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Santa Fe Flyer
October 2 - 8, 2008
Creative Painting Retreats
 This year’s Creative Watercolor Retreat will be an out of the ordinary art and travel experience to a fabulous destination. Travel in a style known only to heads of state and industry of the early 20th century, aboard our own private rail cars. Unlike most travel today, the journey itself is truly part of the destination! We will visit and paint at least four historic train stations, tour some of the finest art galleries and museums in the nation, eat, drink, and make merry with new friends.
For privacy, you have a choice of accommodations ranging from spacious suites to comfortable roomettes and even economical sections upper or lower birth.
For friendly companionship and room to move about, we have the first class lounge/diner with a complementary open bar for the entire journey.
For meals, there are few private rail car chefs that compare to Chef Shawn's cuisine.
For breathtaking scenery and the exhilaration of "floating on a magic carpet", we have the open "back porch" car, Tioga Pass. You'll enjoy mile upon beautiful mile ticking off as the track recedes into the horizon, while the wind wisps through your hair and the aromatic scents of the mountains, river valleys, isolated towns, and deserts fill your nostrils.
For the art collector or those just curious ... Santa Fe is home to more than 100 private galleries. The art and culture industry generates one out of every six jobs and $1 billion annually. Nationally, Santa Fe ranks second in art sales to New York.
Trip Itinerary:
Thursday
4:30 Meet on private car at Union Station Los Angeles
6:30 Depart for Santa Fe
 Friday
12:00 Stop at the Historic Albuquerque depot for some shopping
1:00 Lunch on board
2:00 Lemy painting demo of depot
4:45 Arrive in Santa Fe
6:00 to 9:30 First Friday Gallery walk. Wine & music alfresco at Georgia O’keefe Museum of fine art.
Saturday
9:00- 12:00 Charter bus to Albuquerque for the Balloon Festival
12:30 to 1:30 We can lunch at Tomasita's,
2:00 to 5:00 Painting demo and lecture in the square
Dinner on your own.
Sunday
9:00 to 3:00 Demo and lecture at
remaining time on your own
Monday
Bus tour of Taos and surrounding towns and area
$80 additional charge .
Tuesday
10:00 depart for Albuquerque, Los Angeles, and beyond
Lunch and dinner on the train
7:30 after dinner meet in our private car for cocktails and desert along with an informal critique and discussion of art
Wednesday
Arrive in Union Station by 7:30
Cost is between $1,200. to $1,600 per person, based your options, such as painter or non painter and trip and sleeping choice.
Call me and we can figure what your cost will be. 509 365 3709 or Cell 541 490 9441 or e-mail at bogaboard@aol.com.
As usual I take you in the order you respond. So let me know right away. I will be available by e-mail only through the 24th of August as I am taking a workshop with Tony Couch at Cannon Beach. I should have lots of fun new offerings for a Sante Fe trip!
 A more detailed schedule
Thursday:
You'll leave Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal at 6:30 pm. Get acquainted with your fellow travelers over our first on board dinner as the train snakes out of Los Angeles for points east. You'll then settle into your authentic Pullman berth for the night as we climb Cajon Pass and commence our race across the desert
Friday:
Awake the next morning to a freshly prepared breakfast while zipping through the scenic Arizona highlands and desert. By noon, we will arrive in Albuquerque, where you'll have some time at the station to visit the Southwest Indian Boutique on the station platform, a railroad tradition dating back over half a century. Lunch will be served on the train as we make our way to Lamy, NM, and our connection with the Santa Fe Southern Railway, an 18 mile short line railroad that will take us the rest of the way into downtown Santa Fe. After uncoupling from our mainline train, the SFS Ry. will pull us to Santa Fe proper ... about two hours, we'll arrive at the station around 4:30 pm. (Trivia: Remarkably, Santa Fe, New Mexico was never on the "mainline" of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway ... it was a branch line connection.
Passengers may begin their Santa Fe adventure right away with First Friday celebration!
Dinner is on your own, and Your comfy Pullman room will be ready for you after dinner ... just let the porter know if you would like your bed turned down upon your return. (For those desirous of a little extra room during the layover, we can book you into a hotel property during your stay for an extra charge)
Saturday:
 The mass ascension at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta begins early, so we'll have a light continental breakfast ready while we wait for the arrival of our motor coach. After all are aboard, we'll make our way to the balloon field. We'll enjoy the wonderful, awe inspiring sights of the balloon fest and plan on returning to Santa Fe in time for lunch. we recommend the famous Tomasita's, which is located immediately adjacent to the Santa Fe depot where our cars will be spotted for the duration of our stay Known as one of the best southwestern restaurants in the area, their green and red chilies and sopapillas cannot be missed!
You'll have the balance of the day free for sightseeing or painting in Santa Fe.
Sunday: Enjoy the wonderful town of Santa Fe! You are free to explore on your own, but if you would like to join your fellow travelers, we have a walking tour arranged with a wonderful local provider, Santa Fe Detours:
Monday: One more full day of vacation before we depart for home tomorrow. Santa Fe is again yours for the exploring unless ... you would like to join your fellow adventurers on a motor coach tour to Taos. Another tour offered by Santa Fe Detours, the trip is a full day tour that departs Santa Fe at 9:00 AM and includes a stop in Chimayo to visit the Santuario de Chimayo, the "Lourdes of the Southwest", and the Rio Grande Weavers, then winds through romantic mountain villages on the High Road. In addition to Taos Pueblo, a World Heritage Site, there is time to visit points of interest in the town of Taos, such as Kit Carson's home or to browse the many exciting shops and galleries of the Taos Art Colony.
The return trip includes vistas of Northern New Mexico along the picturesque Rio Grande Gorge and valley. The tour returns to Santa Fe about 5:00 PM. Cost is an additional $80.00 per person. (over the rail tour price
 Tuesday: Enjoy a hot breakfast (featuring Santa Fe French Toast) aboard the train before departing Santa Fe at 10 am. We will make the winding return trip to Lamy then reconnect with the Southwest Chief for our return trip to Los Angeles. You will have lunch and dinner on the train as you enjoy the bluffs of New Mexico and the company of your new friends. The porter will put your bed down for your final night aboard the vintage Pullman cars.
Wednesday: A continental breakfast awaits you as we prepare for an early arrival back in Los Angeles at 7:30 am ... WOW, what a wonderful vacation! Our entire crew and staff will wish you a, "till we meet again" and look forward to your next travel opportunity with us!
Accommodations: Your sleeping cars feature traditional single person Roomettes and two person Double Bedrooms. All rooms have toilet/sink facilities, individual temperature control, fans and small closet. Couples have the choice of a double bedroom, (Upper and Lower berth) or individual "right across the aisle" roomettes. Two Double Bedrooms may also be joined together to form a suite for a group of four. The cars are equipped with a shared shower and a beverage center at one end of each car. There is also a limited number of classic Pullman sections available aboard.
Time is limited; let me know if you are interested right away.
Let me know if you would want to do this next year.
Are you interested in one of the other trips we have talked about?
Turkey/ Greece
Cannon Beach
San Miguel De Allende
Golden Gate Park and San Francisco
info@gayleweisfield.com
bogaboard@aol.com
phone: 509 365 3709
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