Friday, May 31, 2013

Virtual Walkabout Santa Fe's Old Town a Quality Time Post

NEW MEXICO,SANTA FE,NEW MEXICO,SANTA FE,NATIVE AMERICANS,Loretto Chapel,THE CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF ST.FRANCIS OF ASSISI,SHOPPING,MUSEUMS

MQTlogoa Spending some Quality time in Santa Fe's Old Town. In getting there one discovers the city was laid out before the advent of the automobile. (the Garmin GPS really came in handy)

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Thanks to my sister Sara we had an excellent place to stay. Everything is within short walking distance of Garrett’s Desert Inn

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For all of you  US 66  fans  prior to 1937  this route used to run through Santa Fe. Now for a look at the Plaza. This is a spot for residents and tourists.

DSC_0048DSC_0051  DSC_0049The Plaza is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, and is the heart and soul of the city. The Santa Fe plaza Obelisk is now politically correct. "To the heroes who have fallen in various battles with savage Indians in the Territory of New Mexico."but a word was removed so it now reads: "To the heroes who have fallen in various battles with Indians in the Territory of New Mexico."

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This is a bad place for a Hunger Strike because the food is outstanding. Make sure to try some sopaipilla

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The Plaza is a playground for many tourists  (bring money) interested in Spanish, Native American, and Mexican cultures, including music, design, jewelry, art and dance. READ MORE. Moving on..

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DSC_0045 Santa Fe is at least the third oldest surviving U.S. city in the 50 states that was founded by European colonists.

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Next, the intrepid wanderers checked out the..

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Two mysteries surround the spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel: the identity of its builder and the physics of its construction. READ MORE

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The Gothic Revival-style chapel was patterned after King Louis IX's Sainte-Chapelle in Paris; a striking contrast to the adobe churches already in the area.

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Just down the street…

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Kateri Tekakwitha is the first North American Native American woman to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. Read More

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“Pope Benedict XVI declared the cathedral a Basilica, an honor given to very few Catholic churches around the world, based on historical importance, antiquity, and the artwork contained inside.  The church certainly ranks high in historical significance: the parish was formed in 1610, ten years before the pilgrims landed in New England.”

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A must see is The Museum of Contemporary Native Art. The Museum is home to the largest collection of contemporary Native art in the world and the Museum Store is a premiere shopping destination. We are now nearing the end of our walkabout just one more shop to check out then some famous Southwest cuisine.

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DSC_0006 Try the the huevos rancheros special with black beans and green chile sauce (tasty potatoes) and the stuffed sopapilla - all fantastic.

toddlindacrframedsidebar Joe Todd & Linda say,”Thanks for stopping by.”

MQTlogoa NEW MEXICO,SANTA FE,NEW MEXICO,SANTA FE,NATIVE AMERICANS,Loretto Chapel,THE CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF ST.FRANCIS OF ASSISI

16 comments:

DeniseinVA said...

A great place to visit and I enjoyed all the photos very much, thank you, so interesting :)

Denise
An English Girl Rambles

Linda G. said...

I keep talking about going to Santa Fe; your pictures make me want to go all the more. Thank you for the walkabout!

TONY LETTS said...

Really interesting looking place to visit!

Elizabeth Edwards said...

wow, you both had such fun. what a great trip. love all the churches ... those details are just amazing. breathtaking too!!

thank you for linking up with us. have a great Sunday. take care. ( :

Faye said...

Thanks for this great tour of Santa Fe, Joe. I have only visited there briefly and several of your photos brought back good memories like the artisans selling their work from rugs along the square. All the churches are real treasures to rival the first churches built in Europe. Glad they are protected as historic landmarks.

A Colorful World said...

Wow, Joe...what a great post! I need to go to Santa fe. Have never been there, and this really whets my appetite. Love Native American culture, art, SW style. It seems to have it all! Loved that gorgeous chapel! Really wonderful post, and you are so sweet to share it with us!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Your sister lives in Santa Fe? You are plainly the luckiest man in the world! We ADORED Santa Fe (and all of New Mexico really)....oh, I'd love to go back. Are you still there? Thanks for the tour and the great memories.

Unknown said...

Great tour!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Fun60 said...

Unlikely I will get to see Santa Fe so thanks for the tour.

Randi said...

What a wonderful place to visit! Beautiful shots!

Karen said...

Terrific shots! Thanks for the tour!

Kusum said...

Santa Fe is a nice place!

Indrani said...

Enjoyed this virtual tour! Great shots all!

Lona said...

I love going on your tours with you and Linda. What a beautiful place.

My blog address has changed to:
http://lonadawn7.blogspot.com/

Sally in WA said...

Fabulous churches and history. Thanks for sharing these!

Jenn Jilks said...

What a terrific trip! I was happy to take it with you!