Santa Fe Travel Guide

Happy Monday! I've got a busy week ahead as I pack for a warm weather getaway (any guesses where?) but before I go, let's rewind to one of my very first stops from my recent coast-to-coast US road trip: Santa Fe. 

Known for it's Pueblo-style architecture and world-class creative arts, Santa Fe has a rich history and timeless soul. This city was voted #5 in the world by Condé Nast Traveler and #4 in the world by Travel + Leisure, so clearly it's made quite the impression on many. 

Art-lovers take note: there are way more quality museums here than you could possibly conquer in a single visit (including the Georgia O'Keefe Museum, New Mexico Museum of Art and the Museum of International Folk Art). But it doesn't stop there-- you'll also find countless (literally countless) art galleries and shops brimming with local hand-made goods like pottery, hand-woven baskets and rugs, turquoise and other precious stone jewelry.

If the arts aren't enough to woo you, don't worry- this town has plenty more to offer. With an incredible natural beauty anyone can appreciate, you'll find skiing, hiking (the most famous being tent rocks) and bike trails galore in and around the area. 

More of a history buff? You're in luck, because Santa Fe happens to be the oldest capital city in North America. This means it's seen everything from revolt to invasion to reconquest (and a whole lot more than that).

It's also home to 19 Native American pueblos whose timeless cultures, arts, traditions and beliefs continue to enrich the area today. You can participate in Pueblo Feast Days and Tribal Celebrations for a unique first-hand and authentic experience, or purchase art directly from them every day on the plaza. 

And if you're still lacking interest (although, how could you be?) there's also a fantastic food scene and some world-class spas that anyone can enjoy.  

Regardless of what piques your interest, Santa Fe is someplace I firmly believe everyone can and will appreciate. While I only spent about 36 hours there, I'm already plotting a return trip to accomplish more of what I couldn't see in my short time. So if you're interested in planning a trip yourself, here's what you simply must see + do.

LA BOCA RESTAURANT

We arrived to Santa Fe around dinner time and went straight to La Boca for our meal. This cozy eatery offers modern Spanish tapas and was started in 2006 by 8 time James Beard Award Nominee, Chef James Campbell Caruso. It's also been voted as "Restaurant of the Year" in Santa Fe and was given an "Award of Excellence" by the International Wine and Food Society. 

From the moment I walked in, La Boca felt like a lively European wine bar (complete with a Spanish guitarist filling the room with music). Our waiter was animated and welcoming and quickly guided us through the menu and wine list. We opted to let him send out his choice items and wine (my favorite way to eat out because it let's the chef flex and you end up trying things you never would order yourself). Our favorite starter that we were served was by far the Alcachofas (grilled artichokes, Spanish goat cheese, orange zest + mint). 

Some other dishes we loved? The mussels (aji amarillo fish broth, chorizo rioja + garlic), the Fried Portuguese goat cheese (cherry port mostarda, tarragon mojo verde + crostini) and an incredible seasonal vegetable dish (in this case, carrots + parsnips with a delicious yogurt topping). 

While my photos may be a bit dark (I didn't want to disturb my fellow diners in such an intimate setting with a flash), I assure you that every detail from the presentation to the freshness to the collective taste of each dish was carefully thought out and of the highest quality. Then to top it all off, the wine pairings were impeccable and completed the dining experience beautifully. 

All in all, I can't say enough great things about La Boca: the ambiance, the service, the food, the wine- all of it. It's is someplace I'd recommend to anyone and I'll definitely return when I'm back in Santa Fe. 

SHOP ON THE PLAZA AT PALACE OF THE GOVERNORS

The next morning we went straight to the historic plaza in the heart of Santa Fe to shop from the Native Americans. These vendors are here everyday (they operate on a daily lottery system to secure a position at the plaza) and sell incredibly beautiful art, jewelry and other unique products. While the city of Santa Fe makes an effort to patrol the shops and ensure any advertised Native American products are indeed authentic, the locals will tell you purchasing items here from the Natives themselves is the best way to go. 

