Santa Fe New Mexican
By Jill Janov – Out and About Columnist
If you ever wonder whether the hassles of traveling are worth the merits of a trip, there is a simple solution—stay in Santa Fe and vacation here, even if it’s just for one day.
A new local adventure travel company, Santa Fe Mountain Adventures, will plan the day for you. No luggage. No airplanes. No guidebooks. No hotels. All you have to do is show up for an orchestrated day of adventure such as hiking, rafting or mountain biking, cultural activities and spa treatments.
“We all wish we could enjoy Santa Fe the way visitors do. This is a way for locals to have a little escape without leaving town,” said Janine Sieja, company adventure director.
Sieja, former managing editor of Outside Magazine’s special issues Outside Traveler and the Outside Buyer’s Guide, and business partner, Owen Perillo, debuted the company this spring. They integrate the best of Northern New Mexico, leading visitors and locals on a variety of active and tranquil outdoor, cultural and holistic adventures.
“For affluent travelers, adventure travel is the highest growth area. Hiking, biking, white-water rafting, skiing and scuba diving are the most popular activities, and we have four of the five,” said Perillo, chief adventure officer at SFMA.
A former business executive, Perillo founded the company as a second career more aligned with his passions. He is certified in fitness instruction and wilderness first aid and is a board member for the Santa Fe Mountain Center, which benefits at-risk youth through adventure programs.
Perillo and Sieja have teamed with more than a dozen local businesses including four downtown hotels, two art galleries, Sun Mountain Bicycles, Tererro General Store and Riding Stables, the Painted Dish, Astronomy Adventures, New Wave Rafting Co., the Reel Life, the Santa Fe School of Cooking, the Santa Fe Opera, Wild Earth Llama Adventures and Native American musician Ronald Roybal.
Although most clients are from out of town, Perillo and Sieja have a discounted day package for locals. The package includes a choice of an outdoor activity in the morning; yoga, pottery or cooking classes in the afternoon; and a spa treatment such as Swedish massage or a facial in the evening. This day package costs $175 for locals and $190 for visitors.
“It’s always refreshing to take a day off work and enjoy the things we love to do, like mountain biking or hiking. This is a nice way to take time out to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or to explore and rejuvenate,” Sieja said. ”It’s a great thing to do with friends who are visiting or just to take a break from our busy lives, learn new activities and get pampered.”
Day outings range from two-mile discovery walks to strenuous hikes for anyone ranging from the visitor just arriving-from-sea-level to the hard-core fitness walker. The shorter, easier walks could be a loop on the Dale Ball Trails or a lower stretch of the Winsor. Vigorous hikes include Atalaya Mountain or an eight-mile section of the Big Tesuque Trail. Midrange hikes include Borrego-Bear Wallow, Diablo Canyon and Rio en Medio.
For visitors, the company will pull together a complete multi-day adventure vacation package with three daily activities starting at $100 each.
Participants can horseback ride, raft, fly-fish, take yoga classes, dance, mountain bike ride or hike on trips led by accomplished local guides including Bill Neuwirth, who teaches outdoors classes through The University of New Mexico and Santa Fe Community College, and Nicole Blouin, author of several books.
The custom packages also offer options for everything else Santa Fe has to offer including lifestyle coaching, golfing, photography adventures, art gallery tours, astronomy classes, opera performances, and day trips to Abiquiœ, Taos and Bandelier.
“We are targeting the affluent traveler to New Mexico as well as the local who enjoys active, adventurous experiences,” Perillo said. “What we are offering is fun, educational and rejuvenating experiences, which is what the market research says people are looking for in retreats and vacations—combining active adventures with spa services so they feel they earn it.”
The company also offers programs for families including its Family Adventure Days from July 24 to Aug. 7, with llama trekking, mountain treasure hunts, pottery painting, cooking classes, educational stargazing, musical adventures and more.
For information, visit www.santafemountainadventures.com or call 988-4000.
