Feeling Festive? Try Quebec City, Santa Fe

By Robert Waite

As Perry Como once crooned, “There’s no place like home for the holidays.”

However, let me offer up a couple of alternatives. (And if you can’t make it for the actual holidays, these two spots will satisfy all winter and beyond.)

The first is Quebec City, Canada.

Quebec City is Europe without the six-hour flight from The East Coast. Established by
explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1608, it oozes cobble-stoned Olde World charm. This
is especially true during the holidays.

Its residents embrace winter. The city’s annual Winter Carnival runs this
year from January 25 to February 14 . Its mascot, “Bonhomme”, turns 70 (although he
doesn’t seem to have aged much for someone whose diet consists largely of beaver
tails and poutine).

As good as the Carnival is, Quebec City during the holidays offers an equally wonderful
experience, one our family thoroughly enjoyed a few years ago.

For starters, you have a far better chance (92% vs.19% for Boston or 11% for New
York, for instance) of experiencing a white Christmas. And by mid-December the city is already
festooned with lights and shines brightly.

For those who love music, the city’s numerous churches offer a wide range of choral
and other programs, including those at the Catholic Notre Dame de Quebec Basilica and at
he Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, the oldest Anglican cathedral built outside the British Isles.

If food is your thing, Quebec City can take you far beyond beaver tails and poutine. We
took a popular “foodie tour” that acted as a great introduction, but also dined at some
Michelin-worthy restaurants.

And then there is the German Christmas Market, which turns the city into an enchanted
Christmas village in the spirit of the grand European markets. Operating from five sites,
you can enjoy family-friendly activities, gourmet treats, and unique gift ideas, all accessible
for free.

If French castle-style accommodation is your thing, stay at the Chateau Frontenac, pictured below. But scores of other good choices beckon, including B & B’s and short-term rentals. And don’t forget that the U.S. dollar goes 34% further in Canada!

Santa with a “Fe”

My other suggestion is Santa Fe, New Mexico.

And not just because it has “Santa” in its name. We paused briefly in New Mexico’s capital on our drive to California a couple of years ago and were so enchanted we decided to return for Christmas. It turned out to be an inspired choice.

Santa Fe takes the holidays seriously, but in a lighthearted way. Indeed, light, in the
form of beautiful farolitos (small bags containing flickering candles) festively decorate
much of the town.

This is especially true during the city’s famous Christmas Eve Canyon Road Walk.
Canyon Road features more than 100 art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants. You can
amble along the farolito-lit street (pictured below) and enjoy the sights and sounds along the way as well.
You can also imbibe free hot chocolate — at an elevation of 5,000 feet, Santa Fe can get
chilly at night.

Museums are a big draw in Santa Fe, The most famous is the Georgia O’Keeffe, located just off the Plaza (be sure to book a reservation in advance!), but a half-dozen others are well worth a look, including four excellent ones clustered on Museum Hill.

Santa Fe is also a foodie paradise. Yes, great Mexican places abound, but we found one of the best
Japanese restaurants — called Izanami — we’ve encountered anywhere, and were equally impressed with
Geronimo, where Chef Sllin Cruz creates a “global eclectic” menu that changes seasonally.

For accommodation, La Fonda on the Plaza puts you in the middle of things. But as we were three couples, we rented a house, Casa Santa Fe, on a hill in the outskirts. Speaking of outskirts, Taos with its wonderful Pueblo and Albuquerque, home of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul”, are both within reach.

If You Go

Quebec City

Flights from the U.S. require you to go to Montreal or Toronto and then onward to
Quebec City on Air Canada or Porter Airlines.

Restaurants: An interesting standby is the city’s oldest restaurant, Aux Anciens
Canadiens. While it is far from the best dining establishment in Quebec City, its charm,
location and regional dishes still make it worth a visit. The local specialties, including
game and fish, are the best choices. As for other restaurants in the city, this website
serves as a good guide.

Where to stay; As mentioned, the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac puts you at the
center of everything. I have also stayed at nearby B & B’s (there are half a dozen in that
area of the city).

Santa Fe

Flights: Santa Fe is serviced by a number of carriers, including American, Delta,
United, and Alaska Airlines. We chose to fly into Albuquerque, enjoy some time there,
and then drive just over an hour to Santa Fe. There is also the Rail Runner, a train between the two cities that makes the trip in an hour and a half.

Restaurants: In addition to Izanami and Geronimo, we also recommend Osteria
D’Assisi, considered by many to be Santa Fe’s premier Italian restaurant, as well as La
Plazuela at La Fonda on the Plaza. As for Mexican, all were good; none were
outstanding.

Where to stay: There is always La Fonda on the Plaza – I stayed there for the first
time way back in 1984 and it has (thankfully) not changed much, beyond technology
upgrades.

Other accommodations worth considering include the Inn on the Alameda,
and Casa Culinaria, which bills itself as “ The Gourmet Inn”. There are a dozen less
expensive options; or you could do as we did and book a place through Airbnb or Vrbo.

Things to do: For those who like train rides, live music (and adult beverages), there
is a sunset ride into the desert called “Sunset Serenade.” It leaves from the main train
station at 6 p.m. and gets you back in time for dinner.

Santa Fe’s museums are a must.

In addition to the Georgia O’Keeffe, we found the New Mexico Museum of Art and the
Museum of Contemporary Native Arts to be excellent, as well as the Museum of Indian
Arts and Culture and Museum of International Folk Art on Museum Hill. For those who
like immersive art experiences, Meow Wolf is interesting – you wander through a large
space while bombarded with art and sound. Our 30-somethings loved it; we did our
best.

Author Bio:

Robert Waite has been writing about travel for more than 50 years. He is a four-time winner
of the New England Newspaper and Press Association’s Best Column Award. Robert is
also the author of Ipswich on My Mind and Ipswich Out of My Mind, a compilation of
humorous reminiscences about growing up in Ipswich, Massachusetts. His books are
available from Amazon as paperbacks or as a Kindle E-book. He and his wife reside in
Ottawa, Canada.