Ease Into Santa Fe

It's not hard to fall in love with New Mexico's 400-year old capital. Revered as the art Mecca of America, one might expect an air of pretentiousness. Not so in Santa Fe where the only thing that creeps into this air is the smell of sagebrush. Get acquainted with its distinctive adobe architecture and high-desert hospitality by strolling the vibrant central plaza. Live music often floats in the afternoon breeze, and vendors from painters, jewelry makers, and kettle-corn gourmets charm the sidewalks. Grab a balcony table at the Marble Brewery Tap Room for an afternoon refresher and a bird's-eye view of the scene. Later, walk a few blocks to explore Canyon Road—home to 90 of Santa Fe's 300 art galleries, ranging from modern abstract to intricate Native American works. For dinner, The Shed is an authentically Southwestern hole-in-the-wall with mouthwatering blue corn enchiladas and green chile burritos (make a reservation); afterward, watch the sun cascade in periwinkle shades over the mountains from La Fonda Hotel's rooftop Bell Tower Bar. Wind things down away from the plaza with live music (Thursdays and Saturdays) at the low-lit, low-key Dragon Room (a celebrity haunt) that showcases Warhol-esque Native American paintings by local artist Stan Natchez.

TIP: Want to really ease into Santa Fe? Warm your bones and slip out of stress at Ten Thousand Waves—a quiet mountain spa inspired by the Japanese onsen. The Nose to Toes massage will leave you feeling like a buttered noodle.

There are flights to Santa Fe by way of LAX. Or, there are direct frights to Albuquerque from Bay Area airports. It's about a one-hour drive to Santa Fe from Albuquerque. Santafe.org has a list of all the hotels in town. The closer to the plaza the more expensive the hotel: Two of the best plaza-side ones are the Inn and Spa at Loretto and Hotel St. Francis.