I found that almost all of the vendors will let you handle the jewelry and try it on if you're interested in purchasing. You'll notice a lot of the products are marked with traditional Native American symbols (which they'll explain the significance and meaning as you express interest). I'd argue you won't find more beautiful turquoise anywhere else in the world (not to mention find any with a better story). Regardless of whether you're actually purchasing anything, it's definitely worth browsing to appreciate the craftsmanship + culture. 

LA FONDA ON THE PLAZA | LA PLAZUELA

After lunch we went to arguably the most historic hotel in Santa Fe, La Fonda on the Plaza, for lunch at their restaurant La Plazuela. 

For starters, La Plazuela restaurant was built in the 1920s (it used to be an open air patio but they managed to keep the same aesthetic with bright natural lighting, indoor trees and the same fountain). But beyond the beautiful interior and the incredibly rich history, the food is out of this world. 

La Pazuela "is simply one of the best restaurants in Santa Fe, offering a fresh take on classic New Mexican cuisine." We tried the Enchiladas del Norte (yellow corn tortillas filled with Mexican cheeses and topped with local Hatch red sauce) and the Fajitas de Santa Fe (marinated chicken and shrimp with bell peppers and sweet Spanish onions- served with corn or flour tortillas). Everything was incredibly delicious and offered a truly unique kind of local flavor you simply can't find anywhere else.

After our lunch, we took a tour of the entire hotel property and learned about the history. I realized I could dedicate an entire blog post to this hotel alone and I still wouldn't be able to fit everything in because there is so much. For starters, La Fonda sits on the site of the town's first inn, established back when the city was founded by Spaniards in 1607 (making it the oldest hotel corner in America). It quickly became the preffered lodging option among everyone from trappers to soldiers to gold seekers to gamblers and even politicians. It's endured milestones from the Civil War to the railroad expansion and New Mexico statehood. Are you seeing why this could be an entire blog post?

Some of my favorite facts though revolve around the property being leased to Fred Harvey, a gentleman renowned for his "Harvey Houses"  and "Harvey Girls". If you're unfamiliar with this title (Judy Garland ringing a bell?) The Harvey Girls were a staff of exceptionally well-trained waitresses who were modestly dressed and required to have an education, good moral character, good manners and to be articulate. Harvey paid them good wages as well as room and board. While this may not sound earth-shattering now, this was at a time when the only respectable job-title for women was being a domestic or a school teacher, so it was actually quite a pioneering moment for women in history. 

In addition to La Fonda being a Harvey House Hotel, I loved learning about all of the art history and it's influence. I commented on the beautiful Spanish style fireplace in one of the rooms (which made sense to me because I'd learned about Santa Fe's Spanish invasion on the Native Americans, resulting in a blend of both cultures). My tour guide then pointed out that while we may think of it as Spanish, it technically traces back to Arab design (anyone remember my posts on Seville and Granada and how both clearly had lots of Moorish influence? It's all making sense now!) It had never dawned on me how one culture can influence another, and then go on to influence another... America is still such a young country that we often don't pay attention to the deep layers of cultural influence like this, so it truly opened my eyes and sparked my interest. 

While I didn't stay at La Fonda this trip, I'd love to in the future now that I know so much about it's significance to the town. Regardless of where you choose to stay in Santa Fe, don't miss the opportunity to visit this historic landmark. 

THE PINK ADOBE

After leaving La Fonda and doing some shopping at the countless shops + galleries in the area, we went to Happy Hour at The Pink Adobe- or "The Pink" as it's affectionately known by the locals. This spot has grown into a local and national landmark and is located in the center of the historic Barrio de Analco (across from the San Miguel Mission- the oldest church in the United States). For over 50 years now, The Pink Adobe has been creating a unique flavor (along with unique décor + personality). We sat in The Dragon Room (which was named one of the top 19 bars in world) for some incredible margaritas and an appetizer. We asked the bartender what he recommended + he said we couldn't leave without trying Clams Lucifer (a Best of Santa Fe Grand Tasting winner made with Manila clams and Mexican tequila in a spice red chile broth that's signature to Santa Fe's local style). It was SPICY (hence the name Lucifer, I suppose) but man it was good. 

