Santa Fe NM: Arts, music and foodie paradise – take the Four Seasons curated tour
SANTA FE, NM — Check out the Buffalo Head! It’s made from all recycled materials by artist Holly Hughes with old paint brushes, papiermache, scrap metal, film, fishing reel, plastic spoons. How many different items can you find?
We are in the New Mexico Capital in Santa Fe which is home to the New Mexico Capitol Art Collection with more than 600 works of art. The art was created by more than 300 New Mexico Artists with paintings, sculptures, photographs, ceramics, textiles, and, of course, the multimedia buffalo- head on the third floor, one of the most famous.
The Four Seasons Rancho Encantado, with just 65 casita-style rooms on its 57-acre property north of Santa Fe, has curated this art-focused tour of downtown Santa Fe, about 20 minutes from the resort.
Increasingly, hotels and resorts are offering bespoke tours and activities for their guests—everything from mixology lessons to horseback riding, cooking demonstrations, shopping and more.
What’s unique here is that the resort has eight onsite guides who can offer anything from a special tour to Bandelier National Monument, with the chance to peek into the pueblos that Native Americans lived in thousands of years ago; Abiquiu Ghost Ranch, where famed artist Georgia O’Keefe lived and worked; shopping in Santa Fe, famous for Native American jewelry and art; horseback riding on a ranch where some of the horses, and a buffalo named Clyde, have been featured in movies and TV shows made here.
You can ask for a focus on food, high end jewelry, vintage clothing, a visit to a custom cowboy boot maker, Farmer’s Markets (Tuesday and Saturdays), even a gourmet tailgate at the famed Santa Fe open-air Opera that is not far from here.
Let’s not forget The Game of Thrones. Author George R.R. Martin lives in Santa Fe and oversees a local cultural empire, including the themed Sky Railway Beastly Books, Milk of the Poppy, a medieval apothecary-themed cocktail bar, and the Jean Cocteau Cinema all in the Railyard District.
How about kids’ cowboy hats? No problem, said our guide Deena Joseph, noting she can also take guests to the Five & Dime General Store on the town square, popular with kids of all ages.
Galleries? The Canyon Road galleries are kid friendly, promises Mike McKoskey, the resort’s Art Concierge who sources art for the Four Seasons and whose gallery is housed in what was his wife’s grandmother’s adobe home and compound. Though huge, the Santa Fe art scene is laid back. “It’s not intimidating,” he promised. “We appreciate families. Art should be for everybody.”
As far as the Four Season’s tours, “We curate based on your interest,” explained Joseph, the mom of four grown daughters who has lived in Santa Fe for more than 30 years. “Of course, you can go by yourself, but you miss so much without a guide who can tell you all the stories and history.”
That includes the story of the location of the Four Seasons, which originally was a dude ranch dating back to the 1940s with more than 200 acres.
The Capitol art collection, Joseph said, is a great way to “introduce kids to New Mexico politics and many cultures.” That’s because this place is a real melting pot, including 19 Native American Pueblos, many Hispanic natives, with some families dating back centuries to when the Spanish were first here, and those from many other countries who first served as soldiers with the Spanish.
Food here represents that diversity, said the Four Seasons Executive Chef Gregory Joseph, himself the father of three. He was offering a complimentary afternoon pizza making demonstration while we were visiting.
We also opted for a complimentary early morning hike with adventure guide Irena Ossola on trails above the resort. “Here you can see the native New Mexico landscape,” she said. A former professional cyclist, Ossola is hoping to develop mountain biking trails here.
Then there is the chance to experience the culture here through food. “Santa Fe has an abundance of unique flavors representing a blend of cultural influences including Pueblo, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo,” he explained. “Staples of local cuisine include the “Three Sisters,” corn beans and squash as well as blue corn and famous red and green chiles.”
The Four Seasons has a fabulous breakfast offering, with blue corn pancakes and green chili shashuka with spinach, mushrooms, Garbanzo beans and eggs—one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a long while.
Another local favorite that is a signature desert here — freshly made Churros (made with fried dough covered with sugar] with chocolate sauce for dessert.
While in Santa Fe, Joseph said, try a meal “Christmas style,” which means blending both red and green chili sauce on enchiladas, burritos or omelets. At the farmers market we picked up a pound of powdered Santa Cruz Chimayo chili. We were told it is local and authentic, and we can’t wait to try it when chili-making season returns in October.
With kids, Joseph suggested, it helps to encourage them to try something different. For example, they love the resort’s Terra burger, topped with chili bacon, green chili, and homemade pickles. Of course they can order it plain. “We are happy to accommodate a variety of dietary preferences and styles,” whether smaller portions for those on GLP-1 medications, those with allergies, vegetarians (the Roasted Poblano with quinoa pilaf that is also Gluten free).
Joseph also explained that Four Season guides will curate a tour based on the kids’ ages. For example, at the Tuesday Farmer’s Market offered with an array of jewelry, hand crafted magnets, art, vegetables, cookies and fruit drinks made from strawberries grown on nearby farms.
A highlight was our visit to Kakawa Chocolate House (the name means cacao or chocolate). They produce authentic drinking chocolate elixirs that date back to ancient times dating back to 1000 BC to the mid 1900s. Here is your chance to learn about chocolate’s long history with elixirs including Italian Citrus, French Lavender, and even Thomas Jefferson’s drinking chocolate recipe. Many are spicy with chili; some more creamy.
There are also truffles made with pomegranate, cherry, apricot, caramel, pecans and more. Almost all offer a chili infused option. Kakawa is also known for their artisanal ice cream. Try their Spicy Aztec chocolate or customer favorite mint chocolate trip.
We must not forget to mention just how pet-friendly is the Four Seasons Rancho Encantado! Our little rescue pooch, Loni Anderson, enjoyed their homemade doggie biscuits, made from sweet potato and/or pumpkin. She enjoyed watching all the varieties of birds, including hummingbirds, zip around the very pollinator-friendly plants. Outside our casita was a beautiful porch with comfy chair and lounges where we watched the afternoon thundershowers pass by.
Thanks, Four Seasons. I only wish we had more time.