In my recent journey across the United States by far one of the highlights was Santa Fe, New Mexico. In fact, I had only planned to stop for two nights and ended up staying four. The problem was I never wanted to leave The Four Seasons Rancho Resort Encantado which I discovered tucked away into the quiet rolling hills of Santa Fe. It was a small semblance to my life in France. Living with nature, enjoying a glass or two of wine by the fire at the end of the day, recapping what new discoveries had unfolded. I liked being away from the hustle and bustle of historic downtown Santa Fe, but I also liked knowing I could hop on the shuttle provided by the resort and be in the middle of everything in 20 minutes.
Most of all, I loved having a my own private casita (small house) to stop the forward motion of cross country driving and just enjoy for a moment. To enjoy the amazing stars dotting the velvety purple sky and s’mores over a campfire. To enjoy the snow fall from bed to the sound of wood cracking in the adobe fireplace. To enjoy the Southwestern flavors at the resort’s restaurant Terra which, you know me, included a few orders of bison tacos and margaritas. Perhaps the main treat however, was my facial at the spa which is one of the top rated in the world. My esthetician had owned her own spa in LA for over 30 years so I followed all her advice on skincare post facial and my skin has never looked better. I feel amazing without makeup on which has always been my goal for taking care of my skin. *here is a good tip she taught me: dampen your skin slightly before applying your serum as it helps to absorb into surface*
So you can see why I wouldn’t want to leave.
It doesn’t take long when you visit Santa Fe and the surrounding region to understand why it’s known as the land of enchantment. There is something to the colors, the history, the architecture that burrows into your soul. I can never get over how beautiful the sky was. A 24 hour nature show! I shared all of the discoveries in real time on Instagram stories but I wanted to leave a list here to reference and share shall I ever be so lucky to find myself here again in Santa Fe, in the great American Southwest.
Vinaigrette // Modern General // Georgia O’Keeffe Museum // Ghost Ranch // Cafe Pasqual’s // Santa Fe Farmer’s Market // Shake Foundation // El Santuario de Chimayo // Bandelier National Monument // Ten Thousand Waves spa // Kakawa Chocolate House // Ojo Caliente // Shiprock Santa Fe // La Choza // Dolina Cafe // Gruet Tasting Room // O’Farrell Hat Shop // Whoo Donuts // The Teahouse // Canyon Road // Tent Rocks // The Shed // Traveler’s Market // Plaza Blanca // Home Frocks // Ark Books // Apuntia Cafe // Geronimo // Ohoris Coffee // Radius Books // Sazon // La Plazuela // Joseph’s // Coyote Cafe // Tia Sophia