1 January 2025
Nancy and I enjoy a leisurely morning waiting for the sun and temperatures to rise above 40°. Our previous excursion found us in the north of Finland seeking the Northern Lights. I suggest, perhaps, next excursion we seek out a warmer climate.
Santa Fe is a very pleasant town to stroll. Its small size belies its importance as the capital of New Mexico. Today most everything is closed. The architecture is uniform, unique and beautiful. Quiet streets, colorful trees and lights create a perfect scenario for the first day of the new year. The city bursts with galleries and art, hand-crafted jewelry and pottery.
Loretto Chapel Museum
The Loretto Chapel is a former Roman Catholic church, now a privately owned museum and historic landmark. At the request of Archbishop Lamy, the church was constructed between 1873 and 1878 for the Loretto Academy by the Sisters of Loretto. It represents the first Gothic building west of the Mississippi. The Gothic Revival chapel features spires, buttresses, and stained glass imported from France via the Santa Fe Trail. The main architect for the project based his design on the stunning Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. (Loretto misses that goal.)
It is most famous for its “Miraculous Stair,” a helix-shaped spiral staircase that rises 20 feet to the choir loft without a central pole or visible support. Made of a rare spruce wood, the staircase comprises 33 steps and is held together by wooden pegs without nails or glue. Its mysterious construction, attributed by legend to Saint Joseph, has captivated visitors for decades. The handrails were added later, in 1887, and an iron bracket was later attached to a column to add additional support, probably from a suggestion from OSHA.
Historic La Fonda Hotel
We relax over an Irish coffee and Bloody Mary at the historic La Fonda Hotel on the Plaza. A hotel existed on this site since 1607 when the Spanish founded the city. Located at the end of the Santa Fe trail, early clientele looked quite different form the affluent who inhabit its halls and bar today. Our pause enthuses us to get the car and head north.
Taos High Road
Following our hotel’s directions, Nancy and I drive up Highway 84 to Route 503 toward Chimayo. Much of what the eye can see represents tribal lands. The landscape is high desert and vistas reach for miles to the mountains. There lies little snow on their peaks. Bright blue, cloudless skies meet the purples and grays of Earth’s crust. Weather is clear and crisp
Almost like magic, just past Truchas, the landscape blossoms with colors and forests of Ponderosa pine, aspen and junipers. Small patches of snow lie under the shade of trees. Our world has turned green.
We arrive into the busy town of Taos. Much has changed since the last time we traveled in these parts. I’m unsure if that represents good or bad. No metropolis, Taos has grown and sprouted tourist influenza. We reach the Taos Pueblo to learn it closes in 10 minutes. No problem, we assure the young man directing traffic. The beautiful drive was worth our time.
We return to Santa Fe, this time using the faster, Route 68. Sadly, we leave the green of the mountains and return to the brown, flat desert. Both offer stunning, memorable vistas.
A fine dinner and wine closes our first day of 2025. We both wish for some peace on Earth and some goodwill towards man.
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