The City Different

Currently In: ABQ
Heading to Utah in late September

Yep, that's what they call Santa Fe.  The City Different.  It refers to the effort that Santa Fe has made over the years to maintain its unique identity as a thriving artistic community.  More on that in another post.

But first, Santa Fe has a long history.  It is the second oldest city (settled in 1607) in the United States, after St. Augustine FL which Johnny and I visited last fall.  It boasts the oldest government building in the country - the Palace of the Governors built in 1610.  Today Native Americans sell jewelry and other crafts outside of the building.

Santa Fe also maintains it has the oldest house in the country ( as does St. Augustine).  It appears that a very small part of the foundation dates back to a Native American pueblo from the early 1400's.  The part that we toured has been refurbished.

And of course there is a claim to the oldest church building - San Miguel Church built by Tlaxcalan Indians in 1610.  It has undergone some changes over the last 400 years, but much of the original church remains.

The altar is beautiful and unusual.

And in the back is the Famous Bell of San Miguel.  The legend says that devout Catholics in Spain contributed their gold and silver jewelry that was then melted to cast into the bell in 1356.  The bell was then taken to Mexico and eventually brought to Santa Fe by Don Diego de Vargas, a Spanish Governor.  People attach charms to the wooden sides of the structure for special intentions.

Across the street from the Chapel is part of the Santa Fe Trail used to carry people and goods from Santa Fe to Independence, MO in the 19th Century.

There were a couple of other churches that we visited on our downtown tour.  We looked at the Loretto Chapel, but didn't take the time to go inside.  Big mistake - there is a spiral staircase inside that is a feat of engineering, especially for the late 1800's.

We spent some time looking at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis.

Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American to be declared a saint.  Just a lovely statue outside the Basilica.

Just to the side is the Cathedral Park.  Beautiful and quiet.

This block is just across the street from the Park and is a hacienda that dates back to 1692.  It now houses restaurants and shops.

There was a huge art fair going on all weekend in the Plaza so this is the only photo I got.  You can't see much here.

La Fonda Hotel was built in 1922 and is a good example of the Pueblo architecture style that makes the "City Different".  The hotel was built on the site of other inns that date back to the early 1600's.

The Lensic Theater that was built in 1931.  I think the architecture is special, especially the roofline.

Across the street from the Theater was this plaque about Billy the Kid.  I remember the story from Las Cruces earlier this year when we went to Old Town Mesilla.

We also took the time to visit a couple of modern sites.  First, the New Mexico State Capitol.  It is the only round state capitol in the United States, and is called the "Roundhouse".

Near the Capitol building is a Veteran Memorial dedicated to New Mexico soldiers who participated in the Bataan Death March.  It's New Mexico's Eternal Flame.

We had quite a tour of downtown Santa Fe!  A well deserved beverage was in order.  This rooftop spot that gave us a nice view of the another street along the Plaza.

Johnny and I visited another neighborhood in Santa Fe called the Railyard/Guadalupe area.  The mural below celebrates the railroad's importance to the city, beginning with the arrival of the Atchison, Topeka and  Santa Fe in 1880.

The Railyard neighborhood has been reinvented as a nightlife destination with the addition of a number of breweries, bars and restaurants.  But old railcars are on display for the train buffs!

There is so much to see in Santa Fe!