Three Days in Santa Fe
From the clear blue skies, clean crisp fresh air, golden aspens and cottonwoods and the aroma of piñon fires, there’s nothing quite like fall in Santa Fe. Whether you’re planning a quick getaway or a lengthy stay, our city offers an array of exciting and illuminating autumn experiences you won’t want to miss.
One of the best places to experience our magnificent autumn is in the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains, just north of town. Here, hiking and biking trails offer views of foliage, the city, the Rio Grande Valley, and other mountain ranges. The extensive Dale Ball Trail System, with more than 30 miles of connected trails, winds amid thousands of acres of piñon and juniper woodlands. Off Hyde Park Road is the trailhead for Aspen Vista, a popular seven-mile trail enveloped by mature aspens.
Ski Santa Fe offers a variety of festive fall activities—including afternoons with live music and chair lift rides—in September and October as well as an 18-hole disc golf course. Winter is just around the corner, and El Niño is in the forecast! The tentative opening date of Ski Santa Fe for the 2018–19 season is November 22. For details and pricing visit skisantafe.com.
Halfway down the mountain is Ten Thousand Waves Spa (3451 Hyde Park Road, 505.982.9304, tenthousandwaves.com), a Japanese-style spa where you can soak in a private outdoor hot tub or indulge in a number of other spa services (including facials, massages, and salt glows). Relaxing in a tub at night with a breathtaking view of the stars is just as enjoyable as a midday soak. Plan ahead, though, as tubs and spa sessions book up quickly. Izanami, the spa’s restaurant, offers traditional Japanese izakaya dining in a gorgeous but relaxed setting that includes a year-round balcony. The menu features dumplings, house-made pickles, grilled meats and vegetables, salads, kebabs, unique desserts, Japanese beer, and artisanal sake.
The Santa Fe Farmers Market (santafefarmersmarket.com) is held inside and around the pavilion at 1607 Paseo de Peralta in the lively Railyard District. Vendors offer a wide variety of produce, locally made cheeses, and New Mexico–raised meats as well as arts and crafts. The market is open 7 a.m.–1 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays through September and 8 a.m.–1pm. beginning in October.
If you prefer your adventures more wet and wild, try a rafting excursion on an area river with one of Santa Fe’s many companies. Santa Fe Rafting (1000 Cerrillos Road, 888.988.4914, www.santaferafting.com) and Kokopelli Rafting Adventures (1401 Maclovia Street, Unit A, 505.983.3734, www. kokopelliraft.com) offer trips for individuals and groups ranging from a mellow float to full-day and overnight adventures.
Stop by the timeless El Rey motor lodge on Cerrillos Road (505-982-1931, www.elreycourt.com). Built in the 1930s along the original Route 66, the inn consists of 86 unique adobe rooms decorated with Southwestern décor and original artwork and surrounded by colorful gardens and a pool. Their popular La Reina bar serves signature tequila- and mescal-focused cocktails, beer, wine, and bar snacks Wednesdays-Sundays from 5 to 11 p.m.
As you head south, venture into the Siler Rufina Nexus, a creative district in central Santa Fe that focusing on art, performance, crafts, trades, and other innovative organizations and businesses.
The immersive and interactive House of Eternal Return installation (1352 Rufina Circle, 505.395.6369, meowwolf.com) will enchant visitors of all ages. Brought to life by the Meow Wolf art collective, it combines the talents of some 135 local artists and is filled with technology, art, and whimsical environments.
Visit the new Photo-Eye bookstore and project space (1300 Rufina Circle, Suite A3, 505.988.5152, ext. 201), which hosts exhibits of fine photography and houses a stellar book collection, with rare and unusual works dedicated to contemporary photography. The space is open 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Monday–Saturday.
Enjoy lunch or dinner and some of Santa Fe’s best locally brewed beers at Second Street Brewery’s newest taproom (2920 Rufina Street, 505.954.1068, secondstreetbreweryrufina.com). The west-facing deck is one of the best in town, and four-footed friends are welcome here as well.
Rowley Farmhouse Ales (1405 Maclovia Street, www.rowleyfarmhouse.com) is an independently owned brewery and farm-to-table gastropub focused on brewing rustic farmhouse and sour ales and offering an extensive draft and bottle list of the best beers from New Mexico and around the world. Chef Jeffrey Kaplan’s menu includes bar standards like wings and burgers to a delicious fried chicken biscuit sandwich, roasted Brussels sprouts, and a beautiful seasonal farmers market salad.