Take a warm, romantic getaway to Santa Fe Lovers of art, world-class cuisine and old-world romance will find plenty to savor in Santa Fe, where El Sol shines 320 days a year and piñon smoke wafts from adobe chimneys at night. A weekend in “The City Different” will add spice to your life, beyond New Mexico’s ubiquitous red chile powder. The Amtrak trip to Santa Fe takes slightly over 12 hours, including the short bus ride from Lamy (where the station is) to Santa Fe proper. But if you rest well, you’ll be set for a full first evening as you arrive in town before 4 p.m. From the moment you set boots in the historic Plaza, sights, sounds and savory scents that are uniquely Santa Fe drench the senses. Shop the authentic Indian jewelry under the Palace of the Governors portal, then hoof it across the square to the renovated La Fonda Hotel (lafondasantafe.com). If weather permits, sample a signature margarita in the Bell Tower Bar for an unbeatable rooftop view at sunset. Grab a seat for two on a guided tram tour for an overview of the oldest capital city in the United States (santafe.org). Or, book a private spa suite at Zensational Ten Thousand Waves spa (tenthousandwaves. com). Make tracks on the Santa Fe Pick-Up (free shuttle bus) to the Santa Fe Railyard (railyardsantafe.com) for the Farmers’ Market and Artists Market, held every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Beer lovers may imbibe at the Second Street Brewery (secondstreetbrewery.com) with pub grub and nightly entertainment. If your heart wants more art, hike up legendary Canyon Road to browse galleries—elegant and quirky—along the crooked lane. The world’s largest museum of international folk art is a jaw-dropper on Museum Hill (internationalfolkart.org), and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, just off the Plaza, draws visitors from all over the world (okeeffemuseum.org). Intimate dining options abound. You can’t go wrong at La Plazuela at La Fonda, Coyote Café on the Plaza (coyotecafe. com) or Canyon Road’s El Farol, the oldest restaurant in Santa Fe, where small plates deliver enormous flavors accompanied by live, Latin-inspired music (elfarolsf.com). For Sunday brunch, head to Café Pasqual’s, just off the Plaza (pasquals.com). Better yet, enjoy blue corn pancakes in bed before catching the train home.
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Sunflower living winter 2014