Over the last two years, like so many others, I found myself rescheduling & canceling plans faster than I could make them. It’s been nice to get back into the swing of things & get back to traveling. At the height of the pandemic, I had my 50th birthday. Turned out to be another set of plans I was forced to cancel. On the bright side, it’s a year later and, thankfully, things have changed dramatically. Being fully vaccinated, I decided it was time to make up for lost time. As a former travel manager, I began looking up places I could drive to because I figured that was a good place to start. Besides, who doesn't love a great road trip? I’ve made a point of visiting most places of interest near me in Colorado, so I decided to step outside my comfort zone a bit and go a little further. I quickly settled on Santa Fe, NM. For years, I’ve wanted to visit Santa Fe which is officially nicknamed “The City Different.” Known for its adobe architecture and art, Santa Fe is described as a fascinating blend of Native America, Old Spain & the Wild West. Right away, I knew I wanted to stay in the heart of downtown and began researching hotels.
Back in 2006, I worked as a travel manager and would bid on hotels through Priceline. I would often score a beautiful four to five-star hotel for next to nothing. It was a great adrenaline rush! These days, I do things a bit differently. I google my intended destination, enter my dates & look at a couple of sites to compare the prices and options offered. Pretty quickly, I find the hotel where I’d like to stay. Before I book, I always take a quick look on the hotel’s website to see if I’ll get a better rate if I book directly. I head over to their website (In this case, I decided I wanted to stay at the Eldorado in Santa Fe, New Mexico) and noticed they had some ridiculously great prices, as well as a special deal: pay for 2 nights, get one free! The current climate of travel has certainly shifted and prior to booking, I called the hotel to see if their amenities were open as every state seems to follow different guidelines. I was happy to hear the pool and jacuzzi were both open; however, the jacuzzi had a reservation system you could sign up for 45-minute sessions. The pool was open to all with no restrictions, but the spa was currently closed. I happily booked myself at the Hotel Eldorado downtown. With my hotel in place, I started researching things to do in Santa Fe.
At the time of my visit, Santa Fe still had many restrictions, so I did plenty of research ahead of time on things to do & interesting places to visit. It was imperative I pick a handful of things ahead of time & purchase my tickets before I left if tickets and/or reservations were required. I highly recommend this anywhere you go for the next several months. It’s never fun to finally get somewhere & miss out on participating because tickets are limited, and you didn’t plan ahead. I ended up choosing three activities including the Georgia O’keefe Museum & Meow Wolf. Since Santa Fe isn't open like most states it was imperative to pick a handful of things, I wanted to do research the venue and if it required tickets and reservations book it. I ended up with 3 activities that I bought and paid for prior to leaving. It was easy to do. I decided on the Georgia O'Keefe museum and Meow Wolf. The day before I left, I decided to book a downtown walking tour so I could get some history of Santa Fe. My trip was planned, I was packed and ready to go. My first big road trip outside the state since the pandemic! I was ready!
On the day of my trip, I woke up early & drove the four-and-a-half-hour drive to Santa Fe. My first stop was the Eldorado Hotel & Spa. The hotel is truly located in the heart of the city in downtown. It’s approximately a six minute walk from the Plaza. It’s also centrally located to the restaurants & museums. If you exit the lobby & turn left, you’ll find several coffee shops, restaurants, gallery’s & gift shops. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the location of the Eldorado Hotel & Spa.
I entered the hotel and the hotel staff immediately won me over at check-in when I was given a free room upgrade with a small patio and fireplace. I planned to eat my first night's dinner at Tomasita's on Guadalupe St. It’s been around for over 40 years & is one of the oldest restaurants in Santa Fe. Their food had an amazing southwest flair and was out of this world delicious. I look forward to the day I can get back to Tomasita’s!
📸Brandee M. - Bronze statue by Estella Loretto of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis Assisi in downtown Santa Fe.
The next morning, I wandered for a bit while I waited for my walking tour. The architecture in the area is stunning. I found myself staring at the intricate details more than once. The tour introduced me to the history of the city. I had no idea there was so much history packed into this city in New Mexico. We walked from the main plaza to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi (more commonly known as Saint Francis Cathedral). The Roman Catholic cathedral was built in the late 1800’s & is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. In front of the cathedral stands a seven & a half foot bronze statue of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. She was the first Native American canonized as a saint. The statue by sculptor, Estella Loretto, was installed in August, 2003.
I finished my tour & headed back to the hotel. After all my exploring, I relaxed by swimming every day & sitting in the jacuzzi at night.
Another restaurant I stumbled upon while I was out wandering was Los Magueyes Mexican Restaurant at 31 Burro Alley. I went for a late lunch, early dinner, & found they have a great menu that doesn't disappoint. Also, you must-try their deep-fried ice cream for dessert. It is incredible!
📸Brandee M. - Mural on the wall at Burro Alley in downtown Santa Fe.
I really enjoy museums & like to visit those I have yet to visit whenever I get a chance. In Santa Fe, I chose to visit different museums. First, I chose to visit Meow Wolf which Is 20,000 feet of an immersive and interactive art experience. It is an art installation that tells a story and has so much going on it's hard to believe it only took a year to create. I found myself walking around for a couple of hours in awe of everything going on around me. The installation is a hands-on, interactive experience with vibrant colors that would keep any child’s attention. The other museum I wanted to visit was Georgia O'Keefe I bought tickets online and the museum was rather empty on a Monday afternoon. Georgia O'Keefe Museum is located directly behind the Eldorado in fact you can walk out their back door and be facing the museum. The tour was perfect, self-guided with an option to get headphones and follow along. Her work is exquisite, unique, and beautiful the history of her life and background is capturing. Pictures are allowed and a short walk to the gift store where they have gifts that cater to all. I love a great museum shop after touring.
I cannot rave enough about the Eldorado. The staff went above and beyond to make my post covid outing a memorable one. The most memorable experience was my last evening in the hotel when the staff brought firewood to my room and lit a fire in the fireplace for me. There is absolutely nothing better than falling asleep to a roaring fire. Heavenly! Santa Fe has a lot of little streets that have hidden gems filled with great places to eat and lots of shops. If you love Mexican food with a Southwestern flair this is your place!
The people in Santa Fe are totally open to visitors, nice and super kind. My vacation was nothing but exceptional in every way. Again, my recommendation is to use google to find specific sites that relate to what you’d like to do and see while on vacation and then compare prices on the internet. Santa Fe is a great destination whether single or married. It's the art mecca of the United States. There is so much to see and take in, between the beautiful architecture and the delicious eateries. If you’re looking for a cultural retreat, you might want to check out Santa Fe, New Mexico! You won’t be disappointed.
https://www.santafe.org is a good place to start for information on interesting places to visit in the area.
If you have an experience you’d like to share, I know we’d sure like to hear it. Drop us a line or leave us a comment. Hopefully, our experiences will help others have a great one!