Santa Fe, New Mexico is a vibrant town with a lot of history. On Saturday, we studied the bus routes and schedule and rode the bus downtown. The bus ride costs one dollar each way or you can buy a one-day unlimited pass for two dollars if you want to make multiple stops. The metro buses are clean and the drivers are friendly.

We exited the bus at Alameda Street (map) and walked a couple of blocks to the plaza. The streets around the plaza were closed due to the Santa Fe Fiesta (Fiestas de Santa Fe). This festival has been held annually since 1712. It’s a celebration of the re-conquest of the city by Spanish colonists in 1692. It’s the longest running annual celebration of its kind in North America.

Plaza ahead on San Francisco Street

The area around the plaza is filled with boutique shops, restaurants and bars. We stopped at a shop called Parts Unknown where Donna looked at sandals and ended buying OluKai flip-flops. When we reached the plaza, it was filled with people and food vendors.

On the north side of the plaza at Palace Avenue, a stage was set up. There was a performance of a traditional Pueblo Indian dance going on. I didn’t understand what it was all about, but a guy was banging a drum and chanting while a woman and two kids danced.

Traditional performers

We wanted to take a look at the Loretto Chapel. This chapel has a unique spiral staircase that seems to defy logic. It winds its way up without any visible support. We arrived at the Loretto Chapel at 3pm and found it was closed to the public after 2:00pm on this day for private weddings. I’d like to go back another time to see it.

We walked back to the plaza and my feet were getting worn. I’m still battling that pesky dermatitis condition – it clears up, then comes back again. We stopped at the Draft Station on the south side of the plaza and sat at their rooftop bar. Donna ordered a locally brewed oatmeal stout and I had an IPA from Le Cumbre Brewing in Albuquerque. It was first rate IPA.

Le Cumbre Brewing IPA

They boast of their artisan pizza at the Draft Station so we ordered a 12-inch supreme. The crust was thin and crispy and it looked as good as it sounded. Unfortunately, we both thought it was lacking flavor.

Artisan pizza

I studied the map and thought I knew where to find the metro bus terminal to catch our ride home. The bus map wasn’t very good. It wasn’t to scale and many street names were missing. We left the Draft Station about 15 minutes before our scheduled bus departure. We walked west on Palace then turned on Grant. Before I knew it, we were walking up Griffen Street and I knew we had gone too far. We asked a woman on the street for directions but although she was local, she didn’t know where the bus terminal was. We backtracked and I asked a parking lot attendant. He directed us around the corner about a block away from where we were. We had missed the bus by then and would have to wait 30 minutes for the next one. When we reached the terminal, a sign said “Closed for Special Event – Buses Staged at Alameda Street.”

We needed to go back to the corner where we got off the bus earlier! You’d think they would have a sign on the bus or something. We walked back to Alameda Street. My S Health app on my smartphone showed about 8,000 steps by then. My feet were feeling it.

On Sunday, I cooled my feet in the coach and watched football. I had the Denver Bronco – Baltimore Ravens game on TV with the sound off while I listened to the San Diego Chargers – Detroit Lions game radio broadcast online. It was an up-and-down affair with Chargers down 21-3 at the half. They won 33-28 in the end.

Donna went out for a bike ride on a great trail that she picked up not far from the rv park. After lunch, she rode the bus downtown again and attended mass (in Latin) at the oldest catholic church building in the US. The adobe structure of the San Miguel Mission was originally built in 1610.

San Miguel Mission

Santa Fe is the second oldest city in the US – only St. Augustine, Florida is older. It can claim the title of the oldest capital city. It was founded in 1607 – well before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.

On her way back, Donna stopped at Sprouts Market to pick up a few items. They were roasting Hatch chiles in the parking lot. The roaster rotates and skins break free of the chilis making them ready for canning or using in a recipe.

Hatch chiles roasting

I finished the day with another entertaining game as the Dallas Cowboys made a comeback to defeat the New York Giants.

Today I’ll rest my feet again. Donna is going to play pickleball at the recreation center a couple of miles from here.