A Week In Santa Fe, New Mexico

I’m happy to say that we are in Santa Fe now for a week…..in order to see so much of the country in such a small window of time, you move around a lot. We try to stay in one area a minimum of 3 days, but sometimes it’s even less. So when we hit a 7 night stay, we’re all a bit happy.

I have to say that I love Santa Fe! The city is exceptionally clean and the people are polite and helpful. There is SO much here to see and do and the shopping is phenomenal! The first morning here, Marj and I went to another Farmer’s Market. The produce here is superior and always displayed in such a colorful and appealing way….you just want to buy it all.

As I mentioned the shopping is beyond belief. Especially when it comes to jewelry, particularly of the native american kind. You can find new as well as vintage (old pawn)…..the Shalako Traders was among our favorites and the inventory was extreme

Then there are the churches, especially near the square in Old Town Santa Fe. They are such historic, majestic, icons and it is a privilege to see these masterpieces!

Shortly before leaving Naples for this adventure, Howie and I were watching a documentary one night on TV. It was about this church, Loretto Chapel, that has an amazing spiral staircase that was built around 1885. I was delighted to find that this chapel is here in Santa Fe.

The architect died before stairs were built in the chapel so the Sisters prayed and on the 9th day, a carpenter appeared with a hammer and carpenter’s square. He built the staircase with no nails, only wooden pegs – then he mysteriously disappeared, without payment for his work. It is constructed of rare wood, not native to the American Southwest. The staircase has two complete 360 degree turns with NO center pole for support. The entire weight of the staircase rests on the bottom stair. It was originally built with no banisters but the nuns were having difficulty climbing the stairs so handrails were added about 10 years later. Master carpenters of today as well as architects deem the complex construction almost impossible even with today’s modern technology. It was a marvel to see!

Also, the oldest house in the NATION is in Santa Fe. Amazing that it is still standing – what a humble abode!

Today is Howie’s Birthday!!

This wonderful husband turned 73 today – Happy Birthday, Howie……many, many more!!!! We had a great meal at Marias, then went home to celebrate with his favorite, coconut cake!

The sunsets here are beautiful!

Tomorrow we head southeast to Carlsbad Caverns where we stay for a few days before heading further east and closer to home. This journey has been an absolute blessing….full of beautiful scenery, great times, fantastic weather, and awesome memories. But the closer we get to home, the more I seem to be ready to get there. After all, there’s no place like home!