Entering Santa Fe from SE
Our RV Park
San Francisco St, Santa Fe
Cafe Bakery in Burro Lane
Local craft at Palace of the Governors 
Rio Grande
Rafters on Rio Grande
Route 66 
El Santuario de ChimayoWe have just spent 4 days in Sante Fe which is celebrating its 400th anniversary. It is reportedly the US state capital at the highest elevation (7000 ft above sea level) and the second oldest US city. The city lies at the base of the mountains which form the southern end of the Rockies.
Our RV park was in a great location...right by a bus stop with buses every 15-30 mins for a 4 mile trip into the city, at a cost of $2 pp for an all day ticket. On our first morning we boarded the bus and enjoyed seeing the sights from the bus window. I spied a bakery cafe in Burro Lane as we drove past, so as soon as we alighted in the middle of the city, we posted some postcards at the post office, then made a beeline for the bakery. A very good choice. While we were enjoying the freshly baked goods, a brightly dressed local musician took up his piano accordian and played some old favourites, including 'Lara's Theme' from Dr Zhivago, which was a song my younger sister used to play on her melodica. From there we wandered into the Plaza, the center of action, and visited the historic Palace of the Governors, the oldest continuously occupied public building in the USA. In the shade of its verandahs, local crafts were for sale.
In the city centre we visited USA's oldest church, the San Miguel Mission, built in 1610 and currently undergoing renovations. We also admired the 'Miraculous Staircase' in the Loretto Chapel, even though this church is much younger, built in 1870. The story of the staircase is quite fascinating, and to see the staircase is something else again. I am not a carpenter or an engineer by any stretch of the imagination, but how it was constructed without nails or center support baffles me, like the rest of the world. If you click on the link you can read the full story.
The weather was perfect for our drive up to the mountain city of Taos (circa 1615) where the architecture shows the rich history of native American Indians alongside the Spanish settlers. We drove past frontiersman Kit Carson's house, and we walked on the bridge over the Rio Grande River. We also called into El Santuario de Chimayo (1813) known locally as 'Little Lourdes', as cures have been attributed to pilgrimages & prayers to this tiny chapel. Another drive took us up to the mountain city of Los Alamos, the site of secret atomic bomb research during WW11. The scenery on the way home was magnificent, but defied capture on my camera. Just because we could, we drove miles along the old Santa Fe Trail, the Pecos Trail and Historic Route 66. The surrounding countryside was barren and dry for the most part, and the Santa Fe River (tributary off the Rio Grande) was a mere trickle.
Our RV park was in a great location...right by a bus stop with buses every 15-30 mins for a 4 mile trip into the city, at a cost of $2 pp for an all day ticket. On our first morning we boarded the bus and enjoyed seeing the sights from the bus window. I spied a bakery cafe in Burro Lane as we drove past, so as soon as we alighted in the middle of the city, we posted some postcards at the post office, then made a beeline for the bakery. A very good choice. While we were enjoying the freshly baked goods, a brightly dressed local musician took up his piano accordian and played some old favourites, including 'Lara's Theme' from Dr Zhivago, which was a song my younger sister used to play on her melodica. From there we wandered into the Plaza, the center of action, and visited the historic Palace of the Governors, the oldest continuously occupied public building in the USA. In the shade of its verandahs, local crafts were for sale.
In the city centre we visited USA's oldest church, the San Miguel Mission, built in 1610 and currently undergoing renovations. We also admired the 'Miraculous Staircase' in the Loretto Chapel, even though this church is much younger, built in 1870. The story of the staircase is quite fascinating, and to see the staircase is something else again. I am not a carpenter or an engineer by any stretch of the imagination, but how it was constructed without nails or center support baffles me, like the rest of the world. If you click on the link you can read the full story.
The weather was perfect for our drive up to the mountain city of Taos (circa 1615) where the architecture shows the rich history of native American Indians alongside the Spanish settlers. We drove past frontiersman Kit Carson's house, and we walked on the bridge over the Rio Grande River. We also called into El Santuario de Chimayo (1813) known locally as 'Little Lourdes', as cures have been attributed to pilgrimages & prayers to this tiny chapel. Another drive took us up to the mountain city of Los Alamos, the site of secret atomic bomb research during WW11. The scenery on the way home was magnificent, but defied capture on my camera. Just because we could, we drove miles along the old Santa Fe Trail, the Pecos Trail and Historic Route 66. The surrounding countryside was barren and dry for the most part, and the Santa Fe River (tributary off the Rio Grande) was a mere trickle.
Fantastic photos Sha. Seeing some scenes from where you sit in the RV it really brought back some wonderful memories.
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