The next morning Jim went to a place called Meow Wolf. A place that was recommended by a bar tender in Jerome, Az from the Haunted Hamburger and also by Jim and Cathy. We had a full day scheduled so he wanted to get there when it opened at 9am. Jim and Cathy had already been and Jamie couldn’t quite make the early wake up so he went alone. I guess the only way to describe this place is bizarre. It’s a bunch of somewhat random art work and exhibits that supposedly come together to create a story but the story is bizarre and hard to follow. There are all kinds of secret passages through the place and you have to really explore to see everything. For example, you start the journey in a house and there is a refrigerator in the kitchen that when you open it is actually a passageway to another section. There is also a fireplace in the living room that is another passageway. I will say it was unique and worth the trip.
I got back to the hotel around 11 and we headed first to Canyon Road, a street lined with art galleries and unique adobe homes and restaurants. We drove up and down that street then headed off to see what is considered the oldest house and San Miguel chapel, the oldest church in the United States. It’s not known for sure but the house is estimated to have been built in the early 1700’s and the church in the early 1600’s.
From there we hit the Santa Fe square for some lunch. They had a festival going on with live music and vendors lining the square. After lunch Jim and Cathy parked themselves in front of the music while we hit the streets checking out the vendors and also visiting the two churches outside the square. The first was Saint Francis Cathedral built in the mid 1800’s. This was a big, beautiful church with large stained glass windows, paintings, sculptures and a beautiful looking organ on the second level in the back. The second church was Loretto Chapel. This was built in 1873 and features a round staircase to the upper level that was featured on the show “unsolved mysteries”. Supposedly the staircase has no support and is said to be unknown how it is able to stand but that’s been rebunked. Still cool, though. After Jamie got her fill of shopping we headed back to Albuquerque.