Bye, Bye Amarillo: I Left My Art in Santa Fe
by MOLLY JONES
While it��s true that we have the Cadillac Ranch and the Big Texan Steak Ranch in our fair city of Amarillo, Texas, hunks of buried metal and seven pound steaks are hardly what you��d call typical symbols of a highly evolved culture, even if they are quintessentially Texan. And yes, even us Texas folk do occasionally feel the need to feed that part of us that doesn��t revolve around horsepower and sides of cow. With that in mind, Grant and I decided to take off a few days and nourish our finer selves in Santa Fe.
Friday morning we packed the Chevy Suburban, dropped the kids at my mom��s, and with local Amarillo boy Joe Ely serenading us on the XM radio, we hit the road bound for our romantic soiree in New Mexico. The journey from Texas to Santa Fe was so much flirtatious fun. This was our first trip alone since we��d had our kids and I felt an almost school girlish exhilaration at being with my favorite man in the Suburban with nothing but the open road before us.
Some hours after leaving Amarillo, we pulled into the driveway of 10,000 Waves, a unique mountain spa resort near Santa Fe. Even though it��s primarily a day spa, we had decided to book into one of the thirteen unique hotel suites they have available. I��m pleased to say we were in no way disappointed with our Japanese-styled accommodations. Everything about the facility from the luxurious treatments to the fabulous Waterfall tub and steam room put us in the right frame of mind to enjoy our romantic getaway to the max.
The afternoon after our arrival, we decided it was time to take some time off from the delightful indulgence of the spa and explore Santa Fe. After a quick drive in the Chevy Suburban, we found ourselves strolling around the delightfully quaint central Plaza, staring in amazement at the singular appearance of all the structures.
Grant glanced at our guide book and explained that the city actually imposes a unified building style that demands homage to the Spanish Territorial or Pueblo style of architecture, with flat roofs and other features suggestive of the area's traditional adobe construction. Even though many contemporary houses in the city are built from lumber, concrete blocks and other common building materials �C stucco surfaces, sometimes referred to as "faux-dobe," are plastered on to reflect the historic style.
By now, we were feeling a little hungry, so we stopped in at the Ore House on the Plaza for some well-deserved cocktails and appetizers. A couple of hours on the balcony overlooking the historic plaza and the sweet nothings were flowing as freely as the Margaritas this fine establishment is famous for.
You might recall I made some thinly veiled references to culture, and indeed, I am an enthusiastic artist, who has been known to make an occasional sale in our local galleries in Amarillo. Fortunately, Grant has a fairly keen interest in the arts, so I met with no resistance when I suggested we take a walk to the Georgia O��Keeffe Museum nearby. What a thrill it was to wander among these incredible works in the very city where O��Keeffe lived and worked. It really was a treat I��ll never forget.
The following day, we spent some time on Canyon Road, an area that boasts the highest concentration of art galleries in the city. The wonderful galleries feature a wide array of contemporary Southwestern, indigenous American, and experimental art, in addition to older Russian, Taos Masters, and Native American pieces. By the time we were done, our exhausted bodies were more than ready for the soothing therapies back at 10,000 Waves.
Inspired to a new level by all the amazing art I��d seen, I spent the last day painting on the grounds of the spa, while Grant went white water rafting on the Rio Grande. That evening, we enjoyed a couple��s aquatic massage and a wonderful romantic picnic in our room.
When we settled back into the Chevy Suburban the following morning for the journey back to Texas, we were well and truly relaxed, rejuvenated, and ready to resume reality.
Author Bio: As much as she tries to play it down, Molly Jones is a prolific artist in Amarillo, Texas. She is also a proud wife and mother. This is the first article Molly has written for the Internet. Having pressed the submit button, she can��t wait to get back to her brushes and canvases. For more information on the Chevrolet Suburban, visit highplainsgmc.com.
