Welcome back to my friends who are following us across America! This morning started out with a spectacular sunrise in Amarillo, thank you Mother Nature!

The drive through the rest of Texas was more farms and plains.  Then, all of a sudden, just before we made it to the state line with New Mexico that all changed.  There was the desert and an incline down to it!

Just over the state line, we stopped for the Welcome to New Mexico photos!  I loved how as you were crossing into New Mexico they had a big arch over the highway!

This was just the beginning of what was to be a spectacular drive across northern New Mexico.  As we progressed we kept climbing higher in elevation, and you will notice the flat desert turned into alpine with beautiful mountains, some still with snow!

As we are cruising along, we came to a very small town literally in the middle of nowhere.  It is called Anton Chico.  There were a few homes still occupied and a lovely little church, otherwise, it was old abandoned structures that added character to the town.

On we went curving through the roads with mesas and plateaus all around us, it was absolutely beautiful.

Finally, we reached our exit and made our way to historic Santa Fe Plaza where we would be staying the night. The hotel I chose for this evening was the Hotel Chimayo de Santa Fe.  It lived up to what I had seen online before arriving, and I just loved it.  It’s right in the heart of the Old Plaza putting you within walking distance of all the local sights.

The room was very large, with a sitting area, and beautifully appointed.

After getting settled into our room we went out to explore!

I was really in need of a good cup of coffee, and the lovely young lady at our front desk recommended The French Pastry Shop not far away.  Off we went.  What started as a search for coffee turned into Quiche Lorraine, lentil soup for mom, and an Eclair for each of us!  It was wonderful, and if you are in town definitely stop by!

After our snack, we started with the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.  The church was built in 1869 as an add-on to an older adobe church built in  1714.

Outside my attention was caught very quickly by a statue of a Native American woman because it was so beautiful.  Having a closer look the plaque explained that she was the first Native American woman to be made a saint.

Once we stepped inside the cathedral was lovely.  and compared to many other churches I have been in there are glass windows above the altar so it’s very bright inside.

In the rear of the church to the left side is the section that was the old adobe structure.  Inside it houses a statue of Our Lady of the Rosary from 1626.

The stained glass windows were beautiful, and I was so lucky to catch them bathing the walls of the church in stunning color!

After visiting the cathedral we walked down the road a piece to the Loretto Chapel.

The church is famous for the spiral staircase built by a stranger who left after building it.  It’s a lovely chapel.

It is truly a lovely little chapel, and out front is a tree covered in rosary beads as thanks for the miracles.

Our next stop was a touch further away about a six-minute walk.  Here you will find two very old sites.  The oldest house in the USA, and the oldest church in the USA.

Let’s start with the oldest house. It’s attached to a newer structure that is a gift shop, and as you walk in you go to the left and you are in the two rooms that make up this little house. The foundation was built by Native Americans around 1200 CE and the Spanish built the existing structure on top around 1400 CE.

Right next door is the  Mission San Miguel, the oldest church in the USA.  It’s lovely inside and was built around 1610.  As soon as you walk in you notice the structure is not straight, but it adds a lot of character.

In the historic downtown or The Plaza, you will find all sorts of restaurants, bars, and shops.  If you are a shopper this will be heaven for you!  The architecture is a mix of pueblo adobe and western.  In the center is the plaza which is a park.  Staring in June they have nighttime concerts in the park.

For dinner, I again asked the young lady at the front desk where she would go for dinner tonight.  She said, “You have to go to The Pantry! You can’t miss The Pantry!” I was sold. It’s about a 5-10 minute drive from the plaza.

We really enjoyed our meals. The place was filled with locals, and the food was great! All of the servers who attended to us were great! Definitely, a must do while in Santa Fe!

For me, Santa Fe lived up to what I hoped it would be!  I have always wanted to visit and it didn’t disappoint!  As my friend Sarah said to me today, “You now know your way to Santa Fe.”, and I hope all of you are able to find your way to Santa Fe one day!