Why are they calling New Mexico "Tamalewood"Edited by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady
Employee of the Month already created a buzz when Jessica Simpson came to town in March, bringing an entourage of beautiful people and swarming paparazzi on set to a sleepy, capitol-district neighborhood. Used Guys, Hog Wild, and No Country for Old Men will continue the parade of stars through the city this summer including Jim Carrey and Ben Stiller (Used Guys), John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, and Tim Allen (Hog Wild), and Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for Old Men). Commanche Moon, a prequel to the popular Lonesome Dove mini-series, is also scheduled to shoot in the area at the same time along with a trio of lower budget horror films to be produced at the decommissioned state prison, the site of The Longest Yard remake.
WHERE TO STAY LA FONDA ON THE PLAZA The Inn of the Five Graces Inn on the Alameda, Bishop’s Lodge Resort and Spa La Posada de Santa Fe Resort and Spa Inn of the Anasazi Inn and Spa at Loretto WHERE TO EAT Inn of the Anasazi, 505-988-3236 Amaya at Santa Fe Hotel Geronimo’s 505-988-5531 The Restaurant at the Inn and Spa at Loretto 505-988-5531 The Compound Restaurant, 505-982-4353 The Old House, Eldorado Hotel, 505-988-4455 Fuego Restaurant, La Posada Resort, 505-954-9670 be sure to try the foie gras SantaCafe, 231 Washington Ave. 800-252-8570 or 505-984-1788. Café Pasquals, 505-983-9340 (if you are traveling alone or in a hurry, ask to sit at the community table) Bumble Bee’s Baja Grill 505-820-2862. Healthy fast food, made fresh. Truly where the natives eat. BEST VIEW OF THE CHEFS WITHOUT THEIR CLOTHES ON Order the Santa Fe Nude Chefs calendar.($19.95.) All profits from the sale of the calendar will be donated to The Yaxche Learning Center Scholarship Program in Taos, New Mexico, the non-profit educational organization that benefits needy children from diverse indigenous backgrounds.
BAR WITH THE BEST VIEW Belltower Bar in La Fonda BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH ELDORADO HOTEL BEST GUACAMOLE LA FONDA BLACK BOOK FOR CHOCOLATE LOVERS (maybe I should say dark semi-sweet brown book) Café Paris Bakery, 31 Burro Alley, (505) 986-1688 Gourmet Fudge and Wedding Favors Bumble Bee’s Baja Grill 505-820-2862 Try anything baked by Katalyna Weil. She does a mean cowboy crunch and Mexican espresso brownies. I love the cowgirl kisses Kakawa Chocolate House, Mark Sciscenti, Chocolate connoisseur, Pasty chef and Certified Herbalist. 505-438-3402. sunsilver@earthlink.net FAVORITE FLAVORS OF SANTA FE Pear Mascapone Soup at Fuego in La Posada. Chocolate Terraine at Hotel Santa Fe Guacamole at La Fonda RANDOM THOUGHT Why does it seem that everyone is Santa Fe is either a chef or a massage therapist or has a family member who is? Maybe that is why you get such great food and massages in Santa Fe. WHAT TO DO Browse Canyon Road. This gallery row features an amazing assortment of fine art, crafts, antiques, jewelry, clothing and restaurants. Santa Fe School of Cooking Take the taste of Santa Fe home by enjoying cooking classes featuring Santa Fe’s top chefs whipping up everything from traditional Northern New Mexican cuisine to contemporary Southwest. 505-983-4511 If you can’t get there, buy the book. Santa Fe Opera. One of the most famous in the world. www.santafeopera.org. FLEA MARKET. If you are there on a weekend, check out the flea market by the Opera. Tesuque Flea Market is the official name, but no one calls it that. The land it is on is owned by the Indians. Only open in warmer weather. GET A MASSAGE Shanah Spa and Wellness Center at the Bishop’s Lodge Resort and Spa. Ask for Lanka. My favorite treatments are Native Purification Polish and Native Stone Massage. 1-800-9shanah. You will want to reserve ahead. The Bishop’s Lodge Resort and Spa Avanyu Spa La Posada de Santa Fe 10,000 Waves, 505-982-9304. Indulge in an outdoor massage while nimble fingers soothe out any stress. Call ahead because this is a very popular place. If you are adventurous, have an underwater Watsu massage. SHOP FOR ART AND COWBOY BOOTS Stop by Back at the Ranch, where Wendy Lane has been making fashion cowboy boots for the past 15 years. I believe she pretty much "owns" this niche. She has lots of celebrity clients, including the Governor of New Mexico. ART BROWSING SITE Santa Fe is located at 1606 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM Minkay Andean Art The Turquoise Trail leads