1

Philadephia and Boston will offer you the best bang for your buck.

2

Santa Fe has three main cultures: American Indian, Hispanic, and Anglo-Saxon. There is a boarding school here for American Indians. There is a Southwest Indian Arts Institute here for American Indians. There are shops selling Aztec, Apache, Navajo, Pueblo/Tewa, Hopi, and Zuni Indian arts, crafts, and jewelry. There is Colonial Spanish art currently created and sold in Santa Fe. There is a lot of Colonial Spanish cultural influence in Santa Fe, in the churches and church and historic festivals throughout the year. Families of Spanish colonists here in Santa Fe still live on their ancestors' large land grants that were given to the Spanish soldiers. Nearby at Glorieta Pass, in Pecos, is a Civil War battlefield, which is preserved with its history. One-third of Santa Fe is Anglo-Saxon. There are 300 art galleries with many resident artists here. There are a dozen museums, including Southwest American Indians archaeology and history plus International Folk Art Museum. Renowned artists/photographers, such as Ansel Adams and Annie Leibovich, have their works on exhibit in the museums and galleries. There is a film studio here in Santa Fe, where a number of recent movies have been produced, so it is not uncommon to see famous celebrities in our midst while they are working on location.

For accommodations in an historic lodge, I recommend either the Bishop's Lodge, 3 miles from the downtown Plaza, or the La Fonda Hotel, on Old Santa Fe Trail, across the street from the Cathedral and one block from the Plaza. Bishop's Lodge includes a tennis court, hoseback riding, and a spa.

3

Recently We did a driving tour to the East coast... Other than arriving in New York from the West, on the same day "Sandy" came onshore...The trip reminded me why I choose to Live in Santa Fe... # 2 has done fine work in describing cultural

4

Back to finish.... Santa Fe has the advantage of small town ambiance with larger city cultural attractions,unique cuisine & a pollution free environment... The only down side is the possibility of a late winter storm here at 7,000 ft. forcing one into the Museums or galleries for the day... carracar

5

That means the NE.
Boston for sure.
NYC if you have the budget,
Washington DC is actually a budget location once you get your accommodations figured out.

6

How long do you have? And will it be a road-trip with a rental car?

7

Except for the "weather" part, Boston.
But because of the weather, Philly.

8

April is the cruelest month in the north east....Rain and cold can be expected...

Santa Fe, Phoenix and the Southwest will be at their peak weather...not too hot or too cold...absolutely perfect weather... Its no contest...

9

"walking, museums, culture, charming..." Sorry, vasenka, but Phoenix is a big FAIL in all those regards. Santa Fe is a good choice but not big enough for more than 2 or 3 days. How many days do you have?

10

In Santa Fe, there are miles of hiking/biking trails throughout the Sangre de Cristo Mountains above the city, plus paved and dirt bike/hiking paths along the arroyos through the length of Santa Fe. Taos is 60 miles' drive along the Rio Grande. The "high route" to Taos takes you past many artist colonies and beautiful scenery. Santuario Chimayo, an annual site for Holy Week pilgrimages by thousands of people, walking the 30 miles from Santa Fe or Taos; some walk 90 miles from Albuquerque. The La Fonda Hotel has a list of the dance festivals and markets at the various Indian Pueblo villages nearby that invite tourists to visit. There are two large casinos that frequently have major concert/band venues -- the Hard Rock Casino in Albuquerque is one..

11

Re: Phoenix

The strict grid pattern of the roads lacks creativity...but NYC is the same... At least its impossible to get lost...

Phoenix can keep you busy for a couple of days...if not, drop down to Tucson for a day trip...

http://www.heard.org/

http://www.dbg.org/

http://www.phxart.org/

12

April shower bring May flowers.

It's a little chilly here but April is 100% fine for visiting cities and historical sites. It means you have to be flexible about nature plans (like hiking a small mountain) but except for exceptionally bad days, it's not a deal-breaker.

I imagine things are pretty much the same in the Rockies and in the Pacific Northwest.

13

April shower bring May flowers.

It's a little chilly here but April is 100% fine for visiting cities and historical sites. It means you have to be flexible about nature plans (like hiking a small mountain) but except for exceptionally bad days, it's not a deal-breaker.

I imagine things are pretty much the same in the Rockies and in the Pacific Northwest.

14

sorry about the double post