Ellen Barone

BEYOND the prestigious art galleries, hippie-chic boutiques and cultural abundance of Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico also offers a lesser-known adventure experience.
 

I’m just back from an action-packed week of river rafting, horse back riding, mountain biking, hiking and even llama trekking. Better yet, at the end of each day, I returned to world-class dining, exotic spa treatments and luxurious lodgings.
 

Ready to launch your own New Mexico adventure? I’ve already done the legwork for you. Here’s my travel-tested lineup of where to stay, and play, in and around Santa Fe and Taos. 

STAY:

I started off the week at a unique, locally owned retreat, Sunrise Springs Resort Spa, a 70-acre tranquil eco oasis built around spring-fed ponds, fluttering cottonwoods and organic gardens 12-miles from downtown Santa Fe. My husband and I spent two nights, but could happily have stayed a week. Between the extensive selection of healing treatments at the resort’s Spa Samadhi, the art & yoga classes at the Sages Arts Center and the inspired menu at the Blue Heron Restaurant (don’t miss their freshly made ceviches!), there was plenty to tempt us to extend our stay. Fourteen years ago, to the day, we eloped to Santa Fe. Celebrating our anniversary over an exquisite dinner of conch ceviche, crab and roasted corn flan and pan seared halibut at the water’s edge beneath ancient willows and cottonwoods while a jazz quartet played nearby was divine. Truly a special moment enjoyed in a special place. You can bet we’ll be back.

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Just like having the right clothing and shoes (more on this later, ladies) can make or break your vacation, so can having the right travel gear. As a professional wanderer, there are a few essentials I simply won’t leave home without. To help you better navigate your next adventure, here are a few of my current faves:

 
Eagle Creek Pack-It Cubes:  It’s day three. You swear you packed your favorite fleece zip-up. But where the heck is it? Not a problem you’ll ever experience again if you learn to organize your clothes in Cubes. With a different color for shorts, socks, t-shirts and undies, you’ll find what you’re looking for, fast. Better yet, no more blushing with embarrassment as the hot guy in line behind you watches the security inspector riffle through your Bridget Jones underwear.

Joby Gorillapod: Lugging a bulky, rigid tripod has never been a practical alternative for the type of on-the-go shooting that traveling photographers encounter.  Thanks to the cleverly designed pocket-sized Gorillapod, I’ll never have to choose between sharp shots or carrying a tripod again.  The cleverly designed pocket-sized gorillapod - a bendable tripod that secures to any surface, has legs that bend and rotate 360 degrees, and rubber feet for extra gripping power – is all I pack these days. Slip it into a pocket, purse or day pack and capture those artsy low-light shots of Paris at night, dimly lit tango clubs in Buenos Aires or the final glory of a tropical sunset and impress em’ at home with your postcard-perfect vacation snaps.

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I’m just back from a walking tour in Provence with The Wayfarers and am still savoring the magical moments and remain bedazzled by all that I saw, ate and experienced.

The trip was chock-a-block with Impressionist landscapes of gnarled olive trees, endless horizons of bright orange poppies and vineyard rows, the wonderful, warm and sometimes irascible characters made famous by Peter Mayle’s books, picture-perfect hilltop villages, and of course, the famed Provençal cuisine.

 

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Lost in translation? A simple ‘hello’ might be all you need to communicate and turn your trip abroad into the travel experience you’re hoping for.

A linguist I am not. Four years of college French, and, when push comes to shove, the best I can manage is poorly disguised English avec un ridiculous Inspector Clouseau accent. A decade of part-time living in Mexico and my Spanish sounds like that of a four-year-old with speech problems. It’s not something I’m proud of. Believe me, I’d love to rattle off coherent streams of dialogue in a foreign tongue and be mistaken for a local. I have friends who pick up new languages as easily as I gain weight. But, no matter how many language audio tapes, computer programs, or continuing education classes I take - or how good I sound practicing in the car - once I hit terra incognito it’s a no-show.

 

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I don’t know about you, but when I want to learn something new, get inspired or jump-start a budding passion, I want to go somewhere else to do it.

 
Sure, I can learn to cook at home watching Food Network, study a foreign language online, take yoga from a book or photography at my local community college. But, somehow, heading off to Tuscany, Provence, Mexico or a tropical island to do it is much more appealing. Away from the ordinary routines and obligations of home, it’s easier to open my mind and heart to new challenges, insights and inspirations.

Do something for yourself this year. Return home from your vacation with something more than postcards and souvenirs to show off. Instead, impress them with your newfound skills and enjoy yourself while you’re at it. Here are just a few specialty vacations sure to put you on the road to new horizons.

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