A few weeks ago, my BF and I packed our bags and headed to New Mexico to celebrate my good friend Steph’s wedding.  I’d never been to New Mexico before, and the BF had only driven through it, so we decided to turn it into a vacation/adventure.  We researched and researched, and came together with a very good itinerary that had something for us both: national parks for him, wine and fancy hotels (at a steal!) for me.  We ventured to Santa Fe, the Petrified Forest National Park, spent a few days in Albuquerque and stayed in a hotel frequented by old Hollywood stars of the Wild West movies in a town called Gallup.  This will be a two part post, filled with recommendations of what we enjoyed the most, and what you may also enjoy, if you’re planning a road trip, or long weekend to New Mexico.

The Bishop's Lodge

Day 1: Santa Fe:

Santa Fe is an absolutely ADORABLE town.  Unfortunately, it was so darn hot, I preferred to see it from the car, filled with air conditioning.  We did venture out to do a bit of shopping and have some traditional New Mexican food.  If you’re looking for turquoise or silver jewelry, Santa Fe is certainly the place to go.  There was a plethora of people selling these jewelery in a local “market” on the town square, and also several high end jewelry stores, if that’s more your fancy.  The beautiful St. Francis Cathedral Basilica right in downtown, a must see on a walking tour:

We ate a delicious lunch at the Inn of the Anasazi:

Photo Courtesy of the Inn of the Anasazi

I have to say though, I was really only concerned with one thing in Santa Fe:  Finding a fancy, relaxing hotel to stay in for the night.  After thorough searching, I settled on The Bishop’s Lodge Ranch Resort and Spa for a few reasons:  1. The movie Crazy Heart was filmed there. 2. It’s on the national register of historic places. 3. It was a really good deal on Expedia.com.

And I was SO happy we stayed there.  The rooms were very nice and super comfortable.  Comfy beds, big bathrooms, very clean.   More rustic than modern, but in a  way that fit with the natural feel of the environment around you.  Nestled in the mountains, the grounds of the hotel are massive and beautiful.  There is one main building, that housed the resort’s restaurant La Fuentes, where we had an INCREDIBLE - but fancy (and pricey) – dinner of high-end New Mexican food.  Highly recommended for a splurge.

My favorite part, however, was the pool.  It was big, – plenty of room to swim, and the area around it was dutifully attended to by the people working there, so it never appeared dirty or messy the way pools can.

There was also a bar that made frozen drinks! Ah-mazing. My favorite part were the seat covers – they were made out of terrycloth towel material, made to fit the chairs! Genius!

My only regret was that we only stayed there one night.  The resort had a ton of activities like pilates, horseback riding and skeet shooting that we would have liked to participate in, had we had more time.  And the environment itself was just so relaxing.   I highly recommend you check out the hotel and the restaurant if you’re looking for something special as a retreat.

We also managed to spend a little bit of time in Albuquerque.  Not to lie, but this sign was one of my most favorite parts of Albuquerque:

We honestly may have been a bit bored in Albuquerque were it not for the wedding activities.  But we did manage to get to the Gruet winery that we wrote about a few months ago. The New York Times article about the winery didn’t lie – it is really amazing.  The sparkling wines in particular, were just as good as some I’ve had in Napa at places like Gloria Ferrer. If you’re in the area, and are a wine or Champagne lover, you MUST stop in.

The tasting room is on the side of the major highway - you can't miss it.

My friends at Gruet!

Stay tuned for more details next week!