Ladies Weekend in Santa Fe
 

Every spring my mom, aunt and cousins go on a Mother/Daughter weekend. This year we have chosen Sante Fe. I am looking at the Turquoise Bear to stay-the history of the place looks great. Will the walk to "town" be long? Is it a nice place? We like to sit with our wine and laugh-this Inn looked like it fit our personalities.

We will go to Mass at Chimaya (sp?)-the place to the north with holy ground (literally, they say.)

We would like a spa day. I am unhappy that Clara Vista is closed-they had spa treatments in a great setting with sweat lodge group events. Can anyone suggest something similar?

Maybe a silly question but will the altitude cause us flatlanders any problems? (My mom is young at heart but physically in her 70s)

I would love to hear about any fun, reasonable dining within walking distance of the Inn as well.

There you have it. All comments are welcome. (Thank you)

I think the inn is a little less than a mile from the Plaza -- certainly not a bad walk, depending on everyone's physical conditions and how they respond to the altitude. I've never had a problem with it in Santa Fe, but have heard others mention it. If you are open to other lodgings ideas, you might want to look into La Fonda or Inn at Lorretto, which are closer to the plaza.

For food, there are many, many good places to choose from. The one I never miss is Plaza Cafe, which is right there. It's really fun, fairly reasonable pricewise, and the food is always good. There's a famous restaurant in Chimayo that you might want to check out when you go to mass. Check other Santa Fe postings for much more information.

Sorry, no good experience with spas, but everyone raves about 10,000 Waves. It's outside of town.

Sounds like a great trip!

Thank you, Jayne. I did find the restaurant in Chimayo and will put it on my list.

Hi mariasch,

I think the walk is doable, wouldn't be my first choice at all, but there are other places to stay that have great history -- La Fonda as mentioned above and is in the middle of everything. There are others that are smaller with history and closer into town than the Turquoise Bear. Don't know what you want to spend.

As for spas, there's only one that we enjoy. Ten Thousand Waves. About a 15 minute drive. Great place and highly recommend it. Make your reservations ahead of time and take a tub before your treatments. We LOVE this place. They have a website by the same name -- gives you pictures and prices.

You might do a restaurant search -- lots of suggestions have been made here. Our favorites are Geronimo, Santa Cafe, Cafe San Estephan, Tia Sophias (bkfst/lunch), Pink Adobe for cocktails in the Dragon Room. I could go on and on. When you go to Chimayo, you must stop at Rancho de Chimayo. Yummy red chili and beautiful setting.

As far as altitude problems, just match a glass of water with your glass of wine and you'll be fine.

Have fun. I hope you all enjoy Santa Fe -- we sure do!

I travel to SFe often for work, and usually stay at the Inn at Loretto, which is very nice and in the thick of things.

I have to also wholeheartedly endorse Ten Thousand Waves. It's an incredible place!

There are a ton of restaurants in the area, although "reasonable" is another story. You could try Cayote Cantina, which is upstairs from the more expensive Cayote Cafe. I also second Tia Sophia for breakfast and Pink Adobe's Dragon Room. Outside of the Plaza area, The Panty is also great for breakfast, and the best tacos ever--carryout only--are at Le Parasol. For more reasonable food, try the Santa Fe Baking Company, Mariscos de la Playa (a Mexican fish restaurant, obviously),and Pyramid Cafe (A Greek and Tunisian hole-in-the-wall which is great.) These three are all in the same area.

For more on SFe food, I'd suggest checking out the Southwest message board on chowhound.com. It's really helpful.

Have fun.

No trip to SAnta Fe would be complete without a trip to The Shed for lunch. It seems to embody quintessential Santa Fe. Have a blue corn enchilada with cheese and red sauce. That's what my mom always had so I would too.

I work at the state capitol. My favorite eatery in the plaza/capitol area is the Guadalupe Cafe. It's on Old Santa Fe Trail, right next to the Pink Adobe.

Man...the Guadalupe Cafe serves fantastic breakfasts! Of course,their lunch & dinners are great too. It is VERY inexpensive (about $7 an item). Their homemade cinnamon-nut toast is to die for (served w/homemade jams). My favorite breakfast items are the breakfast tostadas and the breakfast enchiladas. VERY New Mexican! I am a HUGE eater...and I always leave the place very satisfied.

TRUST ME ON THIS ONE. I take all of my out-of-town visitors here...and they RAVE about this place. I'm a Bay Area transplant...my visitor friends are "foodies" (I'm not really a foodie; I just love to eat good food.)

After breakfast or lunch, you can then stroll over to the Capitol for a self-guided tour...or walk to the plaza, about 3-blocks away.

What fun to find your replies to my post! Thank you for your excellent information. I will direct my family to stick to the wine/water combo and will follow the restaurant advice. Price is a consideration with our hotel choice but we may sneak a spa treatment in at the Spa at the Inn at Loretto. And Ten Thousand Waves is on the schedule. Blue Corn enchiladas..I can taste them already.

Gosh! I can't believe I forgot to mention The Shed! I have to laugh because as we would be driving in the morning to SF my husband would be asking "...so what are YOU having at the Shed today?..." Like it ever changed! Chicken enchilada, blue corn with green chili and Cheese and onion blue corn with red chili, double posole hold the beans. Oh, and a Silver Coin Margharita, pleeeeez!

Gosh, I miss that place. I see a Santa Fe weekend on the horizon........ :-d

Beachgirl, you just made me very hungry!

We mother/daughters take an annual trip every Memorial Day week-end to Santa Fe. It is great fun.

We love Guadalupe Cafe, Pasqual's, Tia Sophia's to name a few.

Besides drinking more water, just don't over-exert for any length of time (like taking your usual daily jog or swim). Since you're on vacation this shouldn't be hard to give up, right?

I take a group of women from my Pilates studio Orchid Pagoda to SF every year for a Spa Retreat.

Highly recommend:
10,000 Waves Spa - more beautiful than anyplace I have been in Japan. Try Watsu - Shiatsu in water.
Inn at Sunrise Springs - a little out of town but great treatments
Bishop's Lodge - the spa is just beautiful....good therapists.

Don't miss Pasqual's for breakfast. Remember items that are not marked may be available in 1/2 portions.