Downtown Santa Fe

We were told yesterday that we would have to move to another site this morning, so we waited until checkout time at 11 to go to the office and find out where we should land. Surprise, surprise, we were told that a new review of the schedule shows that we can remain where we are! Good news, but it meant that we were a few hours behind in our exploration of Santa Fe. Finally getting on one of the busiest roads in the city, Cerrillos Blvd, we headed north into downtown.

Our first stop was at the State Capitol of New Mexico.

The building, renovated in the 1990's, is a perfect example of Southwest Style. The only round Capitol building in the country, it is also unique in that it contains one of the most extensive collections of contemporary art by New Mexico artists.

Pieces are on display on every wall of the three floors open to the public, down side hallways, and on the walls of staff offices.

Under the rotunda dome, in the travertine tile floor, the Seal of the State of New Mexico is a Zia sun symbol found on a 19th century water jar from Zia Pueblo. It represents a circular sun with rays extending in four directions. Each set of rays is made up of four lines; four is a significant number to Zia people as it embodies the four directions of the earth, the four seasons, the four times of the day (sunrise, noon, evening, and night), and life's four phases of childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age.

After the State Capitol, we walked to the oldest church structure in the country, San Miguel Church. Built in 1610 under the direction of Franciscan Padres.

The interior, while simple as one would expect, is magnificent nonetheless.

Just down a street named Santa Fe Trail is the oldest house in the United States. Built in 1646, it is a maze of small rooms connected by very narrow and short doors. The house rests on part of the foundation of an ancient Indian Pueblo dating from around 1200 CE. Somewhere around 1435 CE the site was abandoned and wasn't resettled until about 1598, when Don Juan de Onate led a party of Spanish settlers into the area. The De Vargas Street House is rumored to be haunted by Juan Espinoza, a man whose head was removed by two admitted witches who lived in the house in the late 1600's. Juan had approached them with a request for a potion to insure the love of a beautiful young lady. When the potion didn't work, and she married another, Juan went back to the witches and demanded his money back. When they refused, he drew his sword and lunged at them. Tripping on the irregular floor, he lost his sword, which was immediately picked up by one of the witches, who quickly dispatched young Juan!

A little farther along Santa Fe Trail, we stopped at Loretto Chapel, the first Gothic building west of the Mississippi River.

Now in private hands, a small admission fee is charged to enter and view the miraculous Choir Staircase. Defying engineering logic, the staircase does not have interior or exterior support, yet stands today as a tribute to a shabby looking stranger that appeared at the doorstep of the Roman Catholic church shortly after it was realized that the original architect had neglected to provide any way to reach the choir loft. You see, the nuns prayed for nine straight days for guidance, and on the 10th day the stranger appeared. He said he would build the Sisters a staircase, but demanded total privacy. Locked in the church for three months, He used only a square, a saw, warm water and non-native wood. When the stair was finished, he disappeared, leaving a work of art constructed with wooden pegs and a mystery. Engineers have analyzed the staircase, and can only surmise that the entire structure acts as a "spring", absorbing the stresses created by climbing the stairs.

 The Chapel is now used for special events such as formal weddings.

Continuing down the route of the Santa Fe Trail, we arrived at the Plaza.

Filled with visitors and vendors, the Plaza is the center of Old Town Santa Fe.

The Plaza is surrounded by beautiful shops, hotels, and restaurants.

The Plaza area is an historic and vibrant district. We needed lunch about this time, so we headed to The Shed, located in the historic Sena Plaza, just adjacent to the main plaza. New Mexican food, as you may know is unique, using chilies in creative ways, including their famous red or green sauces. We "managed" to finish a plate of Carne Adobada, and a taco/enchilada combo plate. Both sauces were spicy, and delicious! This was among the best meals we've had on our trip this year. We are looking forward to trying several other restaurants, including those recommended by our Nephew and his lovely wife. They regularly visit here, and know all the tricks!

We had left our car in the parking lot adjacent to the Capitol, so we had to walk the six or eight blocks back. Not a big deal on a cool, clear, crisp afternoon, and we enjoyed taking a few backstreets. This set of doors, whether original or of newer construction, presented themselves on a side street, and demanded a photo.

There is much to see in Santa Fe, and much food to eat. I'm glad we'll be here for a few days!