With all of the uncertainty that seems to fill our lives these days, a road trip seemed like the perfect solution to clear my mind. I pack my bags and head north towards Santa Barbara to Skyview Hotel (@skyviewlosalamos) in Los Alamos, which is about an hour from Santa Barbara and has a population of 2,000 (yep, you read that right.)
As I merge onto highway 154, bountiful vistas overwhelm my view and quickly, a profound calm washes over me. The endless to-do’s, commitments and the uncertainty of the world starts to vanish from my consciousness. I’m already breathing deeper and feeling more connected to myself. I’m still about half an hour away but already feeling a revitalizing feeling of tranquility.
A vintage sign saying ‘Los Alamos, Take Next Exit’ tells me I’ve made it to my tiny town. Right off the freeway, I’m directed up a steep driveway which leads me to Skyview Hotel. I’m greeted by a gracious receptionist and awe-inspiring views that are available to me for the next few days, whenever I want them.
My room is decorated with a blend of mid century modern and rustic chic decor. A plush (and may I add extremely comfortable) bed, fireplace, Spanish style bathroom and a patio with views of the onsite vineyards create the perfect home away from home in the countryside. Fun fact: the hotel (which has been around since 1959) was once an iconic roadside motel. The new owners gave it a multi-million dollar renovation to restore the mid century property while modernizing the decor and offerings. The hotel features 33 guest rooms, a full-service restaurant (called Norman), heated pool and working vineyard.
After a few hours on the road, I’ve worked up a bit of an appetite so my friend and I head to Norman, the hotel restaurant for lunch. Norman serves California fare with nods to the country roots of Los Alamos, sourcing local produce and meats as much as possible. The restaurant’s wine program celebrates the greatest wine growing regions of the world. Wine lovers, need I say more?
It’s Tuesday, so tacos seem appropriate. We order the carnitas tacos and a summer salad for good measure. The carnitas, cooked to perfection are enhanced by flavors of lime crema, onion and cilantro to create bites of great piquancy. The summer salad, simple yet bursting with flavors of apricots and candied walnuts remind me of carefree summer days. And with this one meal accompanied by views of the countryside, I officially feel like I’m on ‘holiday.’
We send a text to the front desk to make a reservation for the pool (to ensure guest safety, guests are required to make a reservation to keep safe distancing). Within seconds, we’re assigned 2 lounge chairs and spend the next few hours lounging at the pool’s serene yet extremely chic pool…with a few adult beverages, of course.
The small town of Los Alamos has some noteworthy restaurants, but we’re in no rush to leave Skyview (we have everything we need here), so we make a reservation at Norman for dinner. The truth is, we could have eaten here for all of our meals.
We end the night with a nightcap around the fire pit in front of our room and later slip into bed for the best night of sleep I’ve had in months.
With just 2 days in Los Alamos, we’re excited to explore the small town. But first, breakfast! With new precautionary measures in place, the hotel delivers breakfast right to guestrooms at a time convenient for each guest. We nosh on breakfast on our private patio before our day of exploring. After some fuel, I text the front desk (this feature is so convenient) and quickly, 2 Linus bikes are ready for us for our jaunt into town.
Here are some places I loved:
After our day of exploring, we order room service back to our room to enjoy on our private patio overlooking the onsite vineyards. Bountiful vistas, delicious food and noteworthy wine make for a memorable night, and I haven’t left my room. At this point during the trip, I’m feeling as if I’ve been on a 2 week vacation – I’m so relaxed.
The next morning I wake up to chirping birds, crisp air and a rejuvenating silence which make me start to think, ‘Should I move here?’ The truth is, I have to get back to LA but I now have a place I’ll return to bi-monthly to unwind and reconnect with myself.
Skyview’s new COVID procedures: Skyview is limiting the occupancy at the hotel pool to allow for more distancing, providing breakfast baskets at guests’ doors rather than serving it from the lobby, and ensuring staff wears masks and gloves. Many of the hotel’s rooms also feature private decks, which make it easy to help limit contact with others.
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