I could live at Rancho de San Juan permanently. Really. It’s just perfect.
First of all, I love all of New Mexico and in particular the high desert between Santa Fe and Taos. Mother Nature has blessed the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with weather conditions that truly make the blue sky here just a little more blue than anywhere else in the world.
Combine that magnificence with the rugged allure of the landscape, the intrigue of history and the appeal of endless cultural resources, and the region has already knocked most of its competition out of the running as an ideal destination.
Rancho de San Juan is the man-made pinnacle to the perfection that Mother Nature has already lauded on the area. A 225 acre sanctuary, Rancho de San Juan is home to an elegant bed and breakfast inn tucked quietly and unobtrusively into the sparse hillside. The setting allows guests to experience the liberating feelings of “being out in the middle of nowhere” while enjoying luxurious accommodations, cuisine and service.
In reality, the property is not out in the middle of nowhere. In about 30 minutes, guests can be in the center of Santa Fe, in less than an hour in the heart of Taos, and in about 45 minutes, be walking in the footsteps of Georgia O’Keefe at Abiquiu.
But Rancho de San Juan is not just my dream of perfection. It is the reality, a dream come true for owners David Heath and John Johnson. Escaping the hectic, stressful lifestyle imposed upon successful interior designers and architects (respectively) in Los Angeles, the partners began in 1993 with a simple hacienda, five guest rooms and an intimate restaurant accommodating no more than 16 guests at a time.
Today, the inn has 18 guest rooms including five casitas tucked away so inconspicuously on the grounds that at first guests may feel they are being led into a wilderness abyss. However, nothing could be farther from reality. The casitas are perfectly design, an efficient use of space that is simultaneously cozy and spacious, allowing the beauty of outdoors to flow indoors while providing guests privacy and luxury.
I stayed in the Casa Valdito for two perfect days and nights. I seriously contemplated not leaving. It was there that I experienced such perfect fung shui with my surroundings that for the first time I understood the true art and science behind the ancient practice. In about 700 square feet, I had all that I needed to possibly live permanently and comfortably in this casita.
Everything was just a few steps away but so perfectly placed that I didn’t feel I was sleeping in the kitchen or dining in the living room. There was even a small office space where I stepped away and attempted to do business, but then abandoned those intentions as the environment embraced me and fed my spirit.
I was quite happy curled up with a book on the leather couch and a gentle fire in the massive stone fireplace. The CD collection featured local artists and regional sounds that transported me into a zen state of mind, while an occasional coyote in the distance added to the melody. I could have had an in-suite massage, but just never got around to it.
But I did force myself from the casita to explore along the trails that meander through the property and up the hillsides. The paths along the Black Mesa lead past a number of stone outcroppings, petroglyphs and other indications of the ancient Pueblo who once made their home on these lands.
It’s a perfect setting for reflection and appreciation, so much so that owners John and David commissioned artist Ra Paulette to create what is perhaps one of the largest sandstone sculpture in the world here. Called the Sandstone Shrine – Windows in the Earth, it’s a chapel of sorts, a place of meditation that shares a unique message with each visitor who seeks its presence.
John and David have won so many awards for their creativity and hospitality that it’s almost embarrassing. Within just a few months of opening, Rancho de San Juan was invited to join the exclusive hotel association, Relais & Chateaux. Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, AAA and numerous respected travel authorities continue to honor the property.
A key component of the awards is the on-site restaurant, open to guests and non-guests alike. It’s worth the drive for dinner, even if fate has called for your presence at a lesser accommodation in the region. The restaurant is a nine-year winner of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence. Bon Appetit praises John’s creative cuisine and Zagat survey participants for five years running have named this the best restaurant in all of New Mexico.
Holidays, such a Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine’s Day are particularly delightful with John’s family’s tableware, crisp linens and fresh flowers. But other special events, like the annual Artist Exhibition and Dinner in September or frequent events highlighting the cuisine and culture of far away lands, makes an evening at Rancho de San Juan a stimulating and sophisticated event.
Rancho de San Juan offers a number of packages that allows guests to enjoy the country hospitality of the inn as well as many of the major events and festivals in the region. Fans of the Santa Fe Opera as well as the Santa Fe Indian Market will find their needs met, as will those of the balloon fiesta, the wine trails and the New Mexico Chili Festival.
So much throughout the year indeed provides a reason to stay several weeks of the year at Rancho de San Juan, if not permanently, as I wish I could have.
