VoyageMonkey Travel Blog

The gem of California’s Central Coast is the seaside community of Santa Barbara.  It’s a beautiful beach town, located 90-minutes north of Los Angeles, and around 4 and a half hours south of the San Francisco Bay Area.  The area is popular for its central coast wineries and nice beach weather.  Santa Barbara offers some great hotels and restaurants, as well as parks and beaches. It is perfect for a weekend getaway.    Go to VoyageMonkey.com Travel for the best hotel accommodations, flights and car rentals.

If you are into wine tasting and want to make a day out of it, there are hundreds of wineries stretching from Santa Barbara to Paso Robles, 125 miles north.  The Santa Barbara wine region is known for its Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Balance, as well as Chardonnay and a few others.  In between sips of wine you can dine on some Santa Maria Tri-Tip BBQ as you pass through the Santa Maria Valley wineries. Visit Presqu’ile Winery while in Santa Maria and attend a concert.  In the small Danish-themed town of Solvang, you’ll find more than a dozen wine-tasting rooms.  The town was featured in the movie Sideways. Downtown Solvang has around 20 wine-tasting rooms and wine bars, all within easy walking distance. It is also a good place to grab a bite in one of its cute restaurants.  Solvang is just over a half hour from Santa Barbara. 

If you have no designated driver, you can keep it simple and walk the downtown Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail and State Street, visiting over 30 wineries and tasting rooms in an easy afternoon, all on foot.  The walk includes The Santa Barbara Winery & Tasting Room founded in 1962.  It is Santa Barbara’s first commercial winery since the prohibition era. State Street is Santa Barbara’s “Main Street” that starts at the beach and runs inland.  The street is lined with restaurants, bars, wine tasting rooms, shopping and entertainment.  Sterns Wharf is a historic pier at the end of State Street, with a few shops, restaurants, and eateries on the pier. The popular Deep Sea Wine Tasting Room is on the pier.  There are several beachfront parks along the water front to enjoy.  There are more than a dozen wineries and tasting rooms within two blocks of the beach and the pier.

The town is very dog friendly and there are some dog friendly hotels in town like the Fess Parker Hilton across from the beach.  Hotels get busy in the summer, so plan ahead.  Cruise Ships visit Santa Barbara regularly during Spring through Fall.  You can check the City’s cruise ship visit schedule online to avoid the cruise days and crowds.  Santa Barbara does have an airport with flights to and from a few larger hubs, like Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If you need travel reservations for convenient flights and hotel accommodations to any destination, visit VoyageMonkey.com Travel, or call us at 650-368-6192.  You can book online or call our travel consultants who can assist you in planning your getaway.

The Big Island of Hawaii is coming out of a tourism slump, after the 2018 volcanic eruptions kept many visitors away for a while.  Although these eruptions happened on the opposite side of the island, miles away from the resort areas, bookings to the island have been down in 2019 compared to the other Hawaiian Islands, which experienced increased tourism.  The volcanic activity has finally calmed down and things are getting back to normal, with lots of great 2020 deals anticipated to bring back tourists. Go to VoyageMonkey.com Travel to learn more about Hawaii and find the best Big Island hotel accommodations, flights and car rentals.

With the resent addition of Southwest Airlines flights to the islands, there is more competition and price pressure.  You should be able to find reasonably priced flights throughout 2020. Southwest and other airlines offer direct flights to Kailua-Kona from many major US mainland airports, like Los Angeles and San Francisco.  You should be able to find reasonably priced flights.

During the slump, the famous Mauna Lani Resort shut down and underwent a massive $200 million renovation, and is reopening in January 2020 under the ownership and management of the luxury hotel brand, Auberge Resorts.  Auberge did a great job on this property.  The historic Hapuna Beach Prince Resort also underwent $46 million in recent renovations and is now operated as the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort.  This resort sits on one of the best natural sandy beaches on the island. This is our favorite hotel on the island because of the great beach.  Also recently completing renovation projects include the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa and the Mauna Kea Beach Resort.

Another major renovation project underway is the development of Rosewood Resorts Kona Village property, located minutes north of the Kona International Airport.  Kona Village, will debut 150 standalone guest hales with locally-inspired décor and spectacular views. The resort will include an array of distinct dining venues, spa, and other amenities.  The resort is scheduled to reopen in 2022.

While big hotels and big business have used the volcanic economic slump to shut down and undergo massive projects, small businesses like restaurants and mom & pop shops are eager to get the tourist back.  You can find good prices around town with some of the local businesses, restaurants and pubs.  The local farmers markets are full of great local grown exotic fruits, foods and island crafts.

Between the hotels competing for your business, the airlines competing for your business, and the local businesses competing for your business, it looks like 2020 will be a great year to visit the Big Island of Hawaii for a reasonably priced vacation.  Voyagemonkey.com Travel can find you the best Hawaii travel accommodations.  If you need travel reservations for convenient flights, cruises, and hotel accommodations to any destination, visit VoyageMonkey.com Travel, or call us at 650-368-6192.  You can book online or call our travel consultants who can assist you in planning your getaway.

A visit to Orlando Florida does not have to break the bank with expensive theme park tickets.   There are a few things you can do in and around Orlando for free.  Go to VoyageMonkey.com Travel to learn more about Orlando and find the best Orlando hotel accommodations, flights and car rentals.

There’s plenty to do around the Disney Resorts. Anyone can explore Disney Springs or the Disney’s Boardwalk for free.  Disney Springs is a fun dinning, shopping and live entertainment complex.  While you will have to pay to dine or shop, there’s no cost to walk around, see the sights, and take in the Mouse magic. You might be able to catch some of the regular entertainment, or a free festival or event.

Disney’s Boardwalk is another charming part of the Disney Resort that is free to the public. The Boardwalk is another dining, entertainment and shopping complex set lakeside.  It is a great place to take a walk, people watch, and grab a meal (meal not free).  There is often free entertainment here.  Be sure to visit Disney’s Boardwalk at night and get a view of the fireworks from the theme park.  You can also view the fireworks for free at the Disney World transportation center or the marina at the Grand Floridian Resort.  The firework shows are always spectacular, and free when you can view from outside of the theme park.

Near the Disney Resorts, Celebration Florida is a quaint small Americana town featuring various styles of architecture with a Disney Main St. feel to it.  Stoll through the town and you’ll find charming restaurants, café’s, and boutique shops.  There are some interesting things to see while walking around the town.  All the local shop owners are super friendly.  You have to visit Celebration if you’re staying near the Disney Resorts.

Near the Universal Resorts, you can visit Universal Orlando’s CityWalk. This is an active spot, filled with music in the air and the scent of delicious foods.  CityWalk is the perfect place to stroll around and hang out after a long, busy day of free sightseeing.  Here you can enjoy dinner, listen to live music, sing Karaoke or Salsa dance at the Latin Quarter.  You’ll meet plenty of fun people here from all over.

If you enjoy the great outdoors (of an urban park), downtown Orlando’s Lake Eola Park is a hidden gem of a free activity. The park is a great place for a romantic stroll under the city lights before your downtown dinner or show.  It is a great place for a picnic or taking in some sunshine.  The nearly 1-mile sidewalk loop overlooks the lake, making it the perfect backdrop for a walk or run. You can enjoy one of the free concerts at the park’s Amphitheater.

Orlando’s Harry P. Leu Gardens offers free admission Mondays throughout the year.  You can stroll through the multiple gardens without paying a dime. You’ll enjoy a self-guided tour through the gardens and sights which include the Butterfly Garden, Horseshoe Fountain, and Lake Rowena Overlook.  You can enjoy some Orlando tranquility for free.

Of course you can take day trips from Orlando to Daytona Beach, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, and Tampa Bay.  You don’t have to spend anything at those destinations to enjoy some great sights and free outdoor activities.  If you want some free outdoors to enjoy and explore, visit the Ocala National Forest.  Located a short drive north of Orlando, the Ocala National Forest has over 380,000 acres of forest to enjoy. With over 600 lakes, rivers, and springs, the park is the perfect place to hike and enjoy an adventure without the price tag.

Voyagemonkey.com Travel can find you the best Orlando travel accommodations.  If you need travel reservations for convenient flights, cruises, and hotel accommodations to any destination, visit VoyageMonkey.com Travel, or call us at 650-368-6192.  You can book online or call our travel consultants who can assist you in planning your getaway.

The recent widening of the Panama Canal is allowing the cruise industry’s newest and largest ships to easily be repositioned back and forth between the east and west coasts of the United States. Historically, the west coast market has been served by smaller and thus older ships.  After several years of poor European cruise seasons marred by terrorist activity, the west coast market, with its thriving economy, is the place for the cruise industry to be.  West coast cruises are generally available out of San Diego, Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver.  Go to VoyageMonkey.com Travel for the best cruises, hotel accommodations, flights and car rentals.

This year, the Norwegian Bliss made her debut in Seattle and is currently on a west coast itinerary. The ship is 168,028 tons, has 20 decks, and 2,220 staterooms for around 4000 passengers.  Next year Royal Caribbean International will reposition the 2-year old ship, Ovation of the Seas, to Seattle, adding another 168,000 ton ship to the west coast.

In December 2019 Carnival Cruise Lines will launch its brand new 133,500 ton Carnival Panorama out of Long Beach California.  The Panorama will hold 3,954 passengers.  Its seven-day itinerary will depart from Long Beach every Saturday to the Mexican Riviera, including Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta.  Carnival should make a big slash with its new Carnival Panorama, encouraging competition.  Although the cruise industry has recently added ports of call along the California coast, the Mexican Riviera itinerary is still a mainstay of the market.   The larger and newer ships are expected to serve this west coast market first, along with the Alaska itineraries.  Offering more ports of call in U.S cities like San Francisco, Monterey, and Santa Barbara, opens up a broader west coast market.  These California and Alaska cruises offer more cruise choices to travelers who are uneasy with traveling to Mexico. 

Celebrity Cruise Lines will continue to serve the west coast with 10 ports of call, including Monterey, Santa Barbara, Catalina, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco.  Princess Cruises will also offer itineraries visiting Monterey, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and San Diego.  The 5-year old Royal Princess based in Los Angeles will offer the Classic California Coast itinerary. The Grand Princess based in San Francisco year-round, will offer a choice of cruises between either the classic California coast with a stop in Ensenada, or a Pacific Northwest cruise with a stop in Vancouver.  Other major players are also serving the market with plans to upgrade ships.  Once newer ships arrive on the west coast, it will be harder for the older ships to compete.  We should see more repositioning of larger ships to the west coast as the market plays out. 

Sailings on these newer ships are booking up well in advance of the ships arrival. Voyagemonkey.com Travel can find you the best stateroom available on any particular sailing.  If you need travel reservations for convenient flights, cruises, and hotel accommodations to any destination, visit VoyageMonkey.com Travel, or call us at 650-368-6192.  You can book online or call our travel consultants who can assist you in planning your getaway.

VoyageMonkey.com Travel recently received some questions about using a driver license to board a domestic flight.  Beginning Oct. 1, 2020, if you plan to use your state-issued ID or license to fly within the U.S., make sure it is REAL ID compliant. Adult passengers 18 and over must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel.  If you don’t possess a REAL ID compliant identification card, you will still be able to travel domestically with a valid passport.

TSA does not require children under 18 to provide identification when traveling with a companion within the United States. Contact the airline for questions regarding specific requirements for travelers under 18.

What is a “REAL ID” compliant card and why do you need one.  Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.” The Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards and prohibits Federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards. States have made considerable progress in meeting this key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission.

If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state department of motor vehicles. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) began offering federal compliant REAL ID driver licenses and identification (ID) cards in 2018.  The “optional” card is being made available to Californians who want to continue to use their driver license or ID card to board a domestic flight or enter secure federal facilities when new federal requirements take effect October 1, 2020.  Californians have the choice to apply for a REAL ID driver license or ID card, or renew or apply for a federal non-compliant driver licenses and identification (ID) cards.

Business as usual until October 1, 2020.  After that date, only a REAL ID card or other federally approved documents will be accepted, such as a U.S. passport, passport card or military ID.

If you need travel reservations for convenient flights, cruises, and hotel accommodations to any destination, visit VoyageMonkey.com Travel, or call us at 650-368-6192.  You can book online or call our travel consultants who can assist you in planning your getaway.

Royal Caribbean’s newest and largest cruise ship in the world, Symphony of The Seas, will begin sailing from Miami Florida starting November 2018.  This 228,021 ton ship has so many onboard activities and amenities, it will keep you entertained and pampered all day long.  The ship’s itinerary is scheduled to alternate between the Western and Eastern Caribbean on 7-day cruises, both including a fun day at Royal Caribbean’s private island & waterpark, Cococay.  The beach there is awesome and kids love the waterpark.  Go to VoyageMonkey.com Travel for the best cruises, hotel accommodations, flights and car rentals.

At 1,188 feet long with 18 decks, this ship has a lot of room to roam around.  Here are some of the features of this new Megaship.  The ship has 18 decks and includes a large gaming casino, large theatre (featuring the Tony Award® winning Broadway hit, Hairspray), an aqua theatre (featuring divers and acrobats), and, world-class spa & fitness center.  There is an Ice-skating rink, a large sports bar & arcade, glow-in-the-dark laser tag, and over 20 bars & lounges including live music.  Spend the evening in the disco dance club, comedy club, Piano or Karaoke lounge.  There is also a large solarium, carousel, beauty salon, small shops, and an array of swimming pools and whirlpools on the upper decks. 

Here on the upper decks you can find plenty of outdoor activities, including a water-park, a 10-story waterslide, twin flow rider surf simulators, a basketball court, miniature golf course, zip-line, a 43-foot rock-climbing wall, outdoor movies, day-time & late-night pool parties, and live music & entertainment daily.  After your activities, a massage and some pampering in the spa is the perfect way to end the day.

Whether it’s formal sit-down fine dining or grab n’ go meals, the dining options are too many to mention (around 20).  There is something for everyone’s taste at all hours of the day, from Sushi & Seafood to Italian, steak, chops, burgers, and more.  The food quality is top notch compared to most fine restaurants on the mainland.  The service in the main dining rooms is professional and friendly.  Room service is available so you can dine on your balcony at any time.  There is food and drinks everywhere, so take it slow so you don’t put on too much weight.

The Symphony of The Seas offers the Ultimate Family Suite, which is perfect for families with kids they want to spoil.  The two-story suite includes your own slide between floors, a private 3D cinema, an air hockey table, bumper pool on the wrap-around balcony, and more.  You will need to book far in advance for the Ultimate Family Suite.  There are plenty of other category large suites available on this ship to accommodate those wanting more room, without a slide and bumper pool.  There are a total of 2,759 staterooms and suites. 

Voyagemonkey.com Travel can find you the best stateroom available on any particular sailing.  If you need travel reservations for convenient flights, cruises, and hotel accommodations to any destination, visit VoyageMonkey.com Travel, or call us at 650-368-6192.  You can book online or call our travel consultants who can assist you in planning your getaway.

VoyageMonkey.com staff recently stayed at the new Westin Hapuna Beach Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii.  This is the perfect resort to relax and unwind, while enjoying one of the island’s best natural beaches and recreation areaS.  The large resort has only 249 guest-rooms and suites, so you never feel crowded.  Once you check in and begin finding and using all the great amenities, you want to spend the next couple days at the resort without leaving the property.  There’s golf, beach, and sun.  The pools are awesome and the white sandy beach is safe for swimming.  You can snorkel & paddleboard right there on most days.  All the beach lounge chairs & umbrellas are put out on the beach every morning and are complimentary for hotel guests.  There’s a beach activities rental stand for any beach gear that is not offered complimentary by the hotel.  Go to VoyageMonkey.com Travel for the best hotel accommodations, flights and car rentals.

The rooms are spacious and comfortable with fresh modern furnishings, large wall TV, Westin Heavenly-Bed, large bath, small fridge, and private furnished balcony. We had a great ocean view.  The property is lush with manicured gardens, fish ponds and tropical landscape throughout.  The expansive open air lobby greets you as you enter and instantly enjoy the panoramic ocean view ahead.  Beautiful swimming pools cascade to the beach.  There are many lounging areas around the pools, including an adults’ only pool.  The poolside bar & food service is efficient and friendly.  The resort includes a spa, fitness center, concierge & valet services, an 18-hole Arnold Palmer designed golf course, and more.

The restaurants on the property all serve really good food and are moderately priced so you don’t need to leave the property.  You are covered for breakfast, lunch & dinner.  For breakfast, Ikena Landing offers a daily buffet as well as your favorite a la carte items, like eggs benedict, omelets and waffles.  The view is spectacular.  The Naupaka Beach Bar & Grill by the pool and beach has good drinks & bar food for lunch.  Great salads.

At night you can make a reservation on the terrace at the resort’s premier restaurant, Meridia.  Meridia offers a super romantic sunset view, overlooking the beach, pool, and ocean.  The restaurant serves Mediterranean-Inspired Cuisine infused with local island ingredients.  The home-made artisanal bread is delicious and fresh.   They also feature a raw bar serving prime ceviche, oysters, and other raw delicacies.  The Solomilo New York Steak is awesome, as well ass the Breaded Pork Chop.  Seafood lovers will enjoy the Almond Crusted Ahi, or the Whole European Sea Bass For Two.  You can enjoy plenty of appetizers, small plates, salads and fresh flat breads to share.  By the time you eat all the fresh baked bread, you can get by with smaller plates.  Much of the food was not expensive and some of the portions were generous.  The staff is all friendly and willing to change menu items to accommodate and please.   If you are super lazy, you can dine-in your room with all-day room service.

We enjoyed our stay at the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort so much, we are going back.  We will be recommending the place to our clients.  If you need travel reservations for convenient flights and hotel accommodations to any destination, visit VoyageMonkey.com Travel, or call us at 650-368-6192.  You can book online or call our travel consultants who can assist you in planning your getaway.

Santa Barbara is a wonderful beach town, isolated 90-minutes north of the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, and around 4 and a half hours south of the San Francisco Bay Area.  The area is popular for its California central coast wines and nice beach weather.  If you are a dog owner that likes to travel, Santa Barbara offers some dog friendly hotels and restaurants, as well as parks and beaches.  Go to VoyageMonkey.com Travel for the best hotel accommodations, flights and car rentals.

The Fess Parker Hilton caters to dogs up to 75 lbs. (wink, wink).  Dogs are greeted at the door with a dog biscuit and cool water.  They give your dog a greeting package that includes: a dog room service menu; info on the hotel’s dog friendly restaurant (The Set); and, a list of local dog friendly restaurants, attractions, and dog information. All the hotel staff are super friendly to your dog, and you.  The hotel is across the street from the beach, just south of State Street and Sterns Wharf.  It is a prime location for walking the town with your dog.

State Street is the town’s “Main Street” that starts at the beach and runs inland.  The street is lined with restaurants, bars, shopping and entertainment.  There are several places you’ll find to dine with your dog on a patio, and many of the stores allow you to bring your dog inside.  The Paseo Nuevo shops on State Street has some dog friendly shops.  Sterns Wharf is a historic pier at the end of State Street, with a few shops, restaurants, and eateries. You’ll find an eatery or two like the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company that have dog friendly picnic benches on the pier.  Dog friendly restaurants within a short walk from Sterns Wharf include the Santa Barbara FisHouse and the original Sambo’s (both across from the beach).

There are several beachfront parks along the water front where your dog can walk on some grass and meet other dogs.  If you drive north a couple miles you’ll get to Arroyo Burro Beach Park (Hendry’s Beach at the Boat House Restaurant).  This is a popular beach for dogs.  Dogs need to be on leashes.  If you want to let your dog off leash, the adjacent Douglas Family Preserve allows it.  The preserve has great hiking paths and ocean views.  Another popular dog beach is Summerland Beach to the south.  The Summerland Beach Café is dog friendly.  The Santa Barbara Botanical Garden is also a dog friendly attraction that gets you and your dog outdoors.

Hotels get busy in the summer, so plan ahead.  Cruise Ships visit Santa Barbara regularly during Spring through Fall.  You can check the City’s cruise ship visit schedule online to avoid the cruise days and crowds.  If you have a dog small enough to fly, Santa Barbara does have an airport with flights to and from a few larger hubs, like Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If you need travel reservations for convenient flights and hotel accommodations to any destination, visit VoyageMonkey.com Travel, or call us at 650-368-6192.  You can book online or call our travel consultants who can assist you in planning your getaway.

We have all seen the news stories of recent rage and violence on flights.  We’ve seen customers fighting with customers & flight attendants, and attendants fighting with customers.  Some of the commentary makes it appear as though this is a new phenomenon.  Is it caused by airlines offering tighter seating and less leg space, thus creating a hostile environment?  Is it unfriendly flight attendants with control issues and an authority complex stemming from powers granted to them after the 911 terror attacks?  Have the airlines simply adopted a cattle transport approach to customer service, or is it excessive alcohol being served causing intoxication and unruliness?  All of these probably play into the problem.  Go to VoyageMonkey.com Travel for the best flights, hotel accommodations, and car rentals.

As a frequent flier, none of this is new to me; it has gone on for a long time and is nothing new.  Years ago I saw a coach passenger be arrested upon landing for disobeying the flight attendant and using the first class rest room.  The attendant locked him in the restroom until a flight marshal was called to take him to his seat and hold him there until airport police could remove him from the flight.  I believe technology advances have allowed us to capture these events more easily and provided us with a broadcasting forum.  We were all simply unaware of past flight rage events as they were not captured on video and broadcasted.  The airlines kept them quiet.

Cell phone makers have all upgraded their video capabilities and made it super simple to quickly begin filming an event as it unfolds.  We all carry these devises now.  Once the video is captured we all have the easy capability of wirelessly downloading the event to multiple social media sources.  Actual news agencies and television broadcasting networks monitor the internet social media sites for news stories that are trending and getting views.  In turn, these stories end up on prime time news and a story is created around it with commentary and opinions.

Less face it, airlines are actually serving less alcohol on flights today than in the past.  I remember a day when really intoxicated people were allowed to board flights.  The good news for all of us is that this has been a wakeup call for the airlines.  They are afraid of the power of the customer through social media.  The airlines are revamping some of their policies and training programs to prevent some of these events from occurring in the future.  I have noticed much more customer friendly flight attendants on some recent flights.  Will flight rage continue?  Probably, but let’s hope we see better treatment of the customer by the airlines.  The customer now has a powerful friend.

If you need travel reservations for convenient flights and hotel accommodations to any destination, visit VoyageMonkey.com Travel, or call us at 650-368-6192.  You can book online or call our travel consultants who can assist you in planning your getaway.

Santa Fe New Mexico is known for its fresh mountain air and its artistic community.  It has long been a gathering center for creative artists.  Santa Fe is located in the Sangre de Cristo foothills, close to skiing in the winter and great hiking, biking and horseback riding the rest of the year.   There are four major ski resorts within a two hour drive from Santa Fe.  Santa Fe is renowned for its Pueblo-style architecture and southwestern lifestyle.  Santa Fe dates back to 1610 when it was founded as a Spanish colony.  The surrounding historic districts feature old adobe landmarks like the Palace of the Governors.   It’s easy to get to Santa Fe from most major airports, and the city has wonderful accommodations.  Go to VoyageMonkey.com Travel for the best hotel accommodations, flights and car rentals.

The central gathering spot and heart of the city is the old Santa Fe Plaza.  The Plaza is surrounded by many city landmarks, shops, restaurants and points of interest.  There are many places of interest and sites to see in Santa Fe, including the Palace of Governors, the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis, the Loretto Chapel, San Miguel Mission, Museum of International Folk Art, New Mexico Museum of Art, New Mexico History Museum, the Santa Fe River Park, and much more around the Santa Fe historic district. The town is lively and full of art markets and street venders.

Most people who come to Santa Fe will also visit Canyon Road, just east of Santa Fe Plaza.  Canyon Road is a wonderful place to walk the quaint street through the artistic cultural center of Santa Fe.  Canyon Road is an art lovers Mecca.  It is filled with rich history, beautiful architecture, shops & boutiques, many unique art galleries, restaurants and bars.  It’s a great place to meet and talk with some of the local art community.  Here you can experience the true feel of the Santa Fe lifestyle.

Aside from the physical art around town, there are also wonderful performing arts to be found in Santa Fe.  Choose from the Santa Fe Opera House, the Lensic Performing Arts Center, the Santa Fe Playhouse, the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Santa Fe Bandstand, and the Greer Garson Theater Center.  In the summer months you will find free concerts around town as well as local fiestas, or festivals.  You can listen to many great musicians around town in just about every corner.  The clubs, bars and restaurants are lively at night.  Mix some of the best Southwestern food with a little entertainment and you have the makings of a perfect evening.  Try some local New Mexican food at Sazon, the Palacio Café, Café Pasqual’s, or Tia Sophia’s.

You will find some outstanding accommodations in and around Santa Fe.  If you like superb service and 5-star luxury, the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe caters to the luxury traveler.  Other luxury resorts include the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi, the Encantado Auberge Resort, Inn and Spa at Loretto, the Inn at Vanessie, and La Posada de Santa Fe.  You will find many moderately priced hotels as well as well rated discount hotels that have great central locations and comfortable accommodations & amenities.  If you need travel reservations for convenient flights and hotel accommodations to any destination, visit VoyageMonkey.com Travel, or call us at 650-368-6192.  You can book online or call our travel consultants who can assist you in planning your getaway.