Part 2

Our first full day with our friends we headed up to Sante Fe. What a treat. It really felt like you were visiting a little Mexican city complete with dealers selling jewelry, rugs, clothes and food (No drugs in site so that was a plus, LOL). We stopped at a little Mexican restaurant for lunch and then headed over to the Loretta chapel to see the "Miracle Staircase."

Lunch Time

Miracle Staircase

The story goes that this chapel was built with the choir loft but without a way to get up to it. Back in that time there was still issues with Indians and the Nuns prayed that someone would come to build a staircase. They didn't want one on the outside for fear of Indians and they didn't want to do a straight one because it would consume too much room inside the small chapel. One day a man named Joseph showed up on a donkey with nothing more than a square, hammer and saw. It is said that the the wood was shaped with nothing but hot water and his hands. The wood used can't be found for more than 100 miles away and the staircase contains no nails; only wooden pegs hold this staircase together. After the man completed the staircase he disappeared and was never seen there again.

There is no center pole for support and the stairs do not attach to any walls. Engineers from all over come to view this and it is still considered to be impossible to accomplish. There is a picture that shows a Nun standing on every single stair but because of safety concern the railing was added much later. This was such a treat to personally visit!

Albuquerque Zoo

The zoo was a huge highlight for the kids on our trip. Personal favorites for the boys would include the monkeys, seals, and all the different large kitty cats. The monkeys of all different kinds and sizes showed off for us by jumping from limb to limb and even interacting with Sam at the window. Mr. Orangutan was very personable and enjoyed showing off for the people at the window. Sam knocked at the window to him and was startled with he knocked back looking directly at him. He turned to me unsure of if that was okay or not and when I started to laugh he then thought it was funny too. When Mr. Orangutan was tired of all the attention he showed his teeth as if he was smiling and then walked away. A neat experience Sam talked about the rest of the trip and will enjoy telling to those that ask him about it.






This will conclude Part 2. Parts 3 and 4 later. :o)