Stuff 2 Do ... in the Southwest

by Tony Dear

Cruise Down Nob Hill’s Central Avenue: This two-mile section of Route 66 bounded by Girard and San Mateo in Nob Hill is one of the state’s best-preserved segments of the Mother Road. Albuquerque’s first suburb and the most fashionable area of town, Nob Hill is a sophisticated, vibrant mix of art galleries, antique shops, clothing boutiques, jewelry stores, music venues and theaters.

For Music Lovers: Music lovers who visit Santa Fe during summer head to the magnificent Crosby Theater 12 miles north of town for a night at the opera. This year’s calendar features La Bohème,Così Fan Tutte, Platté, Daphne and Tea: A Mirror of Soul. The opera is one of the many cultural attractions that, according to Steve Lewis at the Santa Fe CVB, make northern New Mexico suitable for groups whose members want to do more than just play golf. “We appeal to people with a broad range of interests,” he says. “There’s so much to do besides golf.”
santafeopera.org

For Art Lovers: While music fans are getting their dose of culture at the opera, art lovers will be strolling the streets of Santa Fe (the country’s second largest art market) perusing the city’s 230 galleries and numerous museums. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum will be the first stop for many. There, devotees will enjoy the impressionist’s (sorry art fans if Ms. O’Keeffe — 1887-1986 — wasn’t an impressionist. I’m a golf writer, not an art critic) take on the Black Mesa landscape, the back door of her Abiquiu home and the undulations of a cow’s pelvis.