Santa Fe, New Mexico

The next stop of our 2014 southwest motorcycle tour was the magical and exuberant town of Santa Fe, New Mexico, also known as La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís (“The Royal Town of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assisi”).  Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico and since it is located at 7,199 feet (2134 m) above sea level it is also the highest state capital in the United States. 

Cathedral Basilica

It was a very hot and windy ride into town so the first item on our agenda was to get a cold beverage, which we found, easily, at the Thunderbird Bar & Grill , overlooking Santa Fe Plaza. After a short rest we headed up San Francisco St. to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. 

From the Cathedral we walked down Old Santa Fe Trail to the Loretto Chapel.  Two mysteries surround the spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel: the identity of its builder and the physics of its construction.  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.

From the Loretto Chapel we headed to E. De Vargas St. to view the "Oldest House" in the U.S. The "Oldest House" rests on part of the foundation of an ancient Indian Pueblo dating from around 1200 AD.

Oldest house in U.S.

We headed across the street from The "Oldest House" to the "Oldest Church" in the United States, San Miguel Church.  The little mission church was built by the Tlaxcalan Indians, from Mexico, in the early 1600s. The church is still used today and we were able to go inside as it was between masses.

Outside of San Miguel Church

We worked up an appetite touring Santa Fe Plaza so we headed to what we heard was a local favorite, Maria's New Mexican Kitchen.  Maria's has been around since 1952 and although it is known for over 100 real margarita's, it was the blue corn enchiladas that got our attention.  G-man ordered his with red and TK the green- together it is called Christmas! We finished up our meal with another New Mexico favorite, sopapillas with honey!

G-man munching down on some blue corn
enchiladas with red sauce.  Hmmmmm...
G-man did you regret your sauce
choice later?

With our feet aching but our bellies full we headed to our hotel room at Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino.  We were impressed with the clean and spacious room at Buffalo Thunder Hilton but the Casino was rather small and too "smokey" for our taste. 


View from hotel balcony

Caprock Canyon State Park, Texas

The first leg of our 2014 southwest motorcycle tour led us to Caprock Canyons State Park. Caprock Canyons is located about 100 miles southeast of Amarillo, Texas, in Briscoe County. The rugged beauty of Caprock Canyons State Park has been created over millions of years, shaped by wind and water. 

The park is located along the Caprock Escarpment, a long, narrow rocky formation as high as 1,000 feet that forms a natural tran­sition between the flat, high plains of the Llano Estacado to the west and the lower Rolling Plains to the east. The park was opened in 1982 and consists of 15,313.6 acres. 

The escarpment's scenic canyons were home for Indians of several cultures, including the Folsom culture of more than 10,000 years ago. In 1541, the Spanish explorer Coronado visited the area. In the 1700's the area was inhabited by Comanche who were displaced as Anglo settlements began and ranches were established. In 2011, 80 descendants of the great southern plains bison herd were released to roam 700 acres of grasslands in the park. From a safe distance, visitors can view these indigenous animals in their native habitat.

Salado, Texas

Sirena, the Mermaid, sits on
Salado Creek

The village of Salado, Texas, now known as the best art town in Texas, was first incorporated in 1867 for the sole purpose of building a bridge across Salado Creek.  The town is home to the Stagecoach Inn, the oldest continuously running hotel in Texas.  From 1866 until 1885, the famous Chisholm Trail cattle drives passed through this area, with the Stagecoach Inn being one of the stops. 

The Stagecoach Inn

George Washington Baines, a prominent Baptist clergyman in three states and the maternal great-grandfather of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, lived in Salado in his last years. The George Washington Baines House is on the National Register of Historic Places.  

Ruins of Salado College

The ruins of Salado College sit above a hill overlooking the town and remind us of Salado's rich history.  You can take a self-guided walking tour through the town using a map found on the Salado, Texas, website.

Log cabin and family cemetery