Old friends and New Mexico were a most perfect combination.
In the time since Tulane, my best girlfriends and I have grown into our lives- with careers, a few husbands, and busy lives in cities like Denver and DC. But those busy lives get in the way, visits tend to focus on brides and babies, and are always too short. So after literally a thousand emails trying to get it scheduled, we planned a girlfriends trip in honor of our thirtieth birthdays and reunited in Santa Fe, a dozen years after we moved into our freshman dorms.
We rented a roomy adobe casa on the outskirts of Santa Fe and it was beyond perfect. It had plenty of room, including a small sauna, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, a fire pit, and even complimentary parking when in downtown Santa Fe.
There’s nothing like steaming hot bath to kickstart your morning, and obscenely beautiful nature all around just takes it to another level. It was simply gorgeous, especially through the viewing window cut in the surrounding fencing.
Y’all know I’m not outdoorsy, but I try. So I was excited when we piled into our rental minivan and headed out to the Santa Fe National Forest. It was a gorgeous hike, and we explored for several hours before the altitude started to be a bit much for a few of us.
We drove into downtown Santa Fe to scope out the shopping. We were a bunch of girlfriends on vacation, after all.
There were dozens of silver artisans lined up in the Plaza. The city council actually authenticates the native heritage of the seller and his or her goods as handmade before issuing the sales licenses. I’m passionate about shopping directly from artisans, so I totally over-justified my purchases. But I’ve worn the copper ring and hammered silver hoop earrings multiple times, and I’m always a shameless sucker for local spices and cooking ingredients. The smoked chile amarillo is my favorite.
We quickly realized that there were dozens of extra stands set up, along with live music, and that we had walked into an arts festival. We inspected the offerings, discovering some truly incredible workmanship. I fell in love with a handmade moonstone necklace, and purchased it after some price negotiations.
Girls night out is way more fun when it’s with your lifers. That night, we had an incredible dinner at Maria’s (I promise, you will not regret getting both red and green chile on your enchiladas) and multitudes of margaritas, before hopping into Ubers in search of dancing. The Santa Fe bar scene was a bit quiet for our liking, but we still made plenty of fun.
The next morning, brunch was a necessity, and the Plaza Cafe was incredible. I promptly became obsessed with spicy Mexican mochas, and every bite on the table was delicious. I demolished both green chile huevos rancheros and a blue corn-piñon pancake. We stopped by the bustling farmers market on our way out, scoring some goodies to go and ingredients for supper.
We got some more fresh air post-brunch, climbing 91 steps to an oasis in the mountains. Spending a few hours in the relaxing haven of Ten Thousand Waves was the perfect indulgence.
We rented the Waterfall private suite, with a huge hot springs bath, a cold plunge pool, and a sauna- we enjoyed the extra room and the privacy. I’d brought an assortment of sheet masks, so we masked and floated and talked and relaxed. After our rental time had elapsed, we spent some time at the ladies spa, meditation areas, and footbaths. I was disappointed not to be able to purchase the music from the meditation room- it was just engaging enough to keep my mind from wandering but still totally relaxing. I also got a tour of the (surprisingly tidy) underbelly of the spa when I accidentally tossed swimsuits down the laundry chute and accompanied the hostess to relieve them. We were all a little rubber – limbed as we climbed back down the stairs to the parking lot.
A little arts appreciation was next on the agenda, as we visited the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
The space was really well curated, beautifully designed and petite enough as to not overwhelm. I especially appreciated the info about her personal history alongside her works, and the museum shop was fabulous.
Returning to the house, we were just in time for happy hour. We threw together a fruit and cheese plate, Moscow mules and Kalimoxtos, and gathered on the rooftop patio to watch the sun set.
Once it was dark, we headed inside to make dinner. Dessert was my contribution to the meal, and I used chai spices in the crumble topping for farmer’s market Jonagold and Granny Smith apples and raspberries. It was delish, and more of the same cold for breakfast the next morning.
We had grand plans of board games, but instead we made s’mores, stargazed, and drank wine around the fire till we were yawning.
The next morning, I set an early alarm to watch the sun rise. Most of the girls woke up with me, and the candy-colored sky was totally worth the lost sleep. Then we piled all into one bed, to chat and cuddle while we still could. Because much too soon it was time for suitcase packing and the first round of departures.
We stopped for lunch at The Pantry on our way out of town. My carne adovada was tender and flavorful, and I couldn’t resist one last side of green chile. I seriously love that stuff.
Leaving my girlfriends after such a lovely time in Santa Fe was sad, but the full heart and full belly helped. It’s like Baz Lurhmann said, in that high school era chart topper,
“Understand that friends come and go, but a precious few, who should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, for as the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.”
How lucky I am to have these girlfriends in my life, and to have shared this trip with them.
loveRavayna