The heart of Santa Fe is the plaza. Like other Spanish cities in the Southwest, one side of the square is devoted to a government building and in Santa Fe this is The Palace of the Governors. Built in 1610, it is the oldest continuously occupied public building in the United States. The rest of Santa Fe is devoted to shops and restaurants.
Silver and turquoise jewelry handcrafted by the Navajo Nation. Pottery from the Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Acoma and Zuni pueblos. Kachina dolls fashioned by the Hopi. And Barb’s favorite the chickens of Edith John. All of these and more make Santa Fe a shopping experience equaled by few.
Meeting up with our friends we made another circuit of the plaza and nearby streets, making our way through most shops. After a quick stop for lunch and more shops we took a tour of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. O’Keeffe was a major figure in American art and responsible for pushing the boundaries of American artistic style. Then on to The Loretto Chapel, which is known for its spiral staircase. Built by an unknown carpenter in 1878, the staircase makes two complete revolutions, lacks a central support and was assembled using only wooden pegs. Although handrails were added later, as originally built there were was nothing but the spiral steps.
After a short rest, we were off to dinner. It was excellent, as were the margaritas. Tomorrow we leave early for Moab, Utah.
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