to Hotel Santa Fe... Just check out the fashion-conscious these days, and what you'll find is a plethora of turquoise, the deep blue of a summer sky, the perfect contrast for a summer tan, and the stone that for centuries has been the sacred stone and favorite adornment of Native Americans. So where would you expect to find the turquoise Mother Lode? Just follow the Turquoise Trail to the Picuris Art and Gift Shop at Hotel Santa Fe, where Manager Joan Greer has assembled a stellar collection of turquoise jewelry gleaned from neighboring reservations and pueblos and at prices that permit loading on the treasures, Native-American style. For example, there's a 5-strand necklace of turquoise beads or a single-strand necklace of turquoise heishi - the flat turquoise beads that are a specialty of Santo Domingo Pueblo -- mixed with nuggets. Hand-hammered coin silver beads are interspersed with turquoise beads, while oversize nuggets of turquoise make impressive earrings. The pièce de resistance: an impressive silver-and-turquoise concho belt, guaranteed to create a sensation back home. GREAT TIMES TO VISIT Don’t miss the ArtFeast benefit event in late February. http://www.travellady.com/Issues/February04/OneofSantaFes.htm Souper Bowl Project contact Director@thefooddepot.org to reach Sherry Hooper, the Director of the Food Depot, which organizes this event; their phone number is 505-471-1633 Wine and Chile festival Annual Santa Fe Market, a free public celebration of the colorful arts, crafts, jewelry and cultures of Native Americans and the American Southwest. Usually the first weekend in April (619) 296-3161 or visit BazaarDelMundo.com GREAT GUIDEBOOKS HIDDEN PICTURE-PERFECT ESCAPES SANTA FE & TAOS CULINARY NEW MEXICO THE NEW MEXICO GUIDE Hidden Southwest LET’S GO ADVENTURE GUIDE SOUTHWEST USA 2003 Ski America and Canada has the best and most detailed overview of Santa Fe from a winter tourist/skier/snowboarder's perspective. Available from most bookstores, Amazon, www.bn.com and www.worldleisure.com MORE ABOUT NEW MEXICO THE OLD WEST MOON HANDBOOKS NEW MEXICO BEST SOUTHWEST COOKBOOKS SEASONAL SOUTHWEST COOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION SANTA FE: 800-777-2489 BEST FREEBIE The Official 2004 Santa Fe Visitors Guide - A Free Guide to Santa Fe: BEST WAY TO GET THERE SOUTHWEST AIRLINES: 800-435-9792 Madelyn Miller is a writer and web entrepreneur who writes for www.travellady.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.carladynews.com |
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Santa Fe has long been home to various luminaries; Val Kilmer, Gene Hackman, and Ali McGraw are all spotted during routine, day to day activities in town because they live in and around Santa Fe. But, for the next several months, chances of running into stars of both the big and little screen down on the Plaza go way up as four major films, a TV mini-series, and a handful of smaller productions converge on the city throughout the summer. 
What's made Santa Fe, and New Mexico, so popular with these new productions? First, it has to be New Mexico, a state that's hosted film makers for almost 100 years and can look like a lot of other places or like no other place at all. New Mexico's rugged appeal means western films are a natural but a current production shooting in state, Fanboys, is using New Mexico locations to portray a small Iowa town, Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Rocky Mountains. Second, there is a huge talent pool of film professionals from grips and gaffers to animal handlers and cameramen living locally. The IATSE Local 480 (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) has seen huge increases in its membership over the last 3 years. Third, the state legislature has enacted 20 percent tax rebates (25 percent starting in July, 2006), a 0 percent loan program for up to $15 million per project for feature films and TV projects, and a waiver on state sales tax, all of which appeal to producers and have other states scrambling to put similar incentives in place.
In addition, a newly created, non-profit prop and costume shop based on an innovative communal concept-Big House Props and Costumes-the Garson Studios production facility-the largest such facility between Los Angeles and Chicago-and a welcoming attitude among the state's residents have worked to make "Tamalewood" a top-of-the-list choice for domestic film makers. Catching a glimpse of John Travolta in downtown Santa Fe is just an added bonus.