical Park, or Taos Pueblo (UNESCO site, 90 minutes north).
Doorway at El Rancho de las Golondrinas, settled circa 1700 (Photo courtesy of Steve Collins)
Experience Spanish Colonial life at El Rancho de las Golondrinas. Santa Fe's Spanish Market (July) and Fiesta (September) celebrate Hispanic heritage. Anglo influences appear in 19th-century commerce and architecture.
Art
Navajo rugs at Shiprock Gallery (Photo courtesy of Steve Collins)
Santa Fe, the third-largest U.S. art market after NYC and LA, boasts 200+ galleries in a city of 82,000. Spanning painting, sculpture, fiber, photography, jewelry, and more—plus American Indian, Spanish Colonial, folk, Southwestern, contemporary, and global art. Museums abound.
Pueblo artistry features pottery, Zuni fetishes, Hopi kachinas, Navajo jewelry/weavings; Indian Market (late August) draws global crowds.
Spanish Colonial art at Spanish Market (Photo courtesy of Steve Collins)
Spanish Colonial crafts—furniture, weaving, religious icons, tinwork—arose from Camino Real isolation. Spanish Market showcases them.
Anglo artists arrived late 1800s, drawn to the landscape; New Mexico Museum of Art opened 1917.
Food
Santa Fe's vibrant scene shines at its renowned Farmers Market, where roasting green chile scents the air each August. Specialty shops offer cheese, pickles, spices, honey, chocolates (Santa Fe Chocolate Trail), craft brews, distilleries, and the Margarita Trail. Hundreds of restaurants span Northern New Mexican to global cuisines, emphasizing farm-to-table and local ingredients—for every budget, from trucks to fine dining.
The Great Outdoors
Hike to the falls at Rio en Medio (Photo courtesy of Steve Collins)
Outside Magazine's founder fell for Santa Fe. Options include hiking, biking, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, horseback riding, fishing, rafting, kayaking, ballooning, and more—year-round, with golf even in winter. Guides and rentals abound.
After 13+ years here, we cherish Santa Fe's offerings—minus the ocean, but breezy spots evoke the beach. Ideal for relocation, vacations, or events, discover its unique sense of place, as affirmed by us and National Geographic.
Plan your trip: Order the 2017 Santa Fe Travel Guide. Enhance with Deals and Specials.