I highly recommend coming here whilst in Santa Fe. Next time, I'm going to have dinner here as well!

ROSEWOOD INN OF THE ANASAZI

After Happy Hour we went to The Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi: a beautiful luxury hotel in the heart of Santa Fe. I had the pleasure of staying at a Rosewood Hotel in London with my friend Haley and was so excited to see this property after how much the London one blew me away. No surprises, it was also incredible. 

While I didn't stay at this location, we did spend our last night having dinner in their beautiful 38-seat dining room. And while the interior was simply stunning, I'd argue the food is even more fantastic. 

Executive Chef Edgar Beas' menus "fuse old world techniques with modern, innovative recipes and artful playing." These dishes embrace the Inn's Southwestern and native heritage, while also incorporating the freshest, most seasonal local ingredients. 

We loved the Burratta (with young beets, pomegranate, hazelnut + field greens), Roasted Brussels Sprouts (with parsnip, meyer lemon, manchego and kalamata olive) and finally, the Perigolrd Truffle Ravioli (with wild mushrooms, brown butter, maple + sage). Every dish was truly fantastic, paired perfectly with a wine and left us beyond satisfied. 

After dinner we browsed the idyllic hotel property and fell in love with the modern yet truly Santa Fe decor. It's not a particularly large hotel by any means (only 58 guest rooms) but that's done so intentionally in order to maintain a sense of intimacy and "at home" hospitality. 

Even if you don't stay here, be sure to at least pop in and admire the beautiful design and enjoy some of their delicious food + drink. 

ELDORADO HOTEL AND SPA

While I've already shared some fantastic hotel options in Santa Fe, I can't quit yet! We stayed at Eldorado Hotel & Spa (also in the heart of Santa Fe) which offered us a perfect embodiment of the city. With luxury accommodations and amenities (including a roof-top pool) we loved the stunning interiors and friendly staff that greeted us. Everything about our stay was so easy. We were walking distance to everything (literally didn't use our car once), had access to walking maps and recommendations from the staff and even had free wi-fi that was easy to log into (it's the little things). I was very pleased with everything about our hotel and would definitley stay here again!

All in all, I wish I had way more time than I did to appreciate Santa Fe. I want to come back around Albuquerque's hot air balloon festival, during one of the many summer festivals or at Christmas time when Canyon road shuts down and is illuminated with thousands of farolitos (aka bags with candles inside).  There are dozens more restaurants I want to try and museums I want to see... the list just goes on! So my biggest piece of advice if you're interested in all the topics that I am (including the arts, food, nature and local culture) is to give yourself at least 3 days, or you simply won't even put a dent in everything. What else have you done in Santa Fe that I need to add to my list for my next trip? Let me know in the comments below! 

Stay tuned for more of my coast-to-coast travel guides coming to the blog shortly! Until then, have a great start to your week, friends! 

xx

Whitney

Turning 30

Today I say good-bye to my twenties and it feels so weird. I still vividly remember being 21 and thinking 30 was so old. I wasn’t afraid of it then though, because it felt like lightyears away. And of course when it did finally happen, by then I figured I'd own a home, be married and successful (maybe I'd even have a kid). Everything would be... you know, established. It would be the season when I finally “arrive”. (Cute, right?) Well if you know me at all, most of that definitely does not apply to my life at the moment. So if my twenties didn’t lead me there, where did they take me?

PEARL SHEATH DRESS: NORDSTROM

As I’ve been closing in on this birthday, I’ve been rather sentimental about my last 10 years. It’s no secret that our twenties are arguably one of the most influential decades of our lifetime. SO much happens in these 10 years: failure, success, heartbreak, experimentation, self-realization… the list goes on.  And according to the dozens of articles I’ve read of 30 things you should do by the time you’re 30, 30 experiences people tacked before 30, or 30 things people want to do as they move into a new decade— I’m clearly not the only one who's been reflective about this milestone. 

