Jill’s New Book has just been released:
Abiquiu Tours
One of my most favorite places on the entire planet is Abiquiu, New Mexico. The first time I drove through Abiquiu, I was actually on my way to Chaco Canyon, usually a 3 1/2 hour drive. It took me 9 hours to get there because I stopped the car in Abiquiu at least 15 times to walk around and photograph. I was in complete and total awe, and I fell in love with a sense of place that day. From the first moment there, my heart blasted open:
it felt cleansed and expansive and available in a newfound form, and my creative instincts came pulsing forward into total HAPPY.
I experience tremendous joy in sharing this unique and glorious landscape with friends. I have taken people on my distinctive tour of Abiquiu literally hundreds of times, and I have never tired of the journey. This is because, every time I roam there, the contours of the high desert, the endless sky, the ever-changing light and shadow, the soft yellows and lavenders and red formations, always hold their energy differently. It is an endless surprise, as to what you will see and feel and focus on. I always return to Santa Fe opened and refreshed, and anticipatory of the endless possibilities in Life.
I have never been puzzled by the passion the artist, Georgia O’Keeffe brought to her paintings of Abiquiu. That ‘sense of place’ is a vibration there. One can FEEL the high energy, even within the barrenness of high desert; and one can also sense the nudging of a personal muse for all manner of creativity. I also often go there personally when I need to feel completely solitary, to pray and vision, to be still, and to re-establish my weary self back to my authentic Self.
If I had $100 for all the “WOWS” people express on my private tours, I’d be a millionaire. So many people I have taken there marveled at the fullness of time shared, and the astounding experience of being in the middle of walks through this multi-colored glory. It is completely about immersing oneself in the sensually stimulating, rambunctiously alive terrain, that is so clearly the opposite of how we inhabit most of the rest of our lives: working, texting, looking down, compressing your energy, moving quickly through our days, not noticing, and holding it all together. It is often for some about recharging their Soul.
I would like to extend my specially designed tours to others. I have a variety of offerings dependent on the amount of time my guests have, their mobility concerns, the interests of the group, the desire for stillness or activity, and the number of people in your group. I make it personal. I do not take large groups because I want the entire day to feel intimate.
There are many possibilities to explore: We can do short, easy hikes, or longer ones. We can create time to see a few artist studios, or swim in the lake, or design a ceremony. For rock hounds, you will feel like you have died and gone to heaven. We can focus on the geology of the area: Jurassic dinosaurs lived in this then swampy land 130 million years ago. I can develop an entirely O’Keeffe experience, showing you the paintings she created while standing near the actual landscape in that very painting. We can find a place to sit and write or draw or be still. I know many out-of-the-way special places that I can share with you.
Testimonials
'Our family had an opportunity to revisit a place we had long loved: Santa Fe, New Mexico. Normally so very busy with our lives and jobs and sons,
we looked forward to some time off. Our friend Jill, organized a masterful tour that introduced us to the striking beauty of Abiquiu, New Mexico.
We witnessed some of the most awe-inspiring vistas imaginable, and Jill infused the trip with interesting anecdotes and perspectives. We hiked,
and visited an artist’s studio, felt like kids again at a swing set, took lots of photos, and went to unique places we would have never found without Jill.
Our teenage sons were captivated. We did not want our play day to end. A tour with Jill is a must-see for any traveler to northern New Mexico.'
— Amy Edmondson & George Daley, Boston
My journey to Santa Fe was specifically to see Jill Fineberg for her healing abilities: my intentions were therapeutic ones. She had been highly recommended by a dear friend. I was physically/emotionally spent, basically exhausted with deep health issues. My bodywork and counseling sessions with Jill were for two weeks, with added homework. My first session with Jill and her assistant dog Audrey, I felt a significant shift in my back and hip.
It was certainly not expected so quickly, but well received by me. Their work was my saving grace.
