September 7- 8, 2017
Driving from Scottsdale here was really pretty even if we were dodging scattered showers. We went from desert to high mesas into evergreen forests.
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I can't keep track of all the mountain chains but it's the Southwest corner of the Rocky Mountains
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Lots of variety of cactus, sagebrush, pinon pines and junipers
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| As we climbed higher, we started seeing the evergreen forests again |
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Check out this sign by the Railroad, charming?!
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Back in high mesa country again
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The extra large train traffic is amazing out here
This is our second trip to Santa Fe and Taos...once again we realized you could spend a month in this area and not see it all. Like St. Augustine, FL these towns have been here for far longer than many on the East coast. Their history dates back at least 8,000 years with the prehistoric Paleo natives. The climate is relatively mild all year since we are at a valley elevation of 7,000- 8,000 feet. The history of the Native Americans, Spanish, French, British and finally the Americans is very complicated. William Clark and Kit Carson are either revered or hated depending on what side you are on...
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Our home for a couple of nights
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Santa Fe is artist central with over 300 art galleries representing 3,000+ artists. The artist migration here dates back to 1898 with Ernest Blumenshein and Bert Phillips.
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| We captured this image on our Trolley Ride |
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| One of the churches we saw but didn't make it into |
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So many churches here too, we didn't have time to see them all
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Public art up by Museum hill
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| We kept crossing various old trails |
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Adobe Colonial style
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Loved this territorial style architecture with the fired brick on the top with the bright contrasting colors
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Tomasiti's Restaurant in a converted train station. Delicious!!! Santa Fe were still in the process of converting the abandoned warehouses around the RR into thriving businesses like this one.
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| I would have liked to go on a mural tour, there were so many |
Palace of the Governors is the oldest capital building, but unlike St Augustine's which is still in use, this one was turned into a museum
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| The Native Americans in front of the Palace of Governors |
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Protesters of the reenactment of the Entrada during the festival, 9 got arrested? I understood their message since it's celebrating the reconquest by the Spanish in 1696 after a large Pueblo revolt. This fiesta dates back to 1710, the oldest in the country and the Entrada has been a part of it since then???
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Given the mood of the USA, the police presence was very strong
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| A mariachi band performing during the Fiesta |
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Native Americans performing one of their dances
We saw the Mariachi band performing later on impromptu
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| Looking down to the Cathedral of Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi |
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The First Native American Saint in North America
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A close up of the beautiful bronze doors
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| Inside |
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| The chapel on the left is the oldest part of the church dating back to 1714 |
The elaborate altar was so gorgeous
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| The Native American Contemporary Art Museum sculpture garden |
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| Inside the Palace of the Governors |
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the chapel inside
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Dating back to NM colonial period
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Many of the rooms were multi purpose
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Governor Prince's living room in the late 1880's?
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An example of an old printing office
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If you haven't been here before you are really missing a treat...but give yourself lots of time...
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