At first, I loved the idea of making a list like these too:  my 30 favorite experiences or bits of wisdom I’d like to pass on to the 20-somethings standing where I once stood who feel like 30 is so far away. But as I sat down to write it, I kept getting stuck.

You see, I don't think turning 30 is something that should be perceived as a one-size-fits-all blanket statement that we tie up with a bow and hand to everyone. In my personal opinion, age is already such an arbitrary form of measurement, but especially 30. For some reason, this is the age that so many people love to quantify all sorts of milestones they think they should have accomplished by now. 

For example, if you would have told me when I was 25 that come 30 I’d be single, scraping pennies together at times + still renting the same modest 1 BR apartment I probably would have cried. Because then, my standard of success come 30 meant marriage and home ownership and other forms of settledness. But over the years, I’ve learned life is way more complex than this simple way of thinking and I see things completely differently standing where I am now. 

PEARL SHEATH DRESS: NORDSTROM

If you would have told that same 25 year old me that come 30 I’d be brave enough to risk self-employment, that I’d live abroad and get to travel the world, or that my life would be bursting at the seams from doing so many things I love, I probably would have assumed that I had a rich husband or won the lottery- not that I built those things myself.  But almost every single one of my favorite life experiences to date has been possible because I'm not where I saw myself at 30. 

Now to be clear, this doesn't mean that I think I did my twenties right and my friends who bought houses or settled down did it wrong. It also doesn't mean that my friends who are raising children have more valuable lives than I do because I haven't gotten there yet. My point is simply that our individual lives and differing stories are beautifully unique. Period. 

Since no two stories are the same, my personal thoughts on turning 30 likely won’t serve you. Because of that, I won’t give you a checklist of the things that I think you should have accomplished by now. I won’t make any kind of list with exactly 30 things for that matter (mostly because my thoughts don’t fit in a perfectly measured out format like that). Instead, I want to simply celebrate a few things that I know for sure now after doing life for 30 years. I certainly don't claim to know everything (after all, the proverbial phrase says "Life begins at 30"). But to me, 30 feels like the perfect time to throw expectations out the window and appreciate the wisdom gained because of the path God has lead me down. So here's what He's shown me along the way: 

THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAN "PRETTY"

I actually wrote an entire blog post about this while I was abroad (see here) but the lesson is worth discussing again. I've been hard on myself at times for my physical appearance because our society glorifies pretty. We starve ourselves with crash diets. We spend billions of dollars on make-up and botox and anti-aging everything. And of all the wonderful people in the world accomplishing great things, our society idolizes the Kardashians for crying out loud. But one day in London when my pants felt snug from all the food I'd been trying in different countries and my roots had grown out from being gone so long- I realized I just couldn't care about that. These things that were making me feel less "pretty" were small prices to pay for the person I was becoming from all of my travel experiences. I don't want to sacrifice other detrimental characteristics on the alter of self-preservation. I want to live in a world where people care more about being kind and whole and brave and vulnerable than they do about being something nice to look at.  Looks fade, but your character doesn't. Be careful what you give your time and attention to. 

