Santa Fe Photos...

Santa Fe Skies RV Park

Santa Fe, New Mexico

September 7, 2026

I can't say enough about Santa Fe and what a colorful, friendly, historic, yummy and photogenic city it was to call home for two weeks.  It is the oldest capital city in our country, but the feel is not that of a city.  It's a wrap for us this visit, but if the stars align, we would love to visit again.  The following photos are in no particular order as I only took a kazillion of them and had a blast.  

Burro Alley...dating back to 1610 was a delivery route for burros that carried firewood into town. 

And at the other end of Burro Alley is a great lunch spot with a cozy patio perfect for the three of us. They even brought Lucy a doggie bowl of water with ice.

Lunch...green chili chicken quesadilla at Los Magueyes with salsa and quac and chips

Pholyx

Native American Artisans
Daily 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Palace of the Governors...built in 1610 
Natives who sell authentic hand-made jewelry, pottery, beadwork, textiles and sandpaintings must belong to one of the 23 Native American tribes, pueblos or nations in New Mexico.

Miracle Stairs
Loretta Chapel
1878
A 20 ft. wooded helix that makes two full 360 degree turns without any central supporting and no nails. There are 33 steps which match the traditional earth age of Jesus. The wood is an unusual type of spruce that is not native to the arid American Southwest.  The architect for the chapel died and there was no way to access the choir loft.  The Sisters of Loretta prayed a nine day prayer to St. Joseph for a solution. A man with a donkey and basic tools appeared on the ninth day and offered to build the stairs.   The carpenter worked in total privacy for months to finish the staircase and vanished without collecting a payment or leaving any records.  A photo of the sanctuary is below.

Our favorite sculpture in the Sculpture Garden

A  rose

"The Painted Triumph"
A custom-decorated 1974 Triumph TR8 sports car transformed into a collaborative work of Native American art.  
(Joe had a Triumph, but his did not look quite like this!)

San Miguel Chapel is considered to be the oldest church building in the continental United States with origins dating back to 1610. 

The metal charms known as milagros are prayer offerings and have been added to the bell since it was moved inside the chapel when the original bell tower on San Miguel Chapel collapsed in 1872. 

The inscription on the historic bell translates " San Jose pray for us - August 9, 1356"

Plaza Cafe patio for lunch

Yummy Stuffed Sopapilla...beef with green chili, cheese, and beans and rice...and a

 very tasty margarita on the rocks.

The Plaza Market

The Plaza Market

Yellow Begonias

A lego portrait...

The Railyard Markets...The Farmer's Market is on one side of the tracks and the Artists Market on the other side.  Both markets are awesome. The Farmers's Market features in season locally grown veggies, chilis, fruits, meats, eggs, honey, baked goods, and beautiful flowers.  The Artists Market features paintings, pottery, textiles, jewelry, and traditional Native American. All the artists that participate are required to be New Mexico residents.  

The welcoming aroma of roasting green chilis...

Shake Foundation....what a fun little early dinner spot!  Order at the window, select a picnic
table, and enjoy the best green chili burger with all the fixings, fresh cut shoestring fries, and a shake.  
We all, including Lucy, had fun and what's better than a picnic when you don't have to do the fixing. Thanks Sue!

Back at Belle, Santa Fe Skies made our adventure to Santa Fe so much more enjoyable.  It's quiet, friendly, clean, spacious, and the doggie park and walking trail are awesome!  Thanks again Sue and Jodee!  And yep, the skies did not disappoint!  Our two weeks flew by...just like I knew it would!

Sunrise...

Until next time...

Sunset

HAPPY TRAILS!

SWEET DREAMS!

Up next ,a snippet of Colorado...stay tuned!

A Fun Start to our Winter Vacation

Cocopah RV and Golf Resort

Yuma, AZ

February 14, 2026 

Ocotillo leaves popping out on our last walk at home before we headed west.

We left home on Feb. 3 with an overnight stop at Sonoran Desert RV Park in Gila Bend before arriving at Cocopah on the 4th.  This isn't our first visit to the resort or Yuma.  The best part about being at Cocopah is Carol and Ronnie are right next door.  

The resort is nestled in the Yuma and Gila Valley along the Colorado River...

and surrounded by farm land on three sides which is a huge plus also.  

This past week we had the great pleasure to meet up with Jim and Barb for lunch at El Charro Cafe in downtown.  No, it's not the same family that has owned El Charro in Tucson for 100+years, but it is just as tasty and also has a long history.  It began in 1949 and is still family owned by the third generation of family members.  Their famous handmade flour tortillas, salsas, guacamole along with Chili Rellenos and signature Green Saddles are the original recipes passed down from Lola...the wife in the husband and wife team that began the business 77 years ago.

 Lunch was yummy and if you like mangos, the mango margarita is quite tasty.

It was so much fun catching up with Barb and Jim and afterwards, