Destination of the Month: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe has long been a spirtual sanctuary in New Mexico. It is the oldest city capitol in the US, founded in 1610 by Spanish colonists. The area was occupied for several thousand years by Indigenous people, which makes it a spiritual retreat.
Santa Fe is renowned for its Pueblo-style architecture and as a creative arts hotbed. It is a wonderful long weekend getaway destination to relax, take in the art and culture, amazing food and, of course, the spas and nature.
The best time to visit Santa Fe is between September and November. During this time, temperatures range from the high 20s to high 70s. Note there is high altitude in Santa Fe, over 7000 ft.
Getting there
Santa Fe has an airport which a lot of airlines service via a connection. However, you can fly into Albuquerque and drive which will take a little over an hour.
Where to Stay
Santa Fe has several boutique properties in Downtown that I recommend:
Or, if you want to stay out of town and be in the mountains yet only 10 mins away from town, I recommend:
Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado
You can also stay at the Japanese-inspired spiritual spa and hotel, the Ten Thousand Waves, which I recommend visiting while you are there.
What to Do
Start your day in the historic Plaza which is the heart of Santa Fe. You don’t need a car to walk the plaza area. It’s full of shops, restaurants and plenty of art galleries.
For history buffs, visit the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis, which was built in the 1880’s; the Palace of the Governors is the oldest public building in continuous use in the Unites States; and, of course, the Santa Fe Trail which you can walk and visit the “Oldest House in the United States” next door to San Miguel Chapel.
As I mentioned earlier, I would also set some time for you to visit Ten Thousand Waves for a spa day. Book your appointment before you go as it’s an extremely popular spa.
You can also go hot air ballooning!
Food
Santa Fe is filled with many excellent restaurants and award winning chefs. My absolute favorite was Sazon!
Another highlight was Radish & Rye which serves contemporary American cuisine highlighting the best of the season in support of independent farmers and artisan producers.
Others I recommend are La Choza, Cayote Cafe Cantina, Geronimo, Compound and Paloma.I also love the bar at the Four Seasons which serves food all day and night and has amazing ambience.
Santa Fe may be the most popular gay destination in New Mexico, but it tends to draw a relatively couples-oriented, arts minded and romantic weekend crowd.
I really enjoyed visiting this quaint, historic city and recommend it highly to visit!
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