2 posts tagged “spa”

We just flew in to the beautiful and scenic dessert lands of New Mexico. Known for the blue and purple sunsets New Mexico provides the perfect tranquil escape for any busybody looking to get away. We rented a car and took the 25 min. trip into downtown Santa Fe and checked in to our hotel, the Inn and Spa at Loretto. This beautiful hotel put us just a block away from the historic Plaza which is home to a plethora of shopping, fine art galleries and museums including the renowned Georgia O'Keefe Museum.

We started off the excursion roaming through Santa Fe exploring the food and Art galleries the quaint downtown has to offer. If you are going to go to Santa Fe you'll find plenty of restaurants that will allow you to indulge in some authentic New Mexican food such as Sopapias but the staple Southwestern treat that you wont find anywhere else is the Chile. Whether you order tacos, enchiladas, hamburgers, or a Sprite you are going to hear the same question "Red or Green?" In order to save you the embarrassment Ill let you in on the meaning behind the "red or green?" conundrum.

The question refers to the type of Chile you want smothered over your meal. Mind you this isn't pork and bean style American "Chili" but rather sauces made with true New Mexican red and green spicy Chiles. Don't get scared off right away, typically the Chile isn't too spicy and has more of a zip than a burn and is incredibly delicious. The red Chile is more of a curry sauce typically blended with garlic and onions while the green Chile is a stew type sauce with actual green Chile strips and generally a little spicier. If you want to sound like a local when answering the Chile question just say, "Christmas!" And you will get the best of both worlds.

Personally my favorite Chile dish and one of the more...unusual, is the god sent gift of the Frito Pie. Just like the name states it is a bowl full of Frito's smothered in either red or green Chile (or Christmas as we learned earlier) topped off with refried beans, lettuce, cheddar cheese and diced onions. Probably one of the simplest and best meals I have ever had and better yet, they can be found just about anywhere including another local favorite; Blakes Lota Burger.

That's all for now but I'll keep you updated, if anyone knows of some must see spots in New Mexico or other cool places to stay let me know!

Memorial Day always sparks the need to get away and inspires hopes for the Summer ahead.  What better way to forget all your worries and jump start the season than a weekend full of fun and debauchery in the hottest destination spot in the U.S., Viva Las Vegas!

There are about a million different amazing places to stay in Vegas all of which have a an allure of their own from the $5000 a night ultra luxurious MGM Grand Mansions to the more subdued  travel on a dime Tropicana at around $40 a night.  So before you go you really just have to ask yourself what is it you want to do?  Do you want to gamble, see shows, be at the hottest clubs or lay in the lap of luxury for a little R&R.  I recommend a little bit of everything

Where to Stay:
If you want a well rounded stay at a decent price I would suggest the Luxor Hotel and Casino.  Centrally located on the strip the Luxor is home to one of the hottest nightclubs LAX.  From the creators of Pure, this 26,000 modern experience is one of the top night spots with A list celebrities, social jet-setters and top industry DJ's you can be sure a night at LAX won't end early.

For the morning's recovery head to the spa "Nurture" and enjoy  a revitalizing eucalyptus  steam bath  and take soak in the whirlpool.  Once you're back up 100% hit up the casino and win back some cash (since you probably lost your pride the night before) and use it to go see Cirque de Soleil's Mystere, an incredible display of athleticism  and acrobatics  with splashy costumes, live music and guarantees a unique experience.