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In May of 2012, Marguerite and three friends took a week-long trip to New Mexico. To begin, Marguerite flew to Denver and met her college friend, Gretchen Turner from Atlanta, and their travel buddy, Veronica Thighe, who lives in Denver. The three of them drove to Santa Fe the next day and met Gretchen's Tucson friend, Margaret Loghry. The photos shown on this page were taken by Veronica since Marguerite forgot her camera. |
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Colorful Santa FeVeronica had made arrangements through ColorfulSantaFe for us to stay at a delightful casita very near the downtown area. The casita was fully equipped with a kitchen, two bedrooms, two full baths, and a lovely patio complete with gas BBQ grill. |
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The CasitaGretchen, Margaret, and Marguerite outside the casita and ready for a day of adventure! |
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Santa Fe HubThe central focal point for Santa Fe is the Saint Francis Cathedral Basilica. A decision was made many years ago that no building in Santa Fe could be taller than the Cathedral and that all buildings, homes, etc. must conform to the Santa Fe style of architecture and adobe coloring. This makes Santa Fe a lovely, uncluttered, harmonious place. |
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Kateri TekawithaMarguerite in front of the Cathedral by the statue of Kateri Tekawitha - first native American saint. |
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Inside the CathedralInside the Cathedral by the baptismal fountain. In this church both children and adults are "dunked" like the Baptists do it! |
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Famous StaircaseNear the Cathedral is the Loretto Chapel with a famous staircase. Legend has it that a carpenter showed up one day, built the staircase over several weeks using no nails, then disappeared. The staircase has become a popular tourist attraction. |
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Capital BuildingLater we visited the Capitol building which is a showcase for Southwestern art. After tromping around for an hour or more, we took a rest in some "artistic furniture". This huge buffalo head art piece was a stunning example of the artwork. |
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Oldest House in USAWe took a tour of Santa Fe and visited the oldest house in the USA -- very small, low ceilings, and now a tourist attraction. |
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Home Life in the CasitaEach day when we returned to the Casita, Marguerite and the others used the iPad to keep up with family and happenings. We cooked breakfast daily and "ate in" for lunch and dinner several times -- usually accompanied by Veronica's famous gin and tonics, followed by good food and wine. |
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Trip to TaosOne day we drove to Taos and took a 3 hour trolley tour. Taos is a very interesting and old town with many artisans. |
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Taos PuebloA highlight of the trip was a visit to the Taos Pueblo where we learned about the lives of American Indians and purchased some art objects. The Pueblo still has no electricity nor running water. About 100 people live in the "old way" inside the walls but most of the others live outside the walls with modern conveniences. |
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LunchieWhile in Taos we enjoyed a traditional Southwestern lunch at a local restaurant. Here is a photo of the four of us -- L to R around the table: Margaret, Gretchen, Marguerite, Veronica. |
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El Santuario de ChimayoEn route home we visited a small village with a famous church: El Santuario de Chimayo.. This church is believed to have healing properties and there were many crutches and photos of people who were "healed" there. |
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Veronica's HouseWe finished our trip with a drive back to Veronica's home in Denver and stopped in a parking lot for a picnic lunch! The weather was warm and very windy. The next day the temperature dropped 30-40 degrees -- Veronica says that is very typical of the Denver area this time of year. We are already planning our "Ladies' trip" for next year -- maybe to Tucson and environs. Meanwhile, Marguerite, Veronica, Gretchen and others will meet in Thailand/Burma in October for the annual overseas trip. |