SANTA FE

Monday April 1, 2012…a gorgeous day in Santa Fe!!

You’d think you were on a movie set it’s all so amazing! The architecture here is strictly controlled so that it’s all either ‘Pueblo-style’ or ‘Territorial-style’ in keeping with the history of the place. Even the hotels look like old adobe dwellings. Just goes to show you what you can accomplish with a vision!

Pueblo Style architecture

Territorial style architecture

Old Town Santa Fe

We wandered thru Old Town and bought a few things … Bruce got himself a cool ‘cowboy’ style hat (although he denies it’s a ‘cowboy hat’ LOL) which looks very cool on him, and then he bought me a fantastic bracelet with unique silver designs and a fairly large-ish turquoise stone and some earrings that match. I LOVE them! There are so many cool shops here you could spend days (and lots and LOTS of money here!) We also stopped at the oldest house in the USA, located right here in Santa Fe…very cool!

Oldest house in the USA

The RV Park

The Rancheros de Santa Fe RV Resort we’re at is ok … about 15 minutes from town and hardly anyone here. I heard a lot of coyote noises outside last night … sounded like they’d taken down something big and were having quite a feast. Kind of cool!

Rancheros de Santa Fe RV Resort

More Explorations

We had a very cool hike yesterday at a place just off Canyon Rd in a preserve owned by the Nature Conservancy – the Santa Fe Canyon Preserve. We hiked up to the top of the mountain there – up around 8,800 ft. There were times I didn’t think I’d make it but with encouragement I did! Legs were fine but the altitude makes it more difficult. But the view was worth it! It took about 2 1/2 hours up and only an hour down! What a great day. We had started out wanting to take a bike ride but at the trailhead we found our bikes BOTH had flat tires! There’s a nasty thorn around here that sticks to and into everything and that’s what got our bikes! So we’ll have to postpone the biking till they’re fixed.

Santa Fe Canyon Preserve – Will I make It?!

Santa Fe Canyon Preserve – at the summit!

The Railyards

April 1, 2013 Today we’re going to explore more of the town – Bruce found a map on-line showing a ‘Coffee Lover’s Tour’ so you know we gotta take that! Had a good day just toodling around Santa Fe. Went down to the Railyards … some trendy shops and cool restaurants.This is also where you can catch the Rail Runner Express train.

Rail Runner Express, at the Santa Fe Railyards

Had our coffee fix, then found an REI and bought some new tubes for our bikes that have a sealant in them that will seal up punctures automatically. The staff said the thorns (called Goat’s Head I think) are a plague around these parts and this is what locals use. Always learning! We then had a wonderful lunch at a brewpub and walked some more.

Bruce in his new cowboy hat at the Railyards

Loretto Chapel

There’s a chapel here called “Loretto Chapel” that has a famous spiral staircase that was built mysteriously by a carpenter in 1878 with 2 -360 degree turns with no visible means of support and the original staircase actually had no railings either! To this day, it baffles architects and engineers. No one knows who the carpenter was as he left as soon as it was finished and didn’t even stay to get paid. Pretty amazing!

Loretto Chapel

Canyon Road Galleries

We then walked around on Canyon Road for a bit … a long, narrow road lined on both sides with very trendy art galleries. The buildings are beautiful … all looking like original adobe homes … and just a treat to walk around. Didn’t buy anything … nowhere to keep a 40′ statue or gallery-sized paintings!