BE UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT YOUR PASSION

I’m often teased (almost always in good spirit) about how often I travel. Friends will flip their hair and imitate me in a pretentious voice talking about “this one time, in EUROPE.”  Occasionally, I’m probed if “I’ll ever settle down” or asked “Don’t you get tired of always moving around?” And while I’m confident about my passions, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think something was wrong with me sometimes— that maybe I should get my head out of the clouds and come back down to normal life on planet earth. But one afternoon while I was abroad, I was taking a day trip from London to Cambridge with my friends Caroline and Caitlin (who are also travel bloggers).  We swapped stories about our time in the French Riviera or wine tasting in Spain or sailing in the Adriatic off the coast of Croatia. We also talked about our friends back in the states (they're both expats) and the differences of life here vs there.  None of us got tired of talking about it. No one teased each other or said the other was crazy or transitioned the conversation back to "normal" topics. We all got it. I thought quietly to myself that perhaps I wasn’t suffering from some Peter Pan syndrome- refusing to grow up. Perhaps I, like my new friends, was simply wired with deep , deep passion for travel that looked different from most of the people I know— and that’s okay. My point is simply this: whether your passion is travel, or music, or motherhood or global warming… be all in. Don’t water yourself down to be a less you version of you. There are others who share your same passion (and others who won't, but they'll love you even more because of yours). 

Cambridge, England with The Belle Abroad. Photo by Augusta Leigh Photography

NOTHING GREAT COMES EASY

I spent the majority of my twenties pursing a good life. I realize now that while you may be able to get a perfectly good life from easy, you’ll never get a great one that way. The problem is that no one likes to be uncomfortable. In fact, we spend most of our lives trying to make sure that we are comfortable (hence yoga pants, Tempurpedic mattresses and even insurance policies). But having been extremely uncomfortable at varying times for the past few years, I can now say in hindsight that it's one of life's greatest gifts and the largest opportunities to grow. It's through heartbreak, emptiness, confusion and pain tend that we transform from good to great. So if we look closely, we’ll start to see that these things that are so damn uncomfortable are actually a result of God’s graciousness- not his punishment.

KNOW WHO TO INVEST IN

Life will take us in 10,000 different directions. We’ll meet people in different seasons and stay in touch for different amounts of time. When we're in our early twenties, it's easy to have lots of friends. We grab drinks with these people or go to parties with them. We grab coffee with them, network with them, and basically, fill our entire calendar with them.  But one of the most important decisions we'll ever make is who we continue to invest in in the long run. The world will always be filled with people and things who are screaming for attention, and we get to decide who and what we give ours to. It's imperative that we choose wisely. Ask yourself who continually points you to what is noble. Who goes deeper than fun and fluff and cocktails and is willing to have a difficult conversation with you when you need to hear it? Who would drop their Friday night plans to stay in with you when you're going through a hard time? Who challenges you to be a better version of yourself, believes in your dreams and loves all the parts of you (even the messy ones?) Who will always have your back- even if you're on the other side of the world? Invest in those people. Everyone else can still be icing on the cake and a sweet addition to your life. 

*Not uploading pictures of all my friends so I'm stopping here before I get sucked down a rabbit trail. But you know who you are. xx

IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU

I used hate this phrase because let’s be honest, we all want it to be about us (especially in our twenties as we embark on our first decade of independence). But the other side of this coin has a deeper meaning I’ve come to appreciate. At some point in life, people will do things that hurt you deeply. And while it’s completely human and natural to take it personally, I’ve learned that 99 times out of 100 it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with their own pain, fear or insecurities (ever heard the phrase “Hurt people hurt people?”) This truth frees us up to walk away from painful experiences a little lighter, and able to focus on how we're going to move forward rather than worrying so much about "what we did wrong."

THERAPY IS WORTH IT

I used to think therapy was something you did if you’ve suffered a traumatic event or if your relationship is on the rocks. And while that thinking may be what initially got me to participate in the first place, I’ve long since learned that everyone can benefit from this tool, because let's be honest: we all have stuff to work on. I owe SO much of the growth in my twenties to the work I did in therapy. Learning how to articulate and embrace feelings, the benefits we can get from our feelings (even the "bad" ones), and the unique personality types that exist are a few of the may tools I now apply to my life on a daily basis. If you've never been, I sincerely can't recommend it enough. If that's not an option, might I suggest taking the Enneagram to learn more about your unique characteristics or reading The Voice of the Heart to gain a better understanding of the purpose of all the feelings. 

