The day started out beautifully this morning in Roswell, NM. I have come to realize that all that alien hype might be fake. Seems the town just sells green plastic junk in the shape of aliens - made in China, no less. But, that's okay - it was a nice, clean, friendly little town and I am SO glad I stopped here.
And, I have to say - they have very cute lamp-posts.
Drove over to Santa Fe where it was pretty-much what I expected. Lots of Adobe-style homes, apartments, etc. Very nice place with friendly people!
If there is a homeless person within a 1,000 miles, they will find me - as this gentleman did. I could not resist because his dog was adorable. The deal was - I give him the money and I get to take the picture of him and his dog! (I would have given him the money anyway!)
Visted the San Miguel Chapel, which is [allegedly] the oldest Church in the United States (I think I also saw the "oldest Church" in the United States in St. Augustine, FL).
"Oldest church structure in the U.S. The original adobe walls and altar were built by Tlaxcala Indians from Mexico under the direction of Franciscan Padres, circa 1610"
The inside is positively beautiful. So ornate!
This is the oldest house in the United States (I won't challenge this one!).
This is the train station.
Some other areas of Santa Fe.
The Indians go here to sell their artwork and jewlery. There is some kind of Federal regulation to insure that it is authentic Indian-made. I bought a cool sterling silver guitar pick in the shape of an alien (being that I started out in Roswell this morning). No, I don't play the guitar.
The best place I visited today was the Loretto Chapel. This is a Gothic-styled church with a story of a beautiful staircase built by a mysterious carpenter whom they believe may have been St. Joseph. It's an interesting story - read about it below if you care to, or for more information on this beautiful place, go to:
http://www.lorettochapel.com/
BEAUTIFUL stained glass!
Pretty flowers in and around Santa Fe.
Two mysteries surround the spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel: the identity of its builder and the physics of its construction.
When the Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878, there was no way to access the choir loft twenty-two feet above. Carpenters were called in to address the problem, but they all concluded access to the loft would have to be via ladder as a staircase would interfere with the interior space of the small Chapel.
Legend says that to find a solution to the seating problem, the Sisters of the Chapel made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the ninth and final day of prayer, a man appeared at the Chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Months later, the elegant circular staircase was completed, and the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks. After searching for the man (an ad even ran in the local newspaper) and finding no trace of him, some concluded that he was St. Joseph himself, having come in answer to the sisters' prayers.
The stairway's carpenter, whoever he was, built a magnificent structure. The design was innovative for the time and some of the design considerations still perplex experts today.
The staircase has two 360 degree turns and no visible means of support. Also, it is said that the staircase was built without nails—only wooden pegs. Questions also surround the number of stair risers relative to the height of the choir loft and about the types of wood and other materials used in the stairway's construction.
Over the years many have flocked to the Loretto Chapel to see the Miraculous Staircase. The staircase has been the subject of many articles, TV specials, and movies including "Unsolved Mysteries" and the television movie titled "The Staircase."
