Day Three: Good Intentions. My original plan for day three of my Santa Fe getaway was to spend the entire day enjoying the The Bishop’s Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa. It’s a fantastic resort just five minutes from downtown that sits nestled on 450 acres in the Tesuque Valley, surrounded by the incredible natural beauty of the national forest in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. And you know, I almost got there. But I’d been reading about this amazing Bronze foundry called Shidoni, and when I realized it was just past my intended destination, I had to go see it. And am I glad I did. Shidoni is amazing - a working foundry - and one of the top fine art foundries in the United States. They do it all - enlargement, mold making, lost wax and sand casting, fabrication in a wide variety of metals, patina, sculpture mounting and more. Their 14,000 s.f. facility pours ten thousand pounds of bronze per month for a variety of resident and visiting artists, some of whom come to Shidoni to create unique and edition works in cast bronze and aluminum. The really great thing is that the foundry is open to the public for self guided tours Monday through Friday between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m., and from 9:00 am to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays. The bronze pours occur every Saturday, year around, and are open to the public at no charge. There’s also a bronze gallery and sculpture garden, as well as an art gallery devoted primarilly to American crafts. By the time I got away from Shidoni, I was barely able to get to Bishop’s Lodge for my horseback ride (which was something I did not want to miss). Exploring the scenic landscape surrounding Bishop’s Lodge on horseback is the very best way to enjoy this magnificent landscape. And afterwards, there’s a great reward: a treatment at the Bishop’s Lodge’s ShaNah Spa & Wellness Center, followed by dinner at Las Fuentes Restaurant & Bar. “ShaNah” means “vitality and energy” in Navajo, and that’s precisely what you’ll find at the ShaNah Spa. I highly recommend the Watsu massage. This amazing form of aquatic bodywork is based on a combination of stretching techniques and Shiatsu, all performed while you float effortlessly in a 96-degree pool. The warm water and the freedom from gravity allow the therapist to perform a level of spinal and muscle work that is rarely achieved through traditional massage methods. You’ll come out of a Watsu massage feeling like putty that’s been kneaded almost into a liquid state!

Day Four: The walk-about. Walking around downtown Santa Fe is a bit like taking a spiritual journey. The air is crisp and clean, the light creates cascades of stunning colors as it reflects off structures both natural and manmade, and the energy welling up from the earth creates an almost palpable feeling of well-being. I decided to compound that feeling by scheduling a facial at the Downtown Day Spa - a great little find in the heart of downtown Santa Fe. Located just off the Plaza, the downtown Day Spa offers a wide variety of services and products to get you feeling good, and keep you looking great. They also know just about everybody in town. (Truth be told, the folks there are probably as good as any concierge in town!)

After my facial, I continued exploring downtown, and ended up at the most amazing Photo Gallery - Verve Fine Arts. Verve has a large and diverse collection, and a varied selection of artists. I particularly enjoyed Michael Crouser’s photography (especially his “Alaskan Natives” and “American West” collections), Ralph Lee Hopkins’ “Wild Moments, Wild Places,” Nathan McCreery’s “Landscape” Series, and Jennifer Schlesinger’s “Moon Series.” I know what you’re thinking. And yes. I did end up spending the entire afternoon at Verve, especially after I discovered my most favorite series of all - Huntington Witherill’s “Botanicals.” You really must see this body of work! It’s breathtaking! After Verve, there was not too much time left for exploration. I’d made dinner reservations at The Club - the dinner restaurant inside the charming St. Francis Santa Fe Hotel, and I did not want to be late, or rushed. Located on Don Gaspar Avenue, just a couple of blocks from the Plaza, the St. Francis is a wonderful historic hotel (it was given “Landmark” Status by the National Trust for Historic Preservation), and The Club is a particularly nice spot for dinner. I sat outside, and enjoyed a lovely sunset, and a sumptuous meal that started with a great appetizer - the Pan Seared Blue Crab Cakes - and concluded with the Pan Roasted Filet Mignon (rare) and Andouile Sausage. Dessert? No way. My dessert was a glass of Port.

Before leaving Santa Fe, I wanted to explore the up and coming Art Districts on Second Street and Baca Street. I’d been hearing great things about this growing part of Santa Fe’s art community, and decided my trip simply would not be complete without checking the area out. I’m glad I did. The area has the feel of a real art community with yoga studios, coffee shops, galleries, artists’ studios, and chic restaurants mixed effortlessly into the somewhat funky and friendly neighborhood. Here indeed, is where the emerging artists are working and creating art that is original, edgy, and sometimes outrageous (which is exactly what art should be in its purest form).

Some great examples of that art can be found at the Farrell Fischoff Gallery, located on Second Street. Since opening in 2003, the Farrell Fischoff Gallery has focused on exhibiting the work of emerging artists, with a particular emphasis on New Mexico artists. Although grounded in traditional mediums of painting, sculpture, drawing and printmaking, the artists represented by the gallery draw upon an ever expanding variety of modern and post-modern influences to create unique, unusual, and sometimes even controversial contemporary art. Worth a visit!