escotiaworks.com: Hanging Out in Santa Fe

Monday, July 7, 2008

Hanging Out in Santa Fe

Ned and Joe With Their Uncle Neal

One thing we found out about Santa Fe is that a lot of places are closed on Mondays. For example I was hoping, dreaming, of going to Bobcat Bites for a dinner of grilled green chile cheeseburgers but they are closed on Mondays. Neal was arranging a horseback riding trip but when we had a firm date we found that they are closed on Mondays. So we spent a relaxed Monday hanging out.

We started off the morning with breakfast at Tia Sophias and then walked around the plaza and up to the Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi. There was a service inside so we walked the labyrinth out front and headed down the street to the Loretto Chapel home of the "miraculous staircase."

Inside the Gothic structure is the staircase referred to as miraculous, inexplicable, marvelous and is sometimes called St. Joseph’s Staircase. The stairway confounds architects, engineers and master craftsmen. It makes over two complete 360-degree turns, stands 20’ tall and has no center support. It rests solely on its base and against the choir loft. The risers of the 33 steps are all of the same height. Made of an apparently extinct wood species, it was constructed with only square wooden pegs without glue or nails.

Walking back to the hotel we stopped at the New Mexico capitol building also known as the roundhouse. New Mexico's legislature only meets for 30 or 60 days each year so it was quiet as legislative activity goes. Artwise it is a great place to see the work of artists from all over New Mexico. There was a quilt exhibit and the Governor's Gallery had a great display.

Finished we returned to the hotel. The boys went to the pool and that evening we went out to eat with Neal at Tomisita's for great New Mexican food.