Page 76 - November Sun Rays_Flip book LR

Continued from the previous page Terry and I travel many places and meet We packed up our suitcases and loaded
all kinds of people. Yet no matter how far them alongside our newfound treasures:
Though a stranger had warned us to we roam, our home and garden always call stones and shells from the beach in Encini-
beware of crime, we did not feel unsafe to us. The world out there is always chang- tas; champagne from the wedding; succu-
walking about town day or night. Nowhere ing, people are always passing through and lents from San Diego; artwork from Santa
did the locals even hint at anything that society is always getting harder to compre- Fe and an angel from Loretto. Our great
suggested lawlessness – quite the contrary. hend. But in our garden, the message is road trip was now pointing our way back
Rather, the most noticeable thing we ob- always clear: “You are home.” home – our true home, Sun City Texas.
served was the spectacular weather and
the warm, beautiful, enveloping feeling Built in 1877, this helix-shaped stairway ascends 20 feet without the use of nails or
of old-world glamour. I thought to myself, supports. Named, “Saint Joseph’s Staircase” by the Sisters of Loretto, this impressive
“This place was the capital city of the an- work of carpentry is housed within the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe.
cient Spanish Empire in the New World
– wow! ” ONLINE: SCTEXAS.ORG

We made our way to Canyon Road in the
middle of the city’s arts district. Santa Fe
boasts a gallery for almost any taste and
style – one could spend days visiting all
of them. When Terry had visited Canyon
Road in 1967, art being sold was primarily
antiques, Navaho crafts, blankets, baskets
and metal works with lots of turquoise.
Today, the art market on Canyon Road
competes with New York City and San
Francisco.

The town’s numerous restaurants offer
prime people-watching opportunities.
While grabbing lunch at a cozy, south-
western-styled bistro called Geronimo’s,
we couldn’t help but notice that these days,
some things are the same no matter where
you go: people under 30 have piercings and
tattoos; over 50, they struggle with weight
gain, and over 60, dapper style dominates
– or could this just be Santa Fe?

Looking to light a candle for a very ill
friend, we made our way to the Loretto
Chapel. Situated at the end of the Old
Santa Fe Trail, this Gothic-style church
is home to a unique flight of stairs known
as St. Joseph’s Staircase, so-named because
the sisters inhabiting the building credited
Saint Joseph for its construction. Stand-
ing 20 feet tall and making two complete
360-degree turns without any discernable
center support, the staircase was construct-
ed with only square wooden pegs without
glue or nails. Now a private museum, the
structure and its famous staircase are
truly a sight to behold and complement
Santa Fe’s unique and varied past.

74 | SUNRAYS NOVEMBER 2016