Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
199
of Española on US 84. When you see the surrounding terrain, it will be clear that this
was the inspiration for many of her startling landscapes.
O'Keeffe's adobe home
(where she lived and painted) is open for public tours. A reservation must be made in
advance; the fee for adults is $30 (some discounts apply) for a 1-hour tour. A number of
tours are given each week—on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (mid-Mar to late Nov
only)—and a limited number of people are accepted per tour. Visitors are not permitted
to take pictures. Fortunately, O'Keeffe's home remains as it was when she lived there
(until 1986). Call several months in advance for reservations (
&
505/685-4539
).
Where to Stay & Dine
El Paragua
NORTHERN NEW MEXICAN This Española restaurant is a great
place to stop en route to Taos, though some Santa Feans make a special trip here. Every
time I enter El Paragua (which means “the umbrella”), with its red-tile floors and colorful
Saltillo-tile trimmings, I feel as though I've stepped into Mexico. The restaurant opened
in 1958 as a small taco stand owned by two brothers, and through the years it has flour-
ished. It has received praise from many sources, including
Gourmet
Magazine
and N.
Scott Momaday, writing for the
New York Times.
You can't go wrong ordering the Enchi-
lada Suprema, a chicken and cheese enchilada with onion and sour cream. Also on the
menu are fajitas and a variety of seafood dishes and steaks, including the
churrasco Argen-
tino.
Served at your table in a hot brazier, it's cooked in a green herb
salsa chimichurri.
There's a full bar from which you may want to try Don Luis's Italian coffee, made with
a coffee-flavored liquor called Tuaca. For equally excellent but faster food, skip next door
to the kin restaurant
El Parasol
and order a chicken taco—the best ever.
603 Santa Cruz Rd., Española (off the main drag; turn east at Long John Silver's).
&
505/753-3211.
www.
elparagua.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $11-$22. AE, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11am-
8:30pm.
Rancho de San Juan
Moments
Just 38 miles from Santa Fe, set between
Española and Ojo Caliente, this inn provides an authentic northern New Mexico desert
experience with the comforts of a luxury hotel and the ease of staying with friends. In
2006, this place received some serious recognition; it was listed on the
Condé Nast Trav-
eler
Gold List and named as one of the top six inns in the United States by
Executive
Traveler.
It's the passion of architect and chef John Johnson, responsible for the design
and cuisine, and interior designer David Heath, responsible for the elegant interiors. The
original part of the inn comprises four recently renovated and enlarged rooms around a
central courtyard. Additional casitas with kitchens are in the outlying hills. Rooms here
are open, bright, and very elegant—stylishly decorated with a creative mix from the own-
ers' personal art collections including contemporary paintings, tribal masks, and Euro-
pean antiques. From private patios, you'll have spectacular views of desert landscapes and
distant, snow-capped peaks. The Kiva suite is the most innovative, with a round bed-
room and a skylight just above the bed, perfect for stargazing.
Meals here are some of the best in the state. The weekly seasonal menus are original,
flavorful, and beautifully presented. The selection of appetizers, entrees ($38), and des-
serts often take a French-inspired twist on local Southwest ingredients.
US 285 (en route to Ojo Caliente), P.O. Box 4140, Fairview Station, Española, NM 87533.
&
505/753-
6818.
www.ranchodesanjuan.com. 13 units. $285-$685 double. AE, MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant; con-
cierge.
In room:
A/C, CD player, fridge w/stocked beverages, hair dryer.
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