Cinco de Mayo is one of my favorite days of the year for obvious reasons and because it's the day we got engaged! This post is not at all about the "holiday", but was inspired by it from the colors and recipes I've seen all over Instagram this week. This city and post is about highlighting the myriad of culture in Santa Fe, a magical city.
I mentioned in my New Orleans blog post, that I wanted to take this time at home to highlight some of my favorite 2019 travels, so next up is Santa Fe, New Mexico. I traveled to Santa Fe twice last year for work, but while I was there I was able to get in some adventure of my own. I've stayed at two different properties in Santa Fe - The Loretto Inn and The Four Seasons. Very different experiences, but both wonderful! The Loretto Inn, built in the 70s, is an authentic adobe style building. While it is a dated property, it is beautiful and in the best location (heart of downtown!) within walking distance of so much. The Four Seasons Rancho Encantado is set on 57 rolling acres in the Sangre de Cristo foothills, and just 10 minutes from downtown. Where you want to stay really depends on the experience you want. While you can stay in the city and do excursions, there is something special in the stillness outside of the city. It was my favorite, plus they had fireplaces in the room and would come light them for you at night which was pretttty awesome.
If I highlighted every single thing I did you would be here for hours so I had to pick a few - which was hard!
Dinner at a private hacienda: This home is owned by Texas natives and served as a second home for many years, but is now their full-time residence. They rent it out for special events and it is the most eclectic place I have ever been. So many beautiful textiles and colors that just ooze the adventures of their life.Truly, their home tells their quirky story. I just could not get past the permanent, outdoor pottery. I had to fight every urge not to ask them if they needed help bringing it inside - I LOVED it!!
Floral design workshop: Can you even handle the fact that all of these are locally grown flowers? They were so beautiful and I took 800 pictures. There is no better floral experience than designing outside.
Canyon Road: It is so hard to pick a favorite experience, honestly, but this definitely tops the list. Nestled into the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Canyon Road is a magical half-mile in the Historic District of Santa Fe that is lined with art galleries and fine dining. Santa Fe is tied with NYC, LA and Miami for galleries per square foot (over 250 in the city) and this street does not disappoint! We had the most amazing guide (native NYer!) that knew EVERYTHING about everything - shout out to Peter and if you find yourself visiting let me know so I can connect you with him. If you happen to be an Alexander Girard fan I highly recommend a meal at Compound, designed by him.
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: While most would say Ghost Ranch (her preserved and former home in Abiquiú) is much more exciting, this was still such a special treat. I won't bore you with my sappy story, but I have always been connected to her art through an experience in which one of her pieces touched my life as a child. She is the first artist that I can remember loving - pretty serendipitous that she painted flowers, huh? It truly gave me chills to see so many of her pieces in person and know that she actually touched them. Thats what I love about galleries - the feeling the person was there before. I can't wait to visit Ghost Ranch on my next trip!
Meow Wolf: This was certainly one for the books! An interactive art experience and artist collective that was established in 2008. Meow Wolf is comprised of over 400 employees (artists) creating and supporting art across a variety of media, including architecture, sculpture, painting, photography, video production, cross-reality, music, audio engineering, narrative writing, costuming, performance, and more! The premise is that a family of inventors lived in this old victorian home (which is the exhibit you enter) and disappeared. Your journey through the experience can be done in two ways - to look for the clues and come to your own conclusion of what happened to them, or simply experience the alternate realties. It is challenging to capture in words, but there was a washing machine that you slid down, a refrigerator you walked into and so much more! Santa Fe is the first location and they are set to open one in Denver and Las Vegas.
Sightseeing, Shopping, Hiking, and Dining: I hit a few sights like the oldest church and house in America, beautiful chapels, and exceptional restaurants. Again, if you plan to visit and want a full list of where we went then just reach out and I'll gladly supply those! Local shopping is my favorite activity anywhere we go - I like to grab a few postcards to send to family, a Christmas ornament, and some type of trinket to keep in our home and remind me of the trip. There were artisans everywhere! There is also a ton of options for outdoor adventure - jeeping, hiking (I almost died from the elevation, but pictured below is the Rio en Medio trail and waterfall), biking, you name it!
I fell head over heels for Santa Fe. It is quite literally like living in a painting. The colors, textures, food, and people - just no other US experience like it, in my opinion. I don't know that I have ever seen skies so blue. Known as the land of enchantment, the culture and beauty of this "off the grid" city has forever stolen a piece of my heart and I can't wait to go back!
As always, thanks so much for spending your time here. XO, Lindsay
Comments