How I Planned a Bachelorette Trip Off the Beaten Path

In imagining my ideal bachelorette, there was no sash, no tiara, no phallic shot glasses. Sure, a bachelorette trip is a modern pre-wedding rite of passage; but as a 35-year-old, I was seeking tranquility and quality girl time more than I was interested in one last night to get rip-roaring drunk.

With a wedding in New York and lots of West Coast friends (I grew up in the Bay Area), I knew I wanted to host everyone somewhere between our respective locations—meaning Europe, the East Coast, and the Caribbean were all off the table. As an avid hiker and camper, I also knew that I wanted a celebration that would incorporate the outdoors without going fully off the grid. (Let’s just say some of my friends are more nature-loving than others.) Third, with a friend group that includes both pregnancy and recent moms, I wanted it to feel like a respite for everyone, not just a party for me. A few destinations come up frequently in bachelorette group chats: Miami, Nashville, and Austin have earned their reputations as getaway favorites. But Taos, New Mexico? It definitely wasn’t on my radar when I began to imagine what my perfect trip would look like…. until a lucky Airbnb discovery sparked the start of what would become the ultimate girls’ getaway.

Drawing inspiration from Georgia O’Keeffe, who lived in the area for many years of her life, I put together an itinerary that mixed art, culture, nature, and great food. And while there was no bottle service or DJ, we still managed to get a hat-tip from a hot man riding a donkey—if that’s not memory-worthy, I don’t know what is.

Here’s exactly how I planned my ever-so-slightly unconventional bachelorette trip.

Photography by Olga Nazarova

I discovered the sprawling Many Feathers Ranch through my friend Nicole, who covers travel for Vogue. Tucked into a canyon on the outskirts of Taos and owned by fashion designer Raquel Allegra, it’s the sort of property with a peaceful, thoughtfully curated feel that quietly coaxes you into staying in. A moody, candle-lit dining room provided the space for our girls-night-in dinner, all dressed in cozy linen sets.

We luxuriated in the bedrooms, each of which had windows spilling Aspen-dappled light onto plush beds. The plaster, cave-like living room (complete with a cozy fireplace) served as a backdrop for trivia night; the ice-cold creek, which snakes along the five-acre property, was our personal swimming spot to chase off the heat of the day.