Grey Saturday in Santa Fe

Last evening I had thoughts of possibly going up to Taos for the day and exploring the pueblos there and whatever else I could come upon but, the strange start to this day had me going in a different direction as I searched the web for information on a family I had met nearly 50 years ago in Albuquerque on my family's relocation trip from Denver back to Virginia (for my senior year in high school).  The family in Albuquerque was that of my mother's schoolgirl friend Angela T. Olguin and her husband Manny (Manuel).

When I originally planned my route to Colorado from San Antonio, I had thoughts of possibly passing through Albuquerque for the second time in my life to look up any remaining family members who might still be around but, something inside told me they probably were not to be found.  I already had known or heard that their beautiful daughter Alicia had passed away while she was only in her 50s -- she probably was the first soulmate I had met in my life but, I was too young and stupidly unaware of any such meeting possibly ever happening and therefore totally unprepared for what could have happened afterward.  The long distance too played with my mind too much and snail mail really didn't help at all.  Would have been much easier if emails had existed then.

Manuel P. Olguinn, LTJG

So, instead I decided to come to Santa Fe for a few nights and see what I could find -- closer to places like Taos and the mountains and the rivers coming out of Colorado.  What I did find on the internet this morning (perhaps by some spiritual direction) is that the two parents (Angela and her huband Manuel) are buried here at the Santa Fe National Cemetery on the hills overlooking Santa Fe so, I decided to pay them a visit and offer my respects.  I got lost once on the way to the cemetery on some of the winding, circular or looping roads but, saw some of the beautiful homes and condos nestled in the hillsides and ridges surrounding this beautiful city -- eventually making my back and into the cemetery where it took a couple passes and loop arounds to finally locate their gravesite on the hillside nearest a semi-circular arrangement of flags.  The groundskeepers were working on replacing the sod on the section of the hillside there and a fresh crop of grass should be in place when any of their family comes to visit most likely in May (the month they both died).

View from Manny and Angela's grave

 

San Miguel Chapel

Then I headed into the historical section of town nearby and proceeded to get lost again as I looked for the Oldest House in the USA and the San Miguel Chapel -- eventually, pulling into the Visitor Center across the street from the State Capitol building and learning both old structures were just around the corner.  A nice walk interrupted by numerous distractions and good smells from little outdoor cafes busy with the lunchtime crowds gathering.  The little shops along the way had some wonderful jewelry and some outdoor vendors were setup on one street corner near the Santa Fe River (which was smaller than Bear Creek in Denver).  The stream was being fed by runoff from the snow capped peaks of the Sangre de Cristo mountains rising from its banks -- had seen the snow earlier as I drove toward the heart of town on Cerrillos Road.

Just One of many quaint shops

The walk around the beautiful town filled my senses with all you could hope to see, starting with the State Capitol and then the quaint, truly unique southwestern style of the little buildings and shops. Oh Yes! The smells too had me checking all the menus of the little cafes I passed between the little jewelry and art stores in all directions.  Craved a slice of pizza but, held out for my first pieces of chicken from KFC -- consumed in the RV after I got back.  First chicken I have had on this journey since it started back in November (maybe my third fastfood meal).

Oldest House in USA

The Oldest House in the USA is now privately owned for the last 18 months and is open for self-guided tours (and donations towards its maintenance).  I took almost a dozen pictures of its unique interior with little fireplaces and chimneys (skipped taking a picture of the casket in the front room).

Interior of Oldest House