Apparently the photos didn’t load properly for this post so I’m reposting.  Tim

We arrived in Santa Fe late Saturday afternoon and after unpacking we made our way to the Railyard District where there are shops and an open air concert area with a live band reminiscent of the square at Spanish Springs. In fact, it’s likely that The Villages Design team took a lot of its cues from Santa Fe. The mean age of the population here seemed to be 55+. After a lovely Mexican dinner it was off to bed with plans to explore in the morning.

Santa Fe’s Palace of the Governors is the oldest municipal building in the US built in 1610 as the Spanish seat of government in the southwest. Today it serves as a Museum and an outdoor market for the locals to sell their wares. And speaking of selling wares across from the Palace of the Governors is the famous Plaza which was covered with vendors this weekend for an arts and craft fair. Santa Fe is filled with artisans and crafts people and fabulous shops filled with jewelry, clothes and goods of all artisan goods of all kinds. Simply beautiful. Rhonda found her “spirit guide” a wonderful vendor with a story behind every item, and amazingly she found some things to buy.

Next it was off to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum to view the artwork of this American master who spent her later years in northern New Mexico

We continued touring and then found our way to the La Fonda Hotel’s restaurant La Plazuela, along the original Route 66.

We had a delicious lunch, impeccably served with the best fajitas ever for me and a cauliflower steak for Rhonda. And of course, margaritas.

Then it was off for some more touring.

The beautiful Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

We then toured the Loretto Chapel with its famous Miraculous Staircase

The original staircase was constructed by a single carpenter with no railings as depicted below

The Nuns were so terrified of ascending and decending the floating staircase that the railings had to be added later.

We also took a look at what was once considered the oldest house in America, dating to 1640. But further research has shown a home in Massachusetts dating to 1637. Still it’s impressive.

Finally we made another purchase! While touring the arts and craft stalls we came upon a metal worker with beautiful decorative pieces.

Juan and his wife were both artisans and lovely people and we chose a Florida Sun design he will hand craft and ship to us next month. A wonderful reminder of our lovely trip.

Today (Sunday) marks the last official day of of our touring. From here on out will be three long days to Dallas, then Mobile and finally back to The Villages by Wednesday night.