Santa Fe, New Mexico, is only 473.35 miles from Oklahoma City—a little over 7.5 hours away if you drive non-stop. For us, it’s more like 10 because we always make a stop at The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas (each direction) to see if anyone is trying to conquer the 72-ounce Steak Challenge. The challenge includes shrimp cocktail, baked potato, salad, roll and butter—and of course the 72-ounce steak. You pay upfront for the meal; if you complete it in the one-hour time allowed, you get your money back. One of the latest 2019 winners was Michelle Lesco, a 112-pound, 36-year-old gal from Germany, who completed the entire meal in 21.13 minutes.
As we continue to Santa Fe on I-40, which mirrors old Route 66, we make a brief stop at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. Created in 1974, thousands of people stop every year at this free attraction, where 10 Cadillacs are buried nose down in a row, each painted with graffiti. Bring your own spray paint and add to the “art” on the car carcasses. This public artwork was created by unconventional artists of the Ant Farm Group, founded in 1968 in San Francisco by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels.
Amarillo is one of America’s best places for generating wind energy because the panhandle of Texas tops the charts each year with an annual Class 4 windspeed. You will drive for miles on I-40 with literally nothing to be see but sand, tumbleweeds and windmills. When we drive through the area at night, the red blinking windmill lights make me feel like we are in an alien movie filming zone.
We turn off I-40 at Clines Corner and take the US-285 route, which is only 56 miles from Santa Fe BUT is a two-lane road so you must be careful. Santa Fe (meaning the Holy Faith), New Mexico, was founded in 1610 and is the state capital. It sits 7,000 feet above sea level in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Because of its elevation, Santa Fe is a welcoming year-round resort city offering 11 world-class museums; it also is the third-largest art market in the world, hosting 250 art galleries and a wide range of opera and entertainment.
Santa Fe’s 300 days of sun makes a perfect setting for winter sports like downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and hiking—all minutes from the Plaza in the Santa Fe National Forest.
Seven miles north lies the Opera House. The area’s natural acoustics contribute to the Santa Fe Opera being famous and known worldwide for its contribution to a living art form. Movies including Crazy Heart, Easy Rider, The Lone Ranger and even a Breaking Bad episode were filmed in the Santa Fe area. And, yes, they have a season dedicated to opera. You can find the calendar for the 2021 season at SantaFeOpera.org/calendar.
You can turn your Destination Wedding into reality in romantic Santa Fe, where you can choose your beautiful outdoor wedding in one of the national parks or in the heart of historic Santa Fe. Additionally, weddings are permitted with permission at some of the historic ruins. For a Spanish-themed wedding, the El Rancho de las Golondrinas (“The Ranch of the Swallows”) is perfect for a small gathering. The wedding specialist we recommend in Santa Fe is Clarice Coffey at “Fairytale Weddings.”
Santa Fe is a unique area with a rich Spanish and Pueblo Indian history and architecture, so we suggest you stay at a themed resort, such as Hotel Santa Fe, near the picturesque Rocky Mountains. This four-star, 35-room hotel offers luxurious facilities and is located within walking distance of the Santa Fe Railway, and close to the capital building is the Hacienda Spa Santa Fe.
If you enjoy the amenities of a bed-and-breakfast, a stay at the Pueblo Bonito Bed and Breakfast Inn will give you a wonderful taste of Santa Fe hospitality.
One of my favorite places to stay in Santa Fe is the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi. The intimate inn features handcrafted furnishings, traditional wooden ceilings and Kiva fireplaces and is situated just steps from the city’s galleries, shops and museums and the historic Santa Fe Plaza.
A wonderful place for a group convention or a continuing education venue is The Inn and Spa at Loretto, where local artisans display their talents in furnishing the entire room. The Spa Terre is the perfect place to enjoy treatments applied with herbs and minerals.
Every time we visit Santa Fe, we visit the Loretto Chapel. There are three mysteries relating to the spiral staircase in this chapel: the identity of the builder, the type of wood used and the physics of the construction. The staircase at Loretto Chapel miraculously stands despite having no discernible means of support.
With 250 restaurants in Santa Fe, there is something for everyone. We recommend Tomasita’s Mexican Restaurant, Market Street Steak House and my favorite, La Casa Sena, where you will be entertained as you dine and enjoy the open-air atmosphere.
Bentley Hedges Travel is celebrating 50 years in business this September. Our experienced advisers can plan a trip for you anywhere in the world. Give them a call at 237.3333 to customize your Santa Fe vacation, ski trip or destination wedding.
Article provided by Bonnie Hedges, CTC/CTA, VP of Sales and Marketing at Bentley Hedges Travel Service.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, we advise you call ahead to ensure the venue you wish to visit is open to the public At the time of this writings, hotels in Santa Fe were open and allowed to book up to 50% occupancy. However, there was a required 14-day quarantine for any visitors arriving by air or road.