Sunday March 20th

Today we rolled the bikes out of the trailer and hit Route 66. 

Leaving the camp we headed east toward downtown.  Almost immediately, you started to see the old 66.  Motels with names like La Veda, The Americana and the Thunderbird...restaurants that had no other locations than the one you see...and an actual "filling station".

East of town, we passed the campus of the University of New Mexico.  A portion of the Women's NCAA tourney was being held here and the campus was buzzing with students, parents and basketball fans.

A bit further down the road we started a gradual climb into the mountains.  The road was smooth and had long sweeping turns as it passed through mountains and desert and small towns.  When 66 turns a bit north onto what is now New Mexico 14, it goes through the town of Madrid (pronounced Mad-Rid).  This is the town made famous in the movie "Wild Hogs".  It's where Dudley fell in love with Maggie and where the Del Fuegos rumbled with the Wild Hogs.

Mostly an artist community now, the town looks just like it did in the movie, but there was some real movie magic behind it all.  The most famous location in town was Maggie's Diner.  The diner looks exactly as it did in the film, both inside and out.  That's because the diner was built for the film.  It was an empty lot.  Disney, built the diner, minus the kitchen, and at the end, the owner was allowed to keep it as is.  She now operates it as a gift shop.  Most of her sales are of "Wild Hogs" merchandise.  That was a disappointment.  I wanted to have lunch there.

Lunch was done at the Mine Shaft Tavern, where the motto is "Welcome to Madrid.  We don't have a town drunk...we just all take turns!"  A fun bar with great food.

After leaving Madrid, we continued north to Santa Fe, the State Capital and the reason for this stay on New Mexico.  Several years ago, while wintering in Arizona, we met a couple who used to work at the University of New Mexico.  They told us if we ever got here, we should make it a point to visit the Miraculous Staircase at the Chapel of Loretto.

Well, we finally made it and it was absolutely worth the trip.  Back in the 1800's the Nuns at the convent needed a way to access the choir loft from inside the chapel and not interfere with the interior.  Every carpenter the contacted said the only way was from the outside or, if they insisted that it be from the inside, only a ladder would work.

Perplexed, the Sister began a Novena to the Patron Saint of Carpenters, St. Joseph, asking for his help.  On the final night of the Novena a man appeared with only a small wooden tool box, and a carpenter's square.  He worked without hesitation or rest.  Soon the staircase was completed and the man disappeared without payment or thanks.  The Sisters were convinced it was St. Joseph himself that came to their aid.

The magnificent example of craftsmanship, is a spiral leading from the rear of the chapel to the loft twenty feet above.  There is no visible means of support.  There is not center structure and no nails were used.  Everything is held together with wooden pegs.

Regardless of what you believe, it is a sight to behold.  The only disappointment is that the Catholic Diocese could no longer afford to maintain the chapel and it was sold to the Best Western hotel chain.  They erected a hotel next door and the chapel is a tourist draw for them.  To their credit, they have taken great pains to maintain the chapel as it was and continue to preserve the reverence of the space.  Although it was desanctified as a church years ago, it is still used to perform private wedding ceremonies and other functions.

The history of Route 66 is what makes it the "Mother Road"