words + pictures by Ellen Barone
When Jean-Baptiste Lamy came to Santa Fe in 1851 as the first bishop of the Southwest diocese, he bought a parcel of land along the Little Tesuque stream, a few miles north of Santa Fe, for his country retreat. Today that refuge is Bishop’s Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa, a luxury ranch resort boasting 91 years of hospitality.
I’d been plotting a Bishop’s Lodge stay for years, but never quite found the time for it. So, when a WORDHARVEST writer’s workshop took me to Santa Fe, my husband, Hank, and I extended our visit for two additional nights for a stay at the lodge. We were not disappointed.
Last summer, I enjoyed a guided horseback ride through the lodge’s historic stables, open to guests and non-guests. Trailing through piñon and juniper forests, atop scenic mesas and to 360-degree vistas that encompassed the natural beauty of the vast ranch and surrounding region was incredible experienced on the back of a gentle trail horse. Read “Call of the Mild” and learn more about that Santa Fe adventure, and more.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".