SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO - MAR 9, 2025

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO - MAR 9, 2025

On March 9 we decided to take a drive up to Santa Fe, NM.  It was about an hour drive up and we wanted to visit the old town.  They have a very informative walking tour so we stopped into the Visitors Center and picked up a map of the various landmarks.

Our first stop was the New Mexico State Capital.  We didn't venture inside as we had Lotte and Dixie with us.

Our next stop was San Miguel Chapel. Considered the oldest church in the US, still in use.  The interior is beautiful, with icons and statues.  I believe the bell is the original, but it is now inside the church, people leave their rosaries as well as "milagros" (small, metal charms) as religious votive offerings. They are used to represent prayers, wishes, or gratitude for answered prayers.   The word "milagro" translates to "miracle" in Spanish. 

We walked past the Oldest House in the USA, and strolled through the Santa Fe Plaza, which is the heart and soul of the capital city. The murals on the pillars were beautiful.


When the Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878, there was no way to access the choir loft twenty-two feet above. Carpenters were called in to address the problem, but they all concluded access to the loft would have to be via ladder as a staircase would interfere with the interior space of the small Chapel. 

Legend says that to find a solution to the seating problem, the Sisters of the Chapel made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the ninth and final day of prayer, a man appeared at the Chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Months later, the elegant circular staircase was completed, and the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks. After searching for the man (an ad even ran in the local newspaper) and finding no trace of him, some concluded that he was St. Joseph himself, having come in answer to the sisters' prayers.

Loretto Chapel & its miraculous staircase.

We aslo stopped by the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.  Construction of the Cathedral began in 1869 and continued until 1887. The new Cathedral was built around the former adobe church and, when the new walls were complete, the old church was torn down and removed through the front door.  The Cathedral was elevated to a Basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. 


The front of the Cathedral, the baptismal font, the behind the altar, 
St. Francis sculpture outside the church, and 
Kateri Tekakwitha sculpture, patron saint of Native Americans.

We walked around and took pictures of things we found interesting.  Found a restaurant to have lunch and enjoyed our day in Santa Fe.  We're were so glad we took the time to drive up to Santa Fe and see some of the Old Town.  


Next stop Grants, New Mexico.
Having a blast on the road, Tally Ho!




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