Hey all my Empty Nester followers!  You’ve been asking for more inspiration for getaway locations.  Today, I’m serving up a scoop of green chiles, and encouraging you to visit Santa Fe!  It’s the perfect getaway destination!

 

Visit Santa Fe, New Mexico

 

Since the late 1980’s, I have taken the opportunity to visit Santa Fe numerous times.  Why?  My childhood BFF lives there, so I’ve spent a decent amount of time in Santa Fe.  However, last weekend, I experienced Santa Fe in a new way.  My BFF got married, and so Will and I hopped on a plane and spent a very fun three days there!  Where did we go?  What did we do?  Here’s all my tips and suggestions!

 

 

 

 

 

Start with a Wonderful Santa Fe Hotel!

 

When you visit Santa Fe, likely you will want to stay in a hotel near the Plaza.  Especially if you have never visited Santa Fe before!  Will and I chose the historic Hotel St. Francis.  It was very nice and within walking distance to many sites on our list.  Other popular hotels include La Fonda on the Plaza, the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi, and the Drury Plaza Hotel.

 

 

Take a Walk Down Canyon Road

 

A must-do when you visit Santa Fe is to spend a few hours walking down Canyon Road.  It’s only half a mile long, and there’s over one-hundred art galleries and boutiques to pop in and out of.  From Fine Art, to Contemporary Art, Southwestern Art, Photographic Art and unique boutiques, there’s a whole lot of eye-candy to take in.  If you are a collector, or looking for that special piece for your home or office, Canyon Road is a target-rich environment!  I suggest starting at the “top” by taking an Uber or Lyft to the restaurant El Farol, and then walking down from there.  I’m using the word down, because it is on a slight hill, but not crazy steep at all.

 

 

Santa Fe Restaurants:  Green Chile Anyone?

 

If you are in Santa Fe and are hungry…you are doing it wrong.  When you visit Santa Fe, a main attraction is certainly the fabulous restaurants.  Will and I enjoyed breakfast at Cafe Pasquales, brunch at The Teahouse, lunch at La Casa Sena, and dinner at Geronimo.  Excellent in every case!  Other restaurants folks rave about?  El Farol, The Pink Adobe, Restaurant Martin, The Pantry, Counter Culture Cafe, and The Compound.

 

 

Santa Fe Museums

 

Y’all know me and Will.  We always hit as many museums as possible.  This trip, we were able to enjoy three Santa Fe Museums.  The first, and our favorite, was the Museum of International Folk Art.  An absolutely fabulous permanent collection of Southwest Folk Art, as well as significant rotating special exhibits.  This museum is located on “Museum Hill” which shares the area with the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, the Wheelwright Museum, and the Santa Fe Botanical Garden. This area is not within walking distance from The Plaza area, so plan to drive or take an Uber.

Will was able to also visit the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and the New Mexico Museum of Art, both of which are just off The Plaza.

 

 

On the Quirky Side:  Meow Wolf and 10,000 Waves

 

Want your kids to think you are cool?  When you visit Santa Fe, plan ahead to visit Meow Wolf.  How to describe Meow Wolf?  According to their web site, it’s “an immersive experience that transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of story and exploration. This includes art installations, video and music production, and extended reality content.”  J.R. Martin is a major investor.  It’s really weird and quirky.  Tickets must be purchased ahead, and the entrances are timed.

 

 

 

If all those museums, galleries, and immersive experiences leave you feeling exhausted, a traditional place to relax is the famed 10,000 Waves Spa.  When I visit Santa Fe, I really like to book a massage there!  Many of the therapy rooms are partially exposed to the mountains, and I love that indoor-outdoor feel!  I once had a massage therapist tell me my aura was “really dark.”  I had just survived a divorce.  Yeah….my aura was a little dark.  Lol.

 

 

The Santa Fe Plaza

 

The center of all the action, there’s dozens of boutiques (super expensive and touristy) surrounding The Plaza, and fanning out from there.  If you need turquoise jewelry, cowboy boots, Southwestern Art, or Santa Fe themed shot glasses, you can get your fill in The Plaza!

Of historic interest, the Loretto Chapel is just one block off The Santa Fe Plaza.  When you visit Santa Fe, this charming chapel and its “miraculous staircase” is worth a visit!

 

Other Santa Fe Tips:

• Santa Fe sits at an elevation of 7000′.  It’s VERY dry.  Dehydration and elevation sickness can be a problem if you don’t really focus on staying hydrated.
• In the summer, the days are very warm, but once the sun goes down, it’s wonderfully cool, so bring layers!  Hats during the day are recommended!  The winter can be VERY cold!
• In the winter, a top attraction is the ski basin!  There are 83 trails.  For more information, click here.
• You can fly directly into Santa Fe on some airlines.  Alternatively, many who visit Santa Fe fly into Albuquerque and then drive an hour into Santa Fe.

 

Have more tips for a Santa Fe Getaway?  Please leave them in the comments!

Happy travels to the Land of Enchantment, y’all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: Canyon Road | Meow Wolf | New Mexico | Santa Fe | The Santa Fe Plaza