Three weeks ago, I returned to Santa Fe for my first visit in nearly seven years.

I took enough pix for at least five or six essays; this first one is set in and around the famed Santa Fe Plaza.

On past visits, the Plaza Cafe did not have outdoor seating; like many other businesses, it has adapted, although far more beautifully than most.

Santa Fe’s distinct desert/adobe/Spanish-style architecture is reason alone to visit.

Adobe and turquoise paint almost always go well together.

Some buildings near the Plaza are more baroque and elaborate than others.

When there, I occasionally feel like I’ve stepped into a different country.

Charming little roads such as Burro Alley further enhance this idea of not being in Kansas anymore.

A few blocks from the Plaza, this elaborate garden was like something out of a storybook.

There are no shortage of scenic views from Downtown Santa Fe, like this one from my hotel room of Cross of the Martyrs.

Or this one from Sandoval Street of the mountain range east of town.

Stay tuned for more photos from Santa Fe and beyond.