Travel Deals

Hot deals on the cold slopes of Santa Fe make for quick and affordable ski getaways

Just because the holidays are over doesn’t have to mean the vacation has to end.

Luckily, it’s a new year, and your vacation days have instantly recharged. Sure, you could save them for a beach trip in the summer. But that is months away — and it requires a swimsuit-ready body. If you're more comfortable bundling up than stripping down, then Santa Fe, New Mexico is just your style.

Yes, a January vacation is a bit unconventional, but you always were a free spirit. Plus, the lower demand means better deals. Santa Fe a quick jaunt by plane from Austin, making it a closer choice than Colorado hot spots. Plus it is less crowded.

The proximity doesn't mean less snow, though. With an average of 300 inches of snow a year and more than 300 sunny days a year to enjoy them, Santa Fe is the perfect place to get away for the weekend for a quick, luxurious stay at a cozy ski resort so you can come back to the office refreshed and reenergized.

The interwebs can be a mighty fortress, so we’ve sought out the season’s best specials, all good until March 2013:

The Inn & Spa at Loretto offers two packages for guests looking to hit the slopes. The Buenos Dias Bed and Breakfast Package gives guests a hearty, gourmet start before heading down the mountain, while the Santa Fe Ski Package includes accommodations, a neck warmer, $25 per day hotel credit, and recommended options for skiing and snowboarding.

Santa Fe Sage Inn is offering a guests free skiing at Ski Santa Fe when you book a two-night, double occupancy room starting at $239.

Hotel Chimayo de Santa Fe includes a made-to-order breakfast for two with a deluxe room or suite for stays between Sunday and Thursday. The Get Out and Ski Santa Fe Package includes breakfast to go in a charming room or suite.

The Lodge at Santa Fe has a Ski Santa Fe and Save Package with great room rates plus a grab-and-go breakfast and hot cocoa to get skiers and boarders on the slopes first thing in the morning. The Lodge is also promoting a Third Night Free Package that includes 20 percent off at the hotel’s restaurant or bar.

The Inn at Santa Fe is currently running a 2013 Ski Package that includes one night’s accommodation, breakfast and two lift tickets to Ski Santa Fe for only $195.

Bishop’s Lodge Ranch Resort & Spa has a special incentive for booking a private villa, starting at $399. It comes with a $100 resort credit, a bottle of wine, and chocolate-covered strawberries. The Ski Santa Fe Package lets guests enjoy all the winter activities on the property — hiking, hot tubbing, snowshoeing and sledding on more than 450 acres of forested land — and comes with breakfast and ski packages for two from $149.

Fresh powder awaits you on the slopes in Santa Fe.

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Hit the Road

Austin City Council passes resolution over MoPac expansion concerns

Photo courtesy of KVUE

The City Council has taken issue with some environmental concerns and planning that may be outdated.

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) has been looking to make improvements on MoPac Expressway South from Cesar Chavez Street to Slaughter Lane to try to improve traffic. It is looking to add up to four express toll lanes.

But the Austin City Council recently passed a resolution over its concerns with the project.

“[The resolution] tells the city manager to work with the CTRMA on the MoPac South Project. When you see state money being spent on projects that affect the local community, we want to make sure we are holding the highest standard possible," Councilmember Paige Ellis said.

Some of the concerns listed in the resolution include that it's been more than 11 years since CTRMA held its original scoping meeting; that the Recommended Build Alternative has not changed substantially since 2015; and that fine particulate matter in the air in Travis County already exceeds healthy metrics; plus others.

Ellis said she has some environmental concerns.

"The environment is protected for species like the golden cheeked warbler and salamanders, so we want to make we are sure limiting impervious cover," Ellis said.

The CTRMA said its environmental study evaluates potential harms and mitigations to things like water quality and endangered species. The CTRMA added that it has "worked extensively with the city of Austin throughout the study."

Read the full story, including information on how to submit feedback, and watch the video at KVUE.com. CultureMap has added a paragraph to this excerpt listing some details from the City Council document.