Ben + Katelyn
May 23, 2015
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Ben & Katelyn ― Santa Fe, NM
Ben + Katelyn May 23, 2015 SAnta Fe, New Mexico
Ben + Katelyn May 23, 2015 SAnta Fe, New Mexico
You have several options when planning your travel to Santa Fe.
If you fly in to Albuquerque Sunport (ABQ), you can rent a car or pick up a shuttle there for the ~1 hour ride north to Santa Fe . Road Runner Shuttles pick up and drop off at most Santa Fe hotels, Sandia Shuttle Express picks up and drops off at a bus stop within walking distance to Plaza area hotels.
Alternatively, you can fly to Santa Fe Airport (SAF) from DFW or LAX (on American) or DEN (on United) then rent a car (Hertz or Avis only), take a shuttle, or taxi to your hotel.
Special Rates
Use the links below to reserve a room at a special discounted rate. These hotels are within walking distance to many attractions, plenty of food options, and all wedding festivities, making them especially great choices for guests forgoing rental cars! If would prefer to book by phone, mention promotion code SPCEVT to book at the reduced rate.
The Lodge at Santa Fe (This hotel is not on the Plaza, but a courtesy shuttle to/from the Plaza area is available.)
Other Hotels
The following hotels are also in the Plaza area, but are not part of the discounted rate.
Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza
If none of those suit your fancy, there are countless other hotels in the Santa Fe area.
Santa Fe is full of great places to eat. Provided here are a few of our favorites, both on the Plaza and elsewhere.
$= $5-10/person $$= $11-20/person
$$$= $21-35/person $$$$= $36+/person
(Estimated costs do not include beverages/booze. Estimates based on dinner menu prices unless stated otherwise.)
On and around the Plaza
$ Tia Sophia’s – New Mexican food; killer breakfast burritos
$ Il Vicino Pizzeria – Delicious pizza and salads
$ Clafoutis – French breakfast and pastries! Delicious sandwiches for lunch. Get something from the display case to go! Absolutely worth the walk.
$ Bumble Bee’s – Mexican food; great chicken tortilla soup
$ Bert’s Burger Bowl – Burgers!
$ Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream (Santa Fe Espresso Co.) – maybe they also serve other things here, but that’s not what’s important.
$ The Burrito Company (Breakfast and Lunch only) – burritos all day! Also, sandwiches and stuff.
$$ Whole Hog Café – Tasty, tasty BBQ
$$ The Plaza Café – Burgers and New Mexican food; good breakfasts, too
$$ Santa Fe Bite (Breakfast $) – Previously Bobcat Bite, world famous burgers
$$ Cowgirl – Burgers and salads. Great place to get AND treat hangovers
$$ Zia Diner (Breakfast $) – Comfort food and New Mexican. Great Bloody Marys
$$ Thai Café – Thai food at its best. Don’t go Thai-Hot though!
$$ The Shed – New Mexican Food, consistently voted Best of Santa Fe
$$ Rooftop Pizzeria – decent pizza, local beers available
$$$ Izmi Sushi – delicious fish (bonus: gelato next door!!)
$$$ Kohnami Sushi and Asian Cusine – sit out back if it’s nice outside!
$$$ Café Pasqual’s (Breakfast and Lunch $$) – Legendary. Traditional Mexican food. Great breakfast (non-Mexican options available).
$$$ Il Pattio (Lunch $$) – Italiano!
$$$$ Luminaria Restaurant and Patio (Breakfast and Lunch $$) – Normal food, but way better.
Off the Plaza
$ Five Star Burgers – Burger of the Month is usually pretty good. Great weekday happy hour.
$ Santa Fe Baking Co. – Great for breakfast! Lots of options.
$ Pantry – New Mexican food. Good breakfast.
$ Clafoutis – Best French breakfast and lunch this side of the Louvre. Whatever you do, don’t park at the drycleaner’s next door; try the lot across the street. Get something from the display case and save for later; you won’t regret it.
$ Backroad Pizza (Price rating based on sharing a large pizza) – delicious, locally sourced pizza! Good selection of beer. Sit outside if it’s nice.
$$ La Choza – straight up New Mexican Food. Glorious, glorious cheese and beans. Hot Green Chile!
$$ Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen – Also New Mexican food. Checkout the margarita list.
$$ Dr. Field Goods Kitchen – Locally sourced salads, sandwiches, pizza, and other things. Try the goat barbacoa!
$$ Jambo Café – African fusion cusine. Consistently voted Best of Santa Fe.
$$ The Loyal Hound Gastropub – Deep fried comfort favorites and beer!
$$ Tune-Up Café (Breakfast and Lunch $) – El Salvadorian food and burgers, delicious daily specials. Fantastic breakfast menu, too!
$$ Counter Culture Café – Soups, sandwiches, and more. Nice, dog-friendly patio.
$$ Vinaigrette – Gourmet salads; vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore options.
$$ Atrisco Café – New Mexican cusine! Hot, hot, hot green chile. Weekend breakfast menu is supreme.
$$ Joe’s Diner – Good for any meal. Locally sourced ingredients. Great for hungover brunch!
$$$ Chocolate Maven (Breakfast and Lunch $$) – Eggs Benedict 15 ways! New Mexican favorites and more. Best for breakfast, brunch, or lunch. Check out the pastry shop for something to-go or save for later.
