June 11: SW Road Trip Day 33: Santa Fe

Our first full day in Santa Fe! Our breakfast is Oatmeal Soufflé & Fruit Banana Split. A good start! We head to the Plaza to take the Historic Walking Tour. Our group has 7 tourists. Our guide is very knowledgeable, having moved here 18 years ago. Starting at the historic center of Santa Fe, he takes us around the Plaza and down a few of the side streets. He relates some of the history of Santa Fe, the oldest capitol city in North America and the oldest European community west of the Mississippi. He explains the chaos of the architecture development of the city over the decades.

Between about 1880 and 1930, the city was built up at a fast pace. A wide variety of architectural styles was employed. During the Panama-California Exposition of 1915-1917, the building representing New Mexico was built in the style of the 17^th century, Old New Mexico. That was such a popular building (and it still sits in Balboa Park) that the city fathers took a new look at “selling” their city with a consistent architecture. “New” Old New Mexico was encouraged and many of the buildings built in other styles were razed.

“New” Old New Mexico Style

As in other cities, there has long been tension between preservation and consistency. If you have interest in these kind of city stories, and you find yourself in Santa Fe, this is a fine way to spend a couple of hours. Check out www.historicwalksofsantafe.com .

Back to the Tour: After getting foundational information, we walk East along Palace Street to an exceedingly old courtyard-style building. At #109 is the office that was the “entryway” for all of the scientists and engineers relocating to Los Alamos for the Manhattan Project in '43 and ‘44.

E. Palace Street

Plaque Commemorating 109 E. Palace St.

The tour takes us all over the Plaza section of town, ending at the Loretto Chapel, whose miraculous staircase is the subject of legend. It was built with no nails. There’s more to the story, though.

Loretto Chapel Staircase

Tour concluded, we decide on lunch. We join another couple from the tour. He was wearing a Cal cap and it turns out that both of them graduated the same year I did. They lived in Oxford Hall Coop when I lived at Cloyne Court. We had a fun time exchanging stories, and had a good meal at another of the places we visited our last time here, La Casa Cena.

After lunch, our new friends head to the Palace of the Governors to shop for jewelry while we continue on to the Art Fair. We wind up buying a couple of pieces of art. We take the art back to the Inn and rest up before dinner.

Late in the afternoon, we patronize the Bell Tower Bar at La Fonda. We then proceed to a new restaurant for us, Tabla. Amy has the Lamb Chop and I have the Duck. After dinner, we return to the 1^st floor bar of La Fonda to watch the end of the USA – Mexico Football match. USA hangs on to a 1-1 tie to improve our chances of going to Russia! Happy, we head back to the Inn.