Off we go again, heading south from Denver on I-25. Our route paralleled the Rocky Mountains, snow-covered in the distance. As we reached Colorado Springs, it was easy to spot Pike's Peak in the distance.
The closer we got to New Mexico, the harder the snow came down. What a welcome - fortunately, the roads were fine and we had no trouble getting into Santa Fe, the capitol of New Mexico and the oldest capital city in North America. It was the site of Pueblo Indian villages before Spanish colonists claimed New Mexico in the 1500's and made Santa Fe its capital in 1610.
Not only is Santa Fe the oldest capital city, it also is the highest - it is situated at an elevation of 7,000 feet. The Spanish-Pueblo tradition lives on in modern Santa Fe - all buildings must comply with strict ordinances about style, size and color. Best of all for pedestrian explorers, it's a small city - population only 60,000.