On or off the Plaza, enjoy a cool, refreshing libation at one of our favorite watering holes. Don't forget to drink plenty of water too!
On the Plaza
El Paseo – A dive bar in the heart of Santa Fe! Usually some sort of sport on TV or live music in the evenings. Full bar, great Frito Pie.
Secreto Lounge – Famous for their fresh fruit cocktails. Beer, wine, and other stuff available. A little on the pricey side, but good afternoon happy hour.
Draft Station – Local beers on tap, nice spot for people-watching on the patio. Pizza menu.
Del Charro – Cheap margaritas and full bar. Full restaurant menu; good burgers.
Second Street Brewery, Rail Yard – Local brewery, one of Ben’s most-visited places. Nice patio, full menu, live music often.
Tanti Luce 221 – Full bar, nice patio if it’s open. Bar menu in bar, full restaurant menu at tables.
Cowgirl – Always a lively place! Try a “Lava Lamp”: half beer, half margarita, whole delicious. Beer, wine, cocktails, full food menu. Live music most weekends.
Off the Plaza
Maria’s New Mexico Kitchen – Famous for their enormous margarita menu, full bar, full menu available.
Loyal Hound – Beer and wine, full menu available. Nice cozy atmosphere.
Second Street Brewery, Second Street – Beer and full menu. Live music some weekend nights.
Five Star Burgers – Beer and wine, great happy hour. Full menu, great burgers.
For the art and/or history lovers, check out the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, the New Mexico Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, or the New Mexico History Museum; add to that a quick Loretto Chapel tour to see the “miraculous” Loretto staircase.
If you prefer to ramble, an afternoon spent window shopping on the Plaza is sure to turn up a treasure or two. There are also walking tours in the Plaza area (self-directed or guided) for chocolate lovers, coffee fanatics, burger gourmands, et cetera. There’s even a guided GHOST TOUR!
Time to rest your feet? Check out the George R.R. Martin-owned Jean Cocteau Cinema a few blocks off the Plaza, or see what’s on at the historic Lensic Performing Arts Center.
A short drive into the Sangre de Cristo foothills will bring you to Museum Hill, home of the Museum of International Folk Art (Katelyn’s favorite), the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, and the Santa Fe Botanical Garden. A little farther up the road you’ll find the Dale Ball Trails system: 22 miles of interconnected walking/running/biking trails with options for outdoor enthusiasts at any skill level.
Cruise a few miles north of town to find the Shidoni Foundry and Sculpture Garden (Ben's favorite); stroll the galleries and gardens, check the schedule to tour the foundry and see a bronze pour. Continue northward to Los Alamos and visit the Bradbury Science Museum (free!) and Fuller Lodge Art Center, or climb around the cliff sides like ancient Pueblo people at Bandelier National Monument.
Just looking to relax a little? Take in a movie and enjoy the air conditioning at the Regal 14 Cineplex, treat yourself to a dip in the hot springs at Ten Thousand Waves, or play a round at the Towa Golf Course. For some good old-fashioned retail therapy check out the Fashion Outlets of Santa Fe, including retail space for Le Creuset, Coach, Levi’s, Nike, Eddie Bauer, and more.
Altitude Sickness
Santa Fe is located 7200 feet above sea level. This means you’ll weigh slightly less (very, very slightly less) and water boils at a lower temperature (92°C versus 100°C). It also means visitors might experience altitude sickness. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to, headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, and excessive flatulence (totally true!). Combined with dehydration due to Santa Fe’s dry desert climate, this can make for a miserable vacation. Luckily, there are some very easy things you (yes, YOU!) can do to help prevent and/or reduce the physiological effects of high altitude travel.*
Most importantly: Stay hydrated! Drink lots and lots and lots of water. Drink extra, extra water if you’re also drinking caffeine and/or alcohol. Take a water bottle with you if you’re out and about. Make sure children are also drinking plenty of water.
Secondly: Take it easy! Your lungs are working harder since atmospheric pressure is lower. This can make simple tasks (going up stairs, walking, living) seem more tiring, and strenuous tasks (running, hiking, jumping on hotel beds) seem downright impossible.
Finally: Rest. Some of my personal favorite resting activities: sleeping in, enjoying a siesta, lounging at a long lunch, going to bed early, finding a comfy chair and reading a book, taking a bubble bath, getting a massage, or staring blankly into space.
If you’re unfortunate enough to encounter altitude sickness, treating the symptoms (headaches, nausea, flatulence) with your chosen remedy (Advil, Pepto-Bismol, farting) often alleviates the associated discomfort.
*We’re not doctors. These recommendations come from Wikipedia and personal experience, so put as much faith in this advice as you feel the sources warrant. We just want to help you not feel bad when you visit us. Seek professional medical if you feel it’s necessary.
Sun Exposure
High altitude + desert sun = quick and easy sunburns. Please, please, please wear sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, etc., and make sure your kiddos (if you’ve got ‘um) are sun-safe too.
