We bet you've never contemplated your belly button in the center of Tent Rocks before.
Or how about made love in an adobe den under the multi-hued skies of Santa Fe?
So what, we ask, are you waiting for?
It's not hard to feel like you're on vacation in a place where the calm envelops you with a warm embrace. Here, fine art and dining are as approachable - and enjoyable - as that lovely girl with a wide grin smiling from across the crowded room. Ladies and gentlemen, Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the next best place to vacation (and invest your retirement money). There's a reason stars like Harrison Ford and Julia Roberts love this state so here are Jaunt Magazine's top picks for a great spa/art/adventure away from this rat race.
Santa Fe Hotels
The Inn and Spa at Loretto is one of our top picks right in the center of town. Impressive adobe architecture and easy access to all of Santa Fe's attractions, makes this property a favorite for Jaunt staffers. Special packages with spa, ski, and golf amenities are also available for Girl's or Boy's Getaways. Priced around $300-$400/night.
www.innatloretto.com
Inn of the Anasazi, a Rosewood Hotel, has massive hand-carved doors, sculpted stairways and sandstone walls as part of their authentic Southwestern Pueblo touches characterizing an intimate 57-room hotel. They also offer award-winning dining and an ideal location near the city’s historic central Plaza. Four-poster beds and other handcrafted furnishings grace each of the beautifully decorated rooms, along with cozy gas-lit kiva fireplaces. Rooms start at $309/night.
www.innoftheanasazi.com
Encantado, an Auberge Resort: This exceptional new retreat opened this August in a spectacular setting at the foothills of the Sangre de Christo Mountains, seven miles north of downtown near the Santa Fe Opera. Featuring 65 casitas luxuriously appointed in New Mexican native adobe style with private terraces, outdoor fireplaces, state-of-the-art technology and sweeping views of the Rio Grande, Los Alamos, and the Jemez Mountains, Encantado also introduced Santa Fe’s first world-class resort spa, a gourmet restaurant and an expansive outdoor sculpture garden. For those wishing to explore Santa Fe, Encantado also offers complimentary Mercedes-Benz car service and easy access to the city's famed art galleries and restaurants with its centrally located Concierge Lounge offering VIP services. Rates start $425/night.
www.encantadoresort.com
Galleries/Museums
Leading galleries of contemporary art have quickly made a home in the new Railyard District, including Zane Bennett Contemporary Art, which has moved from Canyon Road to a striking new two-story gallery space on South Guadalupe Avenue. The gallery has represented contemporary masters from Richard Serra to Robert Motherwell, and Louise Nevelson to Robert Rauschenberg.
Gebert Contemporary recently expanded from its Canyon Road gallery and sculpture garden to add a Railyard District location with 6,000 square feet of “project space” that can encompass monumental sculpture and painting as well as video and installation pieces. Gebert specializes in the contemporary abstract painting and sculpture of an international group of established and emerging artists.
The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, which recently celebrated its 10th Anniversary, is the only American museum devoted to a female artist. Hollah! One of the most significant artists of the 20th century, Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) was devoted to creating imagery that expressed what she called “the wideness and wonder of the world as I live in it.” The largest single repository of O'Keeffe's work in the world, with a collection of nearly 3,000 works, including more than 1,000 O’Keeffe paintings, drawings, and sculpture, the museum displays works by this great American modernist. Over 140 artists have been also exhibited at the Museum including Frank Stella, Jackson Pollack, Andy Warhol and Arthur Dove.
Santa Fe Restaurants
Learn about the rich culinary history of the "City Different” with a restaurant walking tour and progressive lunch starting at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, the authority on Southwestern cuisine. The tours are led by native Santa Fean, television host, and chef/guide, Rocky Durham. Then it’s out for a guided tour to three of Santa Fe 's most prestigious dining destinations:
Amavi, recently voted 'most romantic restaurant in Santa Fe' in the May 2008 issue of the Santa Fean. Chef/owner, David Sellers and his wife, Heather highlight regional specialties from the cuisines of Italy, Spain and France.
www.amavirestaurant.com
Tom Kerpon, Executive chef of Rio Chama, will share some of his secrets about his award-winning regional cuisine that has made him one of Santa Fe's favorite chefs!
www.riochamasteakhouse.com
Coyote Café, where the new chef/owner Eric DiStefano, formerly of Geronimo, will prepare a dish and share some of the rich history of the world famous Coyote Café. Phenomenal food and the chefs were so charismatic and generous with time, preparation instruction and portions!)
www.coyotecafe.com
