Today we headed to Santa Fe. We woke early and my first check of the weather showed all clear. We Ubered back to the airport and prepped the plane. A last check of the weather showed Santa Fe had gone to 200 overcast. This was low and combined with being in the mountains would normally be a no go.
But, there was a good alternative 13 minutes South that was clear and many more backups just in case. My gut was that the layer would clear once it warmed a bit so we launched at risk. It was a supposed to be about 1:20 flight and with the time change a 20 minute time difference.
Well our tailwind was totally gone and we took off and climbed to 8000. The headwind was supposed to be <20 but for a while we had 40 knots on the nose. This actually worked out well. The clouds were not lifting as quickly as I hoped. As we got close the controller told us to expect the ILS and that some people had been getting in. I was not going to mess with a mountain approach starting at 10,400 with a potential miss at 6500 feet and a missed hold at 11,000. Luckily, right as we were crossing our diversion decision point, we got an updated forecast, the layer had broken and we only had scattered clouds.
We headed in and then could not see the airport because although it was clear over the airport, there were still clouds between our location and the airport. We maneuvered a bit and the airport appeared and soon were on the ground at Santa Fe Jet Center.
I stepped inside to get CC and check in. The staff had made CC a hot chocolate so after giving my fuel order and providing a contact number, I got one too. Then they offered us some sodas for the road and we were off.
Our first stop was the farmers market. It was quaint and filled with stalls selling veggies at high markups. I chuckled when I saw Vidalia Onions for sale. I was tempted to ask if they really came from Georgia but I behaved. They also had an arts market which we browsed and got our first souvenir.
After the market we headed to Bandelier National Monument. Bandelier showcases the cave dwellings from around 1100-1600. What is very cool about this park is that in addition to walking by and looking at the dwellings, there are select caves where you can climb ladders and enter the caves. You can see the soot stained roofs and imagine how terrible it must have been back then. Yes I like indoor plumbing, air conditioning and all the modern conveniences.
In addition to the loop trail, they had an additional one that terminated in a 140 foot vertical climb. Climbing was a combination of ladders and steps in the rocks. We were at about 6500 feet elevation so by the time we reached the top we were a bit winded. Overall it was a nice view and a cool climb.
Here we are after catching our breath, safe in our mountain cave.
After the National Park we headed for downtown Santa Fe. Santa Fe Plaza is mostly tourist shops built around a square. This day there was an art show and Motorcycle gathering in addition to the normal vendors. We strolled a bit and then found The Burito Company where we had some Southwestern food.
Santa Fe had some strict building codes, everything had a certain look that included fake wood beams sticking out of the sides. It was getting late and we were tired so we headed to the Courtyard. This too had the fake wood. It was nice enough but the room seemed dated as in out of the 70s.
It has been almost a year since a new state but Santa Fe New Mexico is #31 in the countdown.
But, there was a good alternative 13 minutes South that was clear and many more backups just in case. My gut was that the layer would clear once it warmed a bit so we launched at risk. It was a supposed to be about 1:20 flight and with the time change a 20 minute time difference.
Well our tailwind was totally gone and we took off and climbed to 8000. The headwind was supposed to be <20 but for a while we had 40 knots on the nose. This actually worked out well. The clouds were not lifting as quickly as I hoped. As we got close the controller told us to expect the ILS and that some people had been getting in. I was not going to mess with a mountain approach starting at 10,400 with a potential miss at 6500 feet and a missed hold at 11,000. Luckily, right as we were crossing our diversion decision point, we got an updated forecast, the layer had broken and we only had scattered clouds.
We headed in and then could not see the airport because although it was clear over the airport, there were still clouds between our location and the airport. We maneuvered a bit and the airport appeared and soon were on the ground at Santa Fe Jet Center.
One great thing about private travel is the ground part. I was directed to a space right out front. I shut down, they greeted us, and before I could get out, our rental car from Avis was brought next to the plane. CC went inside as it was still cool out leaving me to clean up. They offered to load the bags for us but I declined, we were only taking an overnight pack with us. I quickly had the limited bags I needed in the car. I did stop to chat with some nice folks heading out about the plane but otherwise zero hassle.
I stepped inside to get CC and check in. The staff had made CC a hot chocolate so after giving my fuel order and providing a contact number, I got one too. Then they offered us some sodas for the road and we were off.
Our first stop was the farmers market. It was quaint and filled with stalls selling veggies at high markups. I chuckled when I saw Vidalia Onions for sale. I was tempted to ask if they really came from Georgia but I behaved. They also had an arts market which we browsed and got our first souvenir.
After the market we headed to Bandelier National Monument. Bandelier showcases the cave dwellings from around 1100-1600. What is very cool about this park is that in addition to walking by and looking at the dwellings, there are select caves where you can climb ladders and enter the caves. You can see the soot stained roofs and imagine how terrible it must have been back then. Yes I like indoor plumbing, air conditioning and all the modern conveniences.
In addition to the loop trail, they had an additional one that terminated in a 140 foot vertical climb. Climbing was a combination of ladders and steps in the rocks. We were at about 6500 feet elevation so by the time we reached the top we were a bit winded. Overall it was a nice view and a cool climb.
Here we are after catching our breath, safe in our mountain cave.
After the National Park we headed for downtown Santa Fe. Santa Fe Plaza is mostly tourist shops built around a square. This day there was an art show and Motorcycle gathering in addition to the normal vendors. We strolled a bit and then found The Burito Company where we had some Southwestern food.
Santa Fe had some strict building codes, everything had a certain look that included fake wood beams sticking out of the sides. It was getting late and we were tired so we headed to the Courtyard. This too had the fake wood. It was nice enough but the room seemed dated as in out of the 70s.
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