Come summer, the weather in Santa Fe is glorious; you will want to spend every waking moment outside. So, we’ve chosen some wonderful alfresco experiences that are sure to delight. Shidoni Garden and Foundry, just five miles north of La Fonda in the village of Tesuque, offers a working bronze art foundry, sculpture garden and gallery, and is the perfect picnic spot. There are bronze pours every Saturday (call on Thursdays for scheduled times). It’s an amazing “show”.

The Allan Houser Sculpture Garden is another outdoor gem. This unique artist compound, tucked among the juniper covered hills between the villages of Cerrillos and Galisteo, is the former home/studio of one of the most renowned Native American painters and modernist sculptors of the 20th Century. There are 10 lovely acres displaying 85 outdoor works of art, and the weekend of Indian Market there will be free guided tours of the grounds, the archives and the working foundry.

On June 13th the Santa Fe Botanical Garden offers a tour and a rare glimpse into four private gardens hidden along the winding streets of Santa Fe’s historical east side. And a picnic on the beautiful grounds of St. John’s College is a lyrical way to end a fun Santa Fe day. The Fifth Annual St. John’s College Music on the Hill concerts are held each Wednesday evening in June and July. The concerts are free and picnic dinners can be purchased.

The Simon Family Foundation has been on a special mission since it was created in 2003. Its founder, Ronald M. Simon, came from humble, immigrant roots and never forgot how it felt to be bright, but poor. He established the foundation’s unique six-year scholarship program to reward economically disadvantaged students who show scholastic promise. This year there were 16 scholarship winners in New Mexico, all selected in their sophomore year of high school for their amazing abilities to overcome adversity and their focus and drive to attain academic excellence. Each student receives $2,000 or the equivalent in computers, tutoring, etc. during their junior year and a cash stipend in their senior year of high school. This is followed by a $4,000 scholarship each of their four years of college, as long as the criterion of academic excellence is met. Ronald Simon knows how to reach down and give a hand up! 

We’d like to tip our hats to a remarkable living history museum - El Rancho de Las Golondrinas - The Ranch of the Swallows. This charming destination, just south of Santa Fe, dates from the early 1700s and was a famous stopping point along the Royal Road from Mexico City to Santa Fe. Today it is filled with authentic Spanish Colonial buildings, some original, others restored and transported here from other parts of northern New Mexico. It’s a wonderful adventure for the entire family. Villagers are dressed in authentic costumes and there are weaving rooms and shops, a water-powered flour mill, dye shops, a one-room school house and lots of goats and sheep and burros. The ranch hosts many festivals and events, and there are always activities for hands-on learning. Open June – September: Wednesday through Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.