From the rumble of wagon wheels and the crack of a whip to the shouts of cattle herders and the jangle of spurs, the romance of the Wild West and the Santa Fe Trail is alive and well.Ê Long used by pioneers and merchants to navigate this vast territory, there may no longer be wagons and oxen kicking up dust clouds on the Santa Fe Trail, but sites on the route of the historic Trail such as The Old JailÊ and Swink’s Gambling Hall in Cimarron, where the likes of Jesse James and Buffalo Bill were found, still make for a captivating and adventurous journey.Ê  And for weary travelers keen to wash the dirt of the road off their boots, the Inn and Spa Loretto, situated at the very end of the Trail, is the ideal respite.
After a hard day of riding the trail - nowadays lined with boutique shops and Santa Fe’s many art galleries - relax and refuel at the Inn and Spa at Loretto with the ‘Old Santa Fe Trail Rider’ Package.Ê This offer accommodates travelers in a deluxe pueblo room for the night, and treats them to complimentary valet parking for their wagon, as well as a $20 gift card towards feed for the trusty steed (nowadays in the form of gasoline, rather than hay!).Ê Package prices start at $199 and are valid year-round.

Often following older Indian trails, the Santa Fe Trail was a route leading west, crossing through five states and ending in Santa Fe, New Mexico.Ê The Trail came into existence in 1821 and was primarily used as a trade route, but gold seekers, the military, immigrants and even a few early-day tourists also undertook this journey fraught with danger to reach the booming West.Ê Trail traffic began to diminish as the railroads crept westwards, and when the first locomotive steamed into New Mexico in 1879, the Santa Fe Trail passed into the history books.

For more information or to make reservations, please call (505) 988-5531, (800) 727-5531 or your travel professional or visit the hotel online at www.innandspaatloretto.com.
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