The Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The school was started in 1853 and grew from very small beginnings to a school of around 300 students. The campus covered a square block with 10 buildings. Through tuition’s for the girls schooling, donations, and from the sisters own inheritances from their families, they built their school and chapel.

Jean Baptiste Lamy brought architect Antoine Mouly and his son, Projectus Mouly from Paris, France to Santa Fe to be architect – builders for what is now St. Francis Cathedral. It required ten years to build. During the first period of construction, and as an apparent afterthought, Archbishop Lamy advised and encouraged the sisters to utilize the father and son to design and build their dream chapel. The older Mouly had been involved in the renovation of Sainte Chapelle, in Paris, in the early 1800’s. Mouly was encouraged to fashion the Loretto Chapel after the Sainte Chapelle. It was the favorite chapel of the archbishop from his early days in Paris, France. It is reported that the sisters pooled their own inheritances to raise the $30,000 required to build this beautiful Gothic chapel.

It was decided that the school needed a chapel. Property was purchased and in 1873 work began on the Loretto Chapel.

Undoubtedly influenced by the French clergy in Santa Fe, the Gothic Revival-style chapel was patterned after King Louis IX's Sainte-Chapelle in Paris; a striking contrast to the adobe churches already in the area.

Stone for the Chapel was quarried from locations around Santa Fe including Cerro Colorado, about 20 miles from Santa Fe near the town of Lamy. The sandstone for the walls and the porous volcanic stone used for the ceiling were hauled to town by wagon.

The ornate stained glass in the Loretto Chapel also made part of its journey to Santa Fe via wagon. Purchased in 1876 from the DuBois Studio in Paris, the glass was first sent from Paris to New Orleans by sailing ship and then by paddle boat to St. Louis, MO. where it was taken by covered wagon over the Old Santa Fe Trail to the Chapel.

The Chapel was completed in 1878 and has since seen many additions and renovations such as the introduction of the Stations of the Cross, the Gothic altar and the frescos during the 1890s.

The Miraculous Staircase, which legend says was constructed or inspired by St. Joseph the Carpenter, was built sometime between 1877 and 1881. It took at least six months to build, and has two 360 degree turns with no visible means of support.

The Loretto Academy was closed in 1968, and the property was put up for sale. At the time of sale in 1971, Our Lady of Light Chapel was informally deconsecrated as a Catholic Chapel.

Loretto Chapel is now a private museum operated and maintained, in part, for the preservation of the Miraculous Staircase and the Chapel itself.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta should be on everyone's "To Do At Least Once Before I Die" list! Usually the Fiesta is held the first week of October in New Mexico every year. Some people may question waking up before the crack of dawn and driving to this huge "balloon field" to arrive at 5am on a crisp October morning to watch a bunch of hot air balloons - but it truly is spectacular.

Not only do you get to see the most hot air balloons up in the air at one time, you get to watch the owners pull them out of the vans, lay them out on the ground, connect the baskets, fire up the tanks, fill the balloon with air and take off. The different forms the balloons take are amazing - from animals, to products (like Jack Daniels bottles), to houses, and even chili peppers. Oh, and did I mention you can be literally inches away from all this action?

Watching it all makes you have one of those moments when it's hard to believe all these people came together to do this one thing at the same time...and how cool is that? There's this nervous excitement in the air as everyone waits for the final weather call and thumbs up to launch. And then before you know it - one after the other they go up - everywhere you look there are balloons. Even as I left the field and drove away, I was still snapping pictures as the balloons spread across the city and off into the hills.

That's me on the bottom left, by the way...

Here's some background on the Fiesta:

Albuquerque, New Mexico is the premier ballooning city due to the crystal skies, perfect October climate and a phenomenon called the "Albuquerque Box." With a combination of weather patterns and geographic landscape, the box allows balloonists to control and even retrace their adventure.

Balloon Fiesta Park covers over 200 acres and is filled with balloons and vendors selling everything from traditional New Mexican food to Balloon memorabilia. Each year balloons come from around the world to participate in the event and news coverage originates from more than 50 countries. It has become the most photographed event in the world.

Since the first Balloon Fiesta in 1972, media representing over 50 nations have covered this newsworthy event. Coverage has included live satellite broadcasts to Japan, television documentaries prepared by Great Britain, West Germany, the Netherlands and France, television specials on ESPN, Arts & Entertainment, the Public Broadcasting Service, and the Travel Channel.

If you decide to go to next years Fiesta - you've got to check out what the area has to offer - other than the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta...

There are winery's where they make local wines including prickly pear wine and hiking and other sites to see like the Acoma Pueblos, also known as Sky City. Sante Fe is also a cool city and is within driving distance. The areas really has lots to offer and you won't be bored! I'll do another post on the other things I discovered in the area (one day...in my spare time).