Jeff & Sharon's Travels AND . . .

Selegman, AZ gave us our first glimps of Rt 66.

Selegman has freshly cut meat. . .

Winslow, AZ Sweetlands.... ' don't know what they sell but they have a lot of it.

Winslow's local picture bench

Winslow has this incredible wall that is now my PC's wallpaper.

You know the song, right?

Standin' on the corner in Winslow, Arizona..

My lord its a flat bed Ford slowin' down to take a look me,

and on and on. this is THE spot.

Outside Winslow is tribal park/rodeo/picnic place.
This incredible wall was just waiting for me to shoot!

This incredible wall is the infamous curb in Santa Fe that got the best of me and my new 5D Mark II (minor scratches on the battery case and a skinned knee).
I went down like I'd been shot. . .

This is the walkway cover at the Santa Fe US Post Office. cool.

A walk about in Santa Fe is really cool. Lots to see and shoot.
Thick walls and stucco always make for a cool shot.

Lots of vendors sell peppers for decoration as well as augmenting the local meals

Window reflections are cool.

This is a window on one of the local art shops.

Take a closer look. . .

Two mysteries surround the spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel: the identity of its builder and the physics of its construction.When the Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878, there was no way to access the choir loft twenty-two feet above. Carpenters were called in to address the problem, but they all concluded access to the loft would have to be via ladder as a staircase would interfere with the interior space of the small Chapel.Legend says that to find a solution to the seating problem, the Sisters of the Chapel made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the ninth and final day of prayer, a man appeared at the Chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Months later, the elegant circular staircase was completed, and the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks. After searching for the man (an ad even ran in the local newspaper) and finding no trace of him, some concluded that he was St. Joseph himself, having come in answer to the sisters' prayers.The stairway's carpenter, whoever he was, built a magnificent structure. The design was innovative for the time and some of the design considerations still perplex experts today.The staircase has two 360 degree turns and no visible means of support. Also, it is said that the staircase was built without nails—only wooden pegs. Questions also surround the number of stair risers relative to the height of the choir loft and about the types of wood and other materials used in the stairway's construction.Over the years many have flocked to the Loretto Chapel to see the Miraculous Staircase. The staircase has been the subject of many articles, TV specials, and movies including "Unsolved Mysteries" and the television movie titled "The Staircase."

Another view of the Loretto Chapel interior.

I love the stucco of Santa Fe. . .

Blue windows and stucco are abound. . .

We passed by this fire hydrant every day on our walk abouts.
There is something cool about yellow fire hydrants against a white stucco wall. .

Sharon about the town... yes it was cold.

more stucco, yes. but this is THE oldest adobe in Santa Fe.
Its across the street from the San Miguel Mission, THE oldest church in the southwest.

This is the bell tower of the San Miguel Mission.

San Miguel Mission alter.
There is a glass floor at the foot of the alter that allows one to see the original alter from the 1700s.

Looking back . . .

This is the exterior of the San Miguel Mission.
The stucco building on the left is the oldest adobe in Santa Fe.

We took a side trip out to Los Alamos.
The vistas are spectacular. Los Alamos is where the atom bomb was developed. A very interesting place with lots of history.

An ancient people's village ruins. Another side trip.

View of the main village from the cliffs.
The ancients lived in the cliffs as well as the main center below.

The holes in the cliffs provided ready made places of shelter. The only access was the ladder. Last one in has to pull up the ladder for safety ;-)

We made a trip up to TAOS PUEBLO.
The Link kids may remember this place; it hasn't changed in the 20+ years since we were here last!

We visited one of the shops while at the Pueblo.
This is not one of the locals.... she's with me!

Taos Pueblo is at about 8000 ft elevation.

Spring comes very late. It was c-o-l-d outside.

The wood burning stove in the shop kept it nice and cozy inspite of the biting cold outside. We purchased a couple of Kokopelli vases here.

Lots of Green doors here. Must have been a sale of sorts going on somewhere...

A view of the pueblo village on the north side of the river where the shop is located.

A view from the back end of the pueblo. I call this The Cedar Deck. Nobody was picnicking that we could tell.

This a view of the south village. I think most of the people live here and most is off limits to tourists. The bowery and oven(s) are central to village life. The shop people told us that every September the village gets together and make all the repairs and new construction that the village may need. Big party.

This is another view of the north village. I believe that not very many people live here and that its upkeep is primarly for the tourists.

One has to cross the river somehow.... its COLD!

One last shot of the church and the crosses. Cameras were not allowed inside.

. . . no words. But a picture is worth a thousand of them. . .

colorful yarn ready for weaving was on display at one of the shops in downtown Taos. Beautiful and enchanting New Mexico requires another visit.
From New Mexico we drove over to Texas to stay with the 'Texas Links'.
I'll get some of those pictures up in the next week or so.

In the meanwhile I hope that you enjoy these shots.

later,