GRACE IS THE GREATEST GIFT

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could go back in time and change all the terrible or painful things that have happened to us? I used to think so. Until I wrapped my head around what a gift grace is. As my favorite author says, it’s “forgiveness without forgetting- which is sweeter than amnesia.” Grace is something we need over the entire course of our lives, but MAN do we need it in our twenties. We need it for the mistakes we make in our careers, with our finances, in our relationships... the list goes on. But rather than magically erasing those mistakes and starting fresh, grace lets us become more than what we were before all the terrible things we did (or even before the terrible things that were done to us). Grace is the greatest gift we'll ever experience: both when we receive it, but also when we're able to genuinely extend it to someone else. 

LESS IS MORE

I spent a lot of my twenties dreaming about obtaining material things: a nice home, a nice car, designer purses... we all have a list. But one of my favorite things I learned from traveling Europe was the art of simplicity in regards to materialism. Having your entire life in a suitcase or two really teaches you how to strip away what you don’t need. For example: I don’t need six different moisturizers for my face (come to find out, I didn’t even need one- my skin does best without any of them). My experiences (whether at dinner with friends in Nashville or marveling at the Colosseum in Rome) are literally the exact same no matter what outfit I have on. I won’t croak over and die because I use hotel shampoo and not the fancy salon kind I typically prefer. While it was actually pretty painful to release some of the obsessions I had with material things (I felt SO ugly when I stopped getting eyelash extensions) I can genuinely say that I feel lighter, freer and happier having realized the value of people and experiences over things. Do I still indulge in materialism? OBVIOUSLY (I'm a human being for crying out loud). But knowing the difference between enjoying things vs. finding fulfillment in them has already provided so much freedom. I freaking love the life I get to live. It's a life where I live in a modest 1BR apartment (when I'm home), drive a Honda and often ball on a budget. But what makes it spectacular isn't any material thing. It's spectacular because it's a life filled with experiences and people that I love- like drinking champagne in the grass in front of the Eiffel Tower or watching the sunset in Granada with my best friends. I wouldn't trade a sliver of it. 

PAY ATTENTION TO SMALL DECISIONS

Pretty much all of us fret about life’s BIG decisions (especially in your twenties because there are arguably more here than in any other decade). But I’ve learned that the small choices are just as imperative. No one wakes up one day and suddenly has the blossoming business they’ve always dreamed of starting. Nor does one suddenly decide one day that they want to cheat on their spouse and ruin their relationship. We get to these places by a series of decisions and baby steps we make every single day. Whether it’s choosing again and again to work on your business for countless hours even when you have nothing to show for it, or choosing to avoid conflict in your relationship because you don’t feel like dealing with it and slowly building up resentment. Every little decision builds and builds until down the road, you have no idea how you got there. The result can be beautiful, but also tragic if we’re not careful. 

THE BEST IS YET TO COME

I know now that God has more in store for us than we could ever imagine.  No matter how dark life gets, I believe deep in my core that God specializes in redemption and longs to tell a beautiful story with our lives. My "life verse" that I pray every day is Ephesians 3:18-20. "I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power together to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him, who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ever ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory forever and ever! Amen."

Amen indeed. God has been abundantly gracious to me in my 30 years of life, and I'm bursting with hope about all the life to be lived in the years to come. Thank you to all my friends and family around the globe who have already made me feel so loved + celebrated today. Let's do this, 30!

xx

Whitney

Things To Do in Scottsdale

Happy Friday! This week I've been recapping my time in Scottsdale, AZ. In case you missed it, I've already shared my favorite places to eat and the best hotels to stay. So today, let's dive into all the things that there are to do. 

It goes without saying that a lot of what there is to do are things I've already mentioned: eating, drinking and lounging poolside (again, check out my earlier posts from this week for more on all of that!) But there are a few more things you definitley can't miss: 

 

GET OUTDOORS

With more than 300 sunny days per year on average, Scottsdale has no shortage of opportunities to get outdoors (and no shortage of natural beauty to see for that matter). Whether you go kayaking, horseback riding, biking or hiking-- you're bound to fall in love with all the desert landscape has to offer. Since we had already been horseback riding in Sedona, I chose to focus on kayaking and hiking for my time in Scottsdale.

We went kayaking with Arizona Outback Adventures along the Lower Salt River just outside of Scottsdale early one morning. The Salt River attracts a variety of wildlife (we saw a few Bald Eagles flying over us and nesting-which was so cool!) But even if you don't spot any wildlife, the natural landscape is brimming with saguaro cacti and beautiful red rock formations. You can arrange a tour with AOA for either morning or afternoon (and they'll even pick you up and drop you off at your hotel).

For hiking, I chose to do Camelback Mountain: a quick 2.5 hour trip with stunning views of Scottsdale and Phoenix. There are two trail options and both are a bit difficult. Echo Canyon is shorter + steeper, while Cholla (what I chose to do) is stretched out a little more. On both trails, you'll see Saguaros, Ocotillo, Barrel Cactus and the Creosote Bush (aka- lots and lots of beautiful desert Flora). 

I also really wanted to check out the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, but I simply ran out of time. Next trip!

Whatever you choose to do for your outdoor activities, be sure to check out Experience Scottsdale for lots of helpful tips and tours that you can book!

SPAs + WELLNESS

Scottsdale has more spas per capita than anywhere else in the world, so I made sure to take advantage of a couple during my visit. While I know I didn't even put a dent in all there is to offer, I had a great experience during both of my treatments and would recommend them to anyone.

Since I was staying at The Scott Resort & Spa, I got a manicure and pedicure (which was fantastic) at Jurlique- their on-site spa. My technician was wonderful and the treatment room was so tranquil and relaxing.  

The next day I took a day trip up to Troon North to visit the Four Seasons Resort. As I mentioned in Wednesday's post,  I got their unique "Sticks and Stones" massage (incorporating bamboo sticks and hot stones to ease muscle tension and sore joints). All spa products are inspired by the ingredients of the desert to give a custom "Scottsdale" experience. And while the treatment itself was fantastic, so was the entire facility. I lounged around for a bit after my treatment and could have easily spent the day there. 

Some other spas I hear are worth visiting? Well & Being Spa, Joya, Sanctuary on Camelback and Spa Avaina.

To go beyond traditional spa treatments and venture into more of the wellness realm, on my way out of town I visited The Drip Room Scottsdale for an IV drip. If you're not familiar with an IV drip, you're note alone- I never had either. Essentially, these deliver vitamins, minerals and amino acids directly to the body for maximum absorption. This allows the nutrients to flood your body and nourish itself at a cellular level. Using this method, you're able to safely absorb larger doses that would not otherwise be tolerated orally. General benefits of IV drips include: increased energy, enhanced mood, improved sleep, decreased stress and anxiety, increased immunity, hydration and muscle recovery. While I didn't feel an immediate difference after my drip, I certainly did as the week progressed. My complexion looked brighter and I slept better than I ever do. In hindsight, my IV drip from The Drip Room was the perfect remedy to rehydrate + end a trip in the desert and I recommend you do the same before leaving town! 

That pretty much wraps up everything that I had time for on this trip, but I loved everything about Scottsdale and truly want to go back again soon! Stay tuned for more discoveries whenever I do...

The last bit of advice I can share to help you plan your trip is what to pack for this desert town! Scottsdale is warm most of the year, so just about everything you'll pack will revolve around that. Based on my recommendations, I'd advise a few warm weather outfits to wear to dinner (also here, here and here), a few bathing suit and cover up options (also here and here) for when you're poolside, and some good activewear (also here and here) for when you're outdoors. Being that Scottsdale is a desert setting, I think it's fun to incorporate bright pops of color in everything you wear. 

DINNER OUTFITS

POOLSIDE

ACTIVE WEAR

That's a wrap! Stay tuned next week, because I'm sharing a special post about turning 30. Until then, have a great weekend, friends!

xx

Whitney