How to Spend a Weekend in Santa Fe
Do you ever get so caught up planning exotic, weeklong vacations to bucket list destinations, you completely overlook the wonderful places within driving distance? [Raises hand] This girl does. I’ll plan trips all around the world, completely forgetting about the awesome cities surrounding Denver.
I spent this weekend in Sante Fe—an awesome town driving distance from my home. I went with my boyfriend because….*breathes deeply…I didn’t buy him a birthday present. Don’t throw rocks at me, I feel bad enough already.
My man Teddy and I were in South Africa over his birthday. And while you may think an African safari is celebration enough (he insisted it was), well you just don’t know my boyfriend. He does everything for me. He is my biggest fan, my photographer, my podcast editor, my home chef, my first text when anything goes wrong, my first text when anything goes right—
—I’ll stop now. Long-blog-post-introduction short, I wanted to gift Teddy a trip explicitly for his birthday, not one we planned already.
The biggest attraction (and our first stop) in Sante Fe is Meow Wolf
Meow Wolf is an interactive museum. If an art museum, escape room, and Candyland made a baby, that is Meow Wolf. Over 100 artists and 300 employees collaborated to create make each room an interactive experience. It’s almost like a game—there’s a narrative that extends throughout each and every room, almost like a puzzle you have to solve.
Or, forget the mystery altogether and go for the Instagram pics. It’s a free country.
We spent two hours exploring the museum, but you could easily spend the entire day there. I walked through a refrigerator door to enter the next room; I poured out a cup of laundry detergent to discover a hidden passageway; I slid down a slide rather than walk down a hallway. You’ll see people crawling out of fireplaces, sliding down a clothes dryer, or disappearing to another universe inside a coat closet.
Our Two-Day Itinerary to Sante Fe, New Mexico
Sante Fe is just a five-and-a-half hour drive from Denver, making it the perfect weekend getaway. Simply travel straight down I25 and you’ll run straight into it. Plan to eat, drink, and explore various art exhibits (if you have the time, try to squeeze in an outdoor activity).
Day 1: Friday
We arrived around 1PM and had lunch downtown. We went straight to Meow Wolf then checked into our Airbnb. We chose an Airbnb walking distance to downtown restaurants and shops, allowing us to barely use our car throughout the weekend.
Be warned: The food in Sante Fe is extraaaa spicy and the margaritas are extra strong. I feel as though my mouth is still burning and the hangover is finally over. ;)
Day 2: Saturday
On Saturday we spent our day walking around and exploring Sante Fe. We stopped at the local farmers market, then ventured out to the Art’s District. As you can probably guess, Sante Fe is known for its art installations. We walked through Canyon Road, an area with over 100 galleries, restaurants, and boutiques in just a half-mile span.
Breakfast: Dolina
Workout: Bodyweight workout (check it out below!)
Activities: Santa Fe farmers market, walking downtown, Canyon Road
Coffee: Iconik
Dinner: The Shed
Day 3: Sunday
On Sunday, we just had time for a quick breakfast before our Airbnb checkout. If we didn’t have a half-day drive back to Denver, I would have loved to try an outdoor activity just outside the city limits. If you have the time, you should really check out the various hikes and mountain bike trails around the city.
Breakfast: Dolina (it was so good, we had to go back)
A Bodyweight Workout You Can Try at Any Airbnb
It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling to Sante Fe, San Francisco, or San Diego—here’s a bodyweight workout from the TL Method you can perform anywhere. I did this Saturday morning outside our Airbnb, and it was the perfect way to get some movement in throughout the weekend.
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds. Do 4 rounds.
Lateral High Knees
Mountain Climber
Heismans
Plank Wide In Out
Skier to Split Hop
Football Runners
Check out the whole workout on my IGTV.