My last day with Jill and Audrey was a special trip to Abiquiu, a place Jill knows intimately. She is a master at her craft: Jill is an authentic intuitive counselor and a bodyworker with compassionate listening skills. Her ability to know how to navigate through the emotional/mental/physical/spiritual maze is exceptional. I do not believe there are many like Jill. She is the best I’ve ever experienced in my 75 years.
The experience of Abiquiu was her way of showing me up close and personal, the expansiveness of that vast land around me. Our trip offered me an opportunity to choose to re-open myself and feel MY OWN expansiveness, in order to release my constrictive behaviors. The many places she took me, both actually, and internally, in Georgia O’Keeffe’s back yard were perfectly tuned to what I needed. It was a healing day . . . a blessed day.
I call Jill & Audrey my "Two Sages who live in Santa Fe”. Consider yourself lucky to have found her website.
Enjoy Jill’s special healing abilities. I know you will.
— Donna Bando, Dallas
Jill Fineberg is a good friend of ours. Her dog and our dog are dating, so we spend time together as often as we can. When we got pregnant, Jill was insistent about taking us on one of her special Abiquiu tours, before the baby arrived, and we were unable to hike and travel as much. It was such a wonderful day with perfect weather, and a joy to go out into nature and just relax and feel happy. We saw places in Abiquiu we would never have found on our own. And Jill photographed our day, which made it even more special, because having the images meant we would always remember our time together. The dogs scampered around and rolled on the earth and it was a delight to watch them enjoy one another. We punctuated our day with an incredible meal, a change of light, and a glorious rainbow to see us home. Jill creates magic.
— Avery and Jacob Young, Washington state
I work very hard in my life, and rarely feel I can take time off. I had an opportunity to take a trip away to see a friend in Santa Fe, and was delighted to make time to go. Having a home in a Midwest city, my first time traveling to New Mexico was extraordinary on two counts: to simply be surrounded by a very different American culture than what I had known, and secondly, to experience such a unique landscape. The special pleasure on this trip was for my friend and I to be taken by Jill Fineberg, to unique sites in and around Abiquiu.
We saw and walked on unusual terrain, colorful vistas, and rock formations. The sky was way big and we even spent some time at a lake. The meal afterwards was delicious and the margarita, relaxing. As an architect and artist, it is easy now to think of Georgia O’Keeffe and Agnes Martin being so attracted to northern New Mexico. I still think of this magical excursion led by Jill Fineberg; it felt like a true vacation and an unexpectedly nurturing break from my work life.
— Paul Young, Chicago
One Saturday morning, my dear friend Jill decided to surprise our work friends, Carole and Cathy, and myself, by taking us on an adventure to forget all about our jobs! We had a fantastic breakfast in town at Pasquale’s, and headed north in Jill’s car. She had made all the arrangements; she told us what to bring (an open mind), what to wear (sunscreen, good shoes, and a hat), but little about what to expect.
After an hour of country roads north of Santa Fe, we each began to feel the power of a simple aesthetic, and the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. We came to a hidden valley, that was spellbinding and powerfully mysterious. We walked gently through this soft, white landscape, each in our own silence. I became instantly aware of experiencing peace and tranquility in ways I had not previously. Jill helped us create a ceremony to mark our friendships and day together.
It was a wonderful escape for all of us, and I realize that in Jill’s guidance I was able to absorb and hold a powerfully positive, even inspirational, experience. I will never forget that day.
-- Nancy Boshers, Santa Fe
PLANNING A TOUR:
Abiquiu is an hour away from Santa Fe, so one needs to plan those two hours as part of the total day’s trip time.
I can do half day(4.5 hr) and full day (7.5 hr) trips, depending on the time you have to devote to a tour in your schedule. In my car, I can take any combination of 1-4 people. We will communicate ahead of time what your interests and needs may be for your life at the moment, as well as your time with me. I will then plan and shape our experience together.
You also may want to pay separately for ADD-ONS, such as:
-
Professional Photography to document your trip
-
A meal before leaving Santa Fe, or upon returning to town
-
Therapeutic and Personal Healing input: counseling, grief therapy, art therapy, coaching, journaling