summer vacation idea | Four Seasons Santa Fe

National Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

Looking for a summer vacation idea? I spent a month in Santa Fe during the summer of 1991 and really enjoyed the city. Warm, dry days (except for the occasional thunderstorm and flash flood) and cool, dry nights. We never had the air conditioning on in our condo.

Why Santa Fe? Three reasons...

1. Opera. The Santa Fe Opera House is one of the most renowned opera companies in the country, and its season runs from June 29 to August 25. If you're an opera fan, Santa Fe is a must-do destination.
2. Pottery. The American southwest is rich in Native American culture, and I especially enjoyed shopping for traditional pottery (and even tried my hand at spinning my own pot in a pottery class with my kids). My creation is sitting on my desk right now.
3. Art. Lots of artists live in the Santa Fe area, and you can enjoy galleries displaying paintings and craft shops featuring jewelry.

And don't miss the stories... Joe Hayes is a gifted storyteller, and you can hear his weekly stories every Saturday and Sunday evening at 7 p.m. (July 20-August 14) at the Wheelwright Museum. Free admission, and such a treat!

Where to stay? Four Seasons Santa Fe — Rancho Encantado — is an intimate resort with just 65 casita guest rooms, each a spacious 630 square feet. My clients receive exclusive added-value amenities that make your stay even more of a treat:

• Daily full American breakfast for two people per bedroom, served through In-Room Dining or in the hotel restaurant (including buffets)
• Food and beverage credit of USD100
• Upgrade of one category, based on availability at time of check-in (excluding signature suites and villas)
• Complimentary high-speed Internet access for all guest room and suite bookings

Four Seasons Santa Fe (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Cappadocia | where to stay and what to do

Anatolian Houses Hotel in Cappadocia offers fairy-tale surroundings for a vacation experience unlike anything you have ever experienced. Each of the hotel's 19 suites is a cave, hewn in the soft rock of the area, that has been transformed into a luxurious and unique accommodation, and each room is completely different from the next.

Each of us had our own room (very low occupancy rate in February when the average high in the area was about 25 degrees Fahrenheit), and it was an adventure just to visit all of our rooms. Some had multi-levels and some had displays of incredible artwork. Every room had a fireplace and most had jacuzzis; what a setting for a romantic getaway!

While the hotel itself is a destination, Cappadocia is an area abounding in fascinating things to see and do. We took a hot air balloon ride at dawn, visited the Goreme Open Air Museum (an entire ancient village of cave dwellings that housed a monastic community), explored an underground city, gazed at the conical rock formations called "fairy chimneys," and had a tour of a pottery factory where some of the area's hand cast and painted pottery is made.

Cappadocia (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2007 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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