Strictly Santa Fe

While you're enjoying summer days, take a bit of time to learn about the real Santa Fe by walking through its history. The best way to see and appreciate this wonderful city is on foot.

Strollers should wear comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen, lip balm, a camera around their necks and sunglasses.

Also, carry a bottle of water and an umbrella. This city of skittish weather is famous for sunny skies that that can cloud over in a wink and unleash into 10-minute afternoon downpours. Sometimes you'll get a couple of seasons in one day. And if you're really lucky, you’ll get to take a picture of a double rainbow.

Start your stroll at the Plaza in the heart of downtown. The Plaza is bordered by Palace Avenue, San Francisco Street, Lincoln Avenue and Old Santa Fe Trail.

Laid out in 1610, the Plaza has seen floggings, bullfights and cockfights. Today it is the center for Fiesta activities, Spanish Market, Indian Market and musical entertainment during the summer. Frequented by locals, it's the place to ease back on a bench or the grass, enjoy warm weather and watch the world walk by.

In the early 1800s, it marked the end of the Santa Fe Trail.

An obelisk in the center of the Plaza commemorates the Confederate occupation of the city in 1862 and the city's defenses against hostile American Indians.

The carved words on the monument reflect the character and attitude of the times when Northerner battled Southerner and whites opposed Indians.

On the north side of the Plaza stands the Palace of the Governors. Built between 1610 and 1612, this oldest government building in the United States is a National Historic Landmark. It has appeared on two U.S. postage stamps and serves as the state's museum of history.

Next, go to the corner of Old Santa Fe Trail and San Francisco Street. If you look up the street you'll see the most-photographed edifice in the city — St. Francis Cathedral.

But you're not going there yet.

Staying on Old Santa Fe Trail, you'll pass La Fonda and continue to the end of the block, where you'll do a quick jag to the left and cross the street (Cathedral Place).

In front of you is The Chapel of Our Lady of Light — Loretto Chapel .

Completed in 1878, this was the first Gothic structure west of the Mississippi River. It was built for the nuns and students of a girls' academy.

Inside the chapel is the "miraculous stairway," a circular staircase said to have been built without nails by St. Joseph. While you view the beautiful chapel, a continuously playing tape describes its history. Weddings and concerts are held there.

When you leave the chapel, continue heading down Old Santa Fe Trail, away from the Plaza, and you'll come to Alameda Street. Cross the street and walk over the Santa Fe River (likely to have no water in it). Toward the middle of the block is San Miguel Chapel.

It was built in 1610-1612 and rebuilt in 1710.

With its high windows and thick walls, the church was a fortress against early Indian attacks.

When you enter through its heavy doors you can smell history. A continually playing tape describes the various religious artifacts throughout the small building.

After leaving the church, double back on Old Santa Fe Trail a short block, cross back over the Santa Fe River, hang a right on Alameda, go up a short block and you run into Cathedral Place. Go left, being careful of traffic.

Proceed up the street and you'll come to St. Francis Cathedral.

The Romanesque-style Cathedral was designed by Bishop Jean Baptiste Lamy in a style similar to those built in his native Auvergne, France.

Although the stone came from local quarries at Arroyo Sais, Lamy and La Bajada Mesa, the masons were brought from Italy.

The north chapel houses La Conquistadora, the oldest madonna in North America. It also contains the only stone sarcophagus of the Spanish period.

When you leave the church, take a look at the bronze-faced oak doors at the church entrance. There are 16 high-relief bronze plaques that depict the history of the Catholic Church in New Mexico from 1539 to the present.

In front of the building is Lamy's statue. He was the first bishop and archbishop of Santa Fe, and was immortalized in Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop.

Take a right and you'll be on Palace Avenue. The lengthy building in front of you with the portal is Sena Plaza.

Before you enter, however, take a left on Palace and go back toward the Plaza, until you get to the beginning of the building. Turn around and walk back along Palace.

This area was the Arias de Quiros land-grant site that is now 107-121 E. Palace Ave. In 1698, it was given to Don Diego Arias de Quiros as a reward for his service in the reconquest of Santa Fe in 1692-93. The Pueblo Indians had retaken the area from the Spaniards in 1680.

As you stroll in front of the stores, you'll come to 109 E. Palace Ave. Home of the first local office of the Manhattan Project, this was the incoming facility for people who were headed for Los Alamos to work on the atomic bomb during World War II.

Going east a bit further, you'll come to 125 E. Palace Ave. Take a left turn and end up inside the courtyard of Sena Plaza. Now a haven for more than 30 stores, businesses and a restaurant, in 1831 this was a 33-room house. The second floor on the west side was a ballroom.

Note there are no interior halls and all rooms looked out on the courtyard. When its large wooden gates were closed to the street, it was a fortress against marauding Indians.

After you've wandered and rested in the courtyard in front of the fountain, head back up Palace Avenue away from the Plaza.

Two blocks up, at the corner of Paseo de Peralta and Palace, cross Paseo and take a left turn. After you go up about three more blocks, look up and see the steps to the Cross of the Martyrs. Slowly climb the steps and read the plaques that describe that area's history.

Twenty-three Franciscan priests were killed during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The cross on top of the hill commemorates their martyrdom.

From the top, view the city and surrounding mountains. It's a superb location to take pictures. On clear summer days (and most of them are), the Sandia Mountains that border Albuquerque's east side can be seen.

-Above the Cross of the Martyrs are the remains of Fort Marcy, in 1846, the first United States military post in the Southwest.

-After strolling back down (much easier than going up in this 7,000 foot altitude), backtrack to the west. Continue walking until you get to Washington Avenue. Take a right, and halfway down the block you are at the Padre Gallegos House, 227-237 Washington Ave.

This was the home of defrocked priest and delegate to the U.S. Congress Jose Manuel Gallegos. In the mid- to late-1800s, he was one of Santa Fe's most colorful characters.

Bishop Lamy suspended Gallegos from ministering because of his reported gambling, dancing and involvement in politics.

If you can ignore the modern air conditioner riding high on the building, the house and interior courtyard, built between 1857 and 1862, are remarkable examples of territorial-style architecture. Now it houses a restaurant and offices.

From there, look across the street at your final destination - a building completely out of step with Santa Fe style - the United States Courthouse.

Completed in 1889, this structure took 36 years to finish. Lack of adequate funds, wars and changing governments created this time lag. It is typical of large 1800s government buildings found throughout the Midwest.

At one time, horse, mule and burro races were held on a small track that ran around the building. Stone quarried from the Hyde Park area and Cerrillos was used on the edifice.

From the courthouse, it's just two blocks back to the Plaza.

When you return there, relax and ruminate over the more than 390 years of history you've just strolled through.