March 25, 2021 – Glorieta and Santa Fe

Still looks the same to me!!!

I’m a little late with this one but I wanted to share a few more things about New Mexico. When we first arrived, we didn’t think there were many places to walk in nature with the dogs. We were quite disappointed as this has become a weekly, if not daily, activity. After a little searching on Google Maps, I realized we were wrong and there were quite a few walking trails throughout Santa Fe. They wound in and behind neighborhoods and businesses and one was beside the Santa Fe River (or riverbed at this time of year). We took several walks after finding these and I wanted to show a little of the Santa Fe landscape.

  

 

 

 

 

 

Now take a ride in the Wayback Machine

I had spent some time in New Mexico before back in the 1970’s. I came with my friend, Karen and her parents to spend a month at a Christian camp called Glorieta in Glorieta, Mew Mexico! I checked the map and found out that Glorieta is only 20 minutes from Santa Fe and so a solo road trip was called for. I took off one beautiful sunny day and drove on over. The drive took me into the Pecos Mountains and they were lovely. I even stopped on the side of the road to take a picture or two (see below). I drove up to the camp which had a gatehouse and big gates (don’t think those were there in the 70’s). There was a sign saying they were closed due to COVID but I drove on up to the gatehouse. I told the man that I had visited in the 70’s and was hoping to drive through the campus but unfortunately wasn’t allowed (not just me 🤣- no one could visit) but he told me it was pretty much the same.

It was quite an adventure at 12(?) years old to drive across the country with my best friend and her parents and live somewhere different for a month. I remember driving through Little Rock, AR thinking what a funny name for a city (and then ended up living there for 22 years), going to visit cliff dwellings, eating a little hole in the wall authentic Mexican restaurant where I had sopapillas for the first time, riding a ski lift up a mountain, and a beautiful musical we performed. (Karen, you’re lucky I couldn’t put my hands on any of those pictures – such awkward years….sigh) (Ed. Note – Those would have been a great addition to the blog here!!!) Ok! I found them!! (no laughing.,.Karen, at least I haven’t posted the one in the matching culottes! For anyone who doesn’t know what culottes are – “women’s knee-length trousers, cut with very full legs to resemble a skirt.”)

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

Converting the natives!!!

One final thing I wanted to do was visit some of the old churches in Santa Fe. The first one I stopped at was the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assissi. This beautiful Cathedral was built 1869-1887 on the site of the first adobe church built the year Santa Fe was founded in 1610. There is a long history of the Cathedral that is quite interesting – I hope you take a minute to check out the link. Unfortunately, the Cathedral was not open for visitors that day but people were still wandering around on the outside taking pictures. After walking up the front steps I noticed a stone labyrinth off to the side. It was lovely but I must say it was a little too public a place for me.

  

 

 

 

 

My next stop was my favorite – the Loretto Chapel. It is, however, related to the Cathedral above. The first Bishop of the Territory, Bishop Jean Batiste Lamy of Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, felt the girls of the Territory should be educated. A school was opened by the Sisters of Loretto in 1853. In 1873, they began construction on a chapel using the same architect and builders that were used to build the Cathedral. The architect died before stairs to the choir loft were built (even though the recording in the Chapel said there were no stairs because at that time men were the only ones who sang in the choir and they used ladders to reach the choir loft). Because of the size of the Chapel, a regular staircase would have taken up too much room. According to legend. the Sisters prayed a nine day novena to the Patron Saint of Carpenters, St. Joseph. On the ninth day a carpenter showed up with only a hammer and carpenter’s square. He built a spiral staircase with two complete 360 degree turns and no center support. He then disappeared before payment. The staircase is known as the Miraculous Staircase.

When it was decided that the Sisters of Loretto would no longer use the Chapel, they offered it to the Diocese who chose not to purchase it. A local family decided to purchase the Chapel and turned it into a museum and place for weddings. The detail throughout the Chapel is exquisite, the staircase is beautiful and the altar is divine. My pictures (which I felt a little uncomfortable taking) do not even begin to do it justice. If you’re ever in Santa Fe be sure to visit!

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop – Little Rock, Arkansas!!