Left Turn at Albuquerque

Did you ever wondered where Bugs Bunny would have ended up if he hadn't missed that left turn at Albuquerque? I just returned from roaming around New Mexico, where I took that fabled left turn. I found great restaurants, a new spa and some of the most unique 1950s-motels-turned-spa-resorts I've ever seen, in a quirky town with an oddly appropriate name. After that I headed up -- both on the map and in altitude -- to Taos and Santa Fe, where I checked into some luxurious spa resorts you'll want to know about.

I flew in to Albuquerque, which has the main airport in the state. (Visitors to the lower half of New Mexico often fly into the airport at El Paso, Texas.) And no, I didn't use that old joke, "Do I need a passport to visit?" You would be amazed at how many people (Americans!) ask that question. They must not realize that New Mexico is the 47th state, although personally I was surprised to hear that it's only been a state since 1912.

Plenty of visitors, particularly Europeans, are drawn here because of the lure of the Wild West. Route 66 passes right through the compact downtown area. Albuquerque was just a quick stopover for me. I stayed in the Albuquerque Marriott, about a fifteen minute drive from the airport. This is a good, reliable business hotel with free parking, an indoor/outdoor swimming pool and a fitness center. A short walk away is the new ABQ Uptown district, where shops, a big-box bookstore and of course, a Starbucks are arranged around a pedestrian area. (Although I personally held out for Satellite Coffee just down the street - my coffee-connoisseur friend gave their brew two thumbs up, they had fresh lemon and really good tea, and as a bonus, very yummy breakfast burritos.)

I stopped in there to see the new La Bella Spa. I was surprised how big this spa was, at 25,000 square feet, with a multi-story entrance, Swarovski crystal chandeliers, and furnishings custom designed by Phillippe Stark. I was ready for a massage after spending three hours on a plane behind an elderly woman who fully reclined her seat, almost crushing my laptop in the process. I worked the rest of the flight with the laptop pressed into my stomach and my elbows against the back of my seat. Luckily, I got Leonard, who worked out muscles in my shoulders I didn't know were sore.

As a special treat, I met afterwards with Kris Wrede, an "Aromatic Alchemist" who was to mix up a signature scent for me. The nice thing about this service is she keeps your personalized recipe on file so you (or someone shopping for you) can reorder later. I sniffed a variety of scents, each on a card, rated them from one to five, then got a scent that smelled somewhat like a lemon mixed with cinnamon.

Back at the Albuquerque Marriott, with shoulders recovered from the flight, I really had no excuse not to work. My room was small but thoughtfully arranged. I had all the basics, plus a few extras: two plugs right above the nightstand, LED reading lights on both sides of the bed, a coffeemaker and a big desk. My favorite feature: my room was an "ultra-adaptable room" - equipped with a 32" LCD TV and a device that can hook up your laptop PC, MP3 player, digital camera, video camera, or DVD player to the TV. It is self-configuring (just plug in and go) and all the cables were supplied. You can even work on your computer and watch TV with a split-screen. My only complaint: I had to turn on the TV to listen to my iPod. Not all guest rooms have it, so you'll have to request it.

For dinner I headed to Nob Hill, one of Albuquerque's oldest suburbs. There I discovered Scalo, although it's been around for over 20 years. This family-owned Italian restaurant was a very pleasant surprise. The food was imaginative, flavorful and fresh, with unusual offerings. I'm still thinking about the house-made tortelloni zucca con quaglia, tortelloni stuffed with winter squash, with a rich brown butter oregano sauce, topped with grilled quail ($16). Also memorable was the bianchi e neri al capesante, black and white pasta (the black comes from flavorless squid's ink) with a creamy seafood sauce the restaurant has been serving since its inception ($18). They also serve seafood and pizzas, and have an extensive wine selection. It's definitely worth the drive.

Next up: I head down to the southernmost part of the state for Mexican influences and another great spa.

^{Images © Charlyn Keating Chisholm}