We purposely arrived in Albuquerque a few days prior to the start of the Balloon Fiesta so that we would be able to check out Sante Fe. We considered taking the Rail Runner train from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, but decided to drive to have more flexibility. We may want to stop at Madrid (where Wild Hogs with Tim Allen was filmed). Plus when we’re ready to leave, we wanted to be able to go home straight away without having to wait around or plan according to the train schedule. Parking was tough in the Plaza area, so we decided to use the public parking garage for a maximum of $12 for the day. This way we didn’t have to be concerned about finding our car before the meter expired. We ended up staying for 6 hours. Good decision to park in the garage since the maximum time on the street meters was only 4 hours!
Mucho Gusto was recommended to us for lunch. It was tucked a little out of the way, but was where a lot of locals eat. Both of our lunches were delicious.
Our waitress, Michelle, recommended we go to Nedra Matteucci Gallery. We walked to it, and OMG! This place was worth the trip even if we did nothing more! The outside area was incredibly beautiful with surprises throughout the park-like setting. It’s a perfect place for quiet solitude or meditation.
The gallery specializes in art from the 19th and 20th Centuries, including American art, the Taos Society of Artists, Artists of the American West and Masters of American Impressionism and Modernism. Here are some pics upon arriving and from the interior portion of the gallery.
While the art in each room was the amazing, the doors that we were walking past were exquisite! I became drawn to them appreciating each one’s uniqueness! One set of interior doors shown below displays a multitude of milagros. A set of interior doors shown below display a multitude of milagros. The exterior doors were equally interesting.
Milagros are metal charms that are most commonly held as personal amulets (called dijes) or presented as an offering to a particular saint. As offerings, believers leave milagros in churches and shrines to help with a troubling matter or as a token of gratitude for an answered prayer.
Translated as “miracles”, milagros are usually made from tin or pot metal, or custom-crafted in pure silver. They are small, and flat, and easily fit into the palm of a hand. Milagros are made in the likeness of humans, animals, or objects that are meant to represent the object of the prayer petition. Body parts, such as arms, legs and hearts are especially popular. An arm or leg will be selected for a prayer petition to heal a broken bone; a heart for a broken romance or medical issue. Today milagros are used today in modern Catholicism throughout the Hispanic Americas, but especially in Mexico, where Spanish missionaries first introduced the European custom.
Barry helped show the height of the dorr 
Vault door? 
Left portion. 
Left door full of milagros 
Right side 
Close up (right side) 
Close up of top center medallion of previous door 
Bottom center medallion portion of previous door 
Above top center medallion in previous door 
Outdoors 
Left door 
Outside doors
Outdoor Sculpture Garden
The pictures of the outdoor sculpture don’t do it justice, but try to get a sense of the serenity this garden with its lush foliage and water features evokes. If you are in the area, you need to check it out in person.
From here we walked to the “oldest church” and the “oldest home.” San Miguel Church is the oldest church structure in the USA. The original adobe walls and altar were built by Tlaxcalan Indians from Mexico under the direction of Franciscan Padres, around 1610.
Buttresses were NOT part of the original adobe structure. 
Original adobe steps to altar. 
Beautiful mellow sound to this bell.. Frame is covered with milagros. 
Not sure how to get to the choir loft. 
Station of the Cross I 
Station of the Cross II 
Station of the Cross III 
Station of the Cross IV 
Station of the Cross V 
Station of the Cross VI 
Station of the Cross VII 
Station of the Cross VIII 
Station of the Cross IX an X 
Original 
Wall along from street level to the church entrance
The “oldest home” faces the side view of the “oldest church.” A small street runs between them.
Ceiling 
Papoose Carrier from Pecos INdians 
Baby cradle 
Spinning wheel 
Our last stop: The Loretto Chapel.
The Loretto Chapel, the first Gothic building west of the Mississippi, was patterned after Sainte Chapelle in Paris, and built at the request of Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy between 1873 and 1878. However, the nuns wanted a usable staircase to reach the choir loft from inside the chapel. They began to pray for a carpenter who could create such a staircase. On the ninth day of prayer, an unknown gentleman appeared. By himself, he privately created the two complete spiral staircase. The wood used was not indigenous to the Sante Fe area. How or where the carpenter got the wood is a mystery. The staircase is miraculous in part due to the fact that there is no central column or support beams, and it appears that all the weight is self-supported at the base.
No nails or glue were used. The carpenter only used wooden pegs to secure the steps. Additionally, there were no railings. There are only 33 steps, however, the staircase wraps around 360 degrees twice. The number 33 is a significant number, being the age of Jesus at his crucifixion. The Sisters were adamant that it was Joseph himself that came to their rescue. Thus, people have given the stairs the nickname, St. Joseph’s Staircase. Regardless of who the carpenter was, the resulting staircase was phenomenal. A miracle. The picture below is a simulation of how the staircase originally looked.
The nuns were quite nervous with the 22 ft drop from the edges of the staircase, especially descending wearing their habit attire. Therefore, between 1879 and 1887, the nuns asked Philip August Hesch to install a banister. I doubt I would want to go up the staircase no matter what I wear, let alone down! Today the staircase is anchored to the nearby column to help preserve it over time and any earth movement.
The spiral staircase is truly magnificent! While in the chapel I could not help noticing the beautiful stages of the cross that adorned the side walls.
Entrance from side 
The stained glass window design that is repeated throughout. 
Simulation of staircase prior to banisters. 
Confessional 
Station of the Cross I: Jesus is Condemned to Death 
Station of the Cross II: Jesus Carrying His Cross 
Station of the Cross III: Jesus Falls -the First Time 
Station of the Cross IV: Jesus Meets His Blessed Mother 
Station of the Cross V: Simon Helps Jesus to Carry His Cross 
Station of the Cross VI: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus 
Station of the Cross VII: Jesus Falls – the Second Time 
Station of the Cross IX: Jesus Falls – the Third Time 
Station of the Cross X: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments 
Station of the Cross XI: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross 
Station of the Cross XII: Jesus Expires on the Cross 
Station of the Cross XIII: Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross 
Station of the Cross XIV: Jesus is Laid in the Sepulchre
It has been a great day in Sante Fe. Barry and I both were ready to call it a day. It was time to shop for a t-shirt as we headed towards the parking garage. Once we got in the car to head home, we agreed that a stop in Madrid (where Wild Hogs -with Tim Allen was filmed) would have to wait till another time.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Sue for taking the time to post a comment!