Santa Fe Capitol Building & Old Town

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

After breakfast, we drove north from our campground for less than an hour to Santa Fe Old Town. We visited the information center then walked across the street to tour the state capitol building. After passing through a checkpoint with metal detector, we were able to wander around most of three floors including the house and senate chambers, as well as the exterior of the governor’s and lieutenant governor’s office complexes. The circular edifice was attractively designed with contemporary New Mexican artwork displayed throughout. The excellent and creative artwork was engaging to study especially in this venue.

New Mexico State Capitol Building

House of Representatives Chamber

Artwork in the Capitol Building

Artwork in the Capitol Building

Capitol Building Dome

The drastic temperature change from over 100 degrees F at White Sands a few days ago to the mid 50s today was quite a shock. In addition, IT RAINED!, but not much. From the Capitol Building, we walked up the original Santa Fe Trail and then meandered through Old Town. We passed San Miguel Church, the oldest church structure in the U.S. Its original adobe walls and altar were built by native Mexicans under the direction of Franciscan Padres ca. 1610. Not only that, but we also visited the oldest house in the U.S. built circa 1646 AD. After further meandering and visiting shops, we opted for lunch at The French Pastry Shop & Creperie as a culinary contrast to the cuisine we’ve been consuming.

San Miguel Church, the oldest church structure in the U.S. (ca. 1610)

The Oldest House in the U.S. (ca. 1646)

Our Lunch Stop

After lunch we directed our walk back toward the car and chose to visit Loretto Chapel, the first Gothic building west of the Mississippi River. It was patterned after the Sainte Chapelle in Paris, was built between 1873 and 1878, and is famous for its Miraculous Spiral Stairway that has two complete spirals without any central or side support.

Inn & Spa at Loretto along Old Santa Fe Trail

Loretto Chapel

The Miraculous Spiral Stairway

We walked back to the car and drove several miles to Museum Hill. The first museum we opted for, the Museum of Spanish Colonial Arts was closed on Tuesday so we decided to visit the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Sorry readers, but no photos were allowed in this museum. The displays began with examples of traditional Pueblo pottery with excellent descriptions of the various types of pattern design. However, most of the displays were modern glass objects expressing traditional native ideas and motifs via new media and techniques with spectacular results. Jane purchased a necklace with a pendant composed of turquoise, jet, and spiny oyster shell.

The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture

Jane’s Necklace Purchase

We took The Turquoise Trail, a scenic bypass, back to the campground with a stop at the Beer Creek Brewing Company. The bypass was a much longer route and took us back into Albuquerque so we needed to head back north on the interstate to the campground. We’ll have pasta leftovers with salad for dinner tonight in our motorhome.