Loretto Chapel, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

The Loretto Chapel in downtown Santa Fe is well known for the "miraculous" staircase within. 

The chapel.

"The staircase referred to as miraculous, inexplicable, and marvelous 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." (from the Chapel's website link above). It is an impressive sight.Seems like it should collapse upon itself under its own weight.

Wood Columns, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

On the corner of Sandoval and West Alameda Streets in downtown Santa Fe, I saw many of these spectacular wood carved columns and huge old doors all together in an outdoor lot. (I peeked through the fence.)  I don't know who they belong to or why they are there together but I wish I had spent time finding out. Amazing detail and craftsmanship.

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico with a population of about 70,000 people.  It is located in the northeastern part of the state at an altitude of  7260 feet MSL. New Mexico became our 47th state in 1912 but Santa Fe had been a settlement  area for more than a thousand years before that. Today it enjoys a vibrant art and tourism attraction in addition to its role as the capital.

In the Santa Fe Plaza National Historical Landmark at the Palace of the Governors, Native Americans display and sell their beautiful hand-crafted jewelry, much of it made of silver and turquoise.

I am accustomed to hearing bagpipe music in Boston, not often in other cities. We chanced upon this parade on the Plaza and it sounded like home.

A harpist also played for visitors in the shade of the Plaza.

I have always loved the pueblo style architecture in the desert southwest areas of the United States.

And the blue skies are bluer and the white clouds are whiter.

It is a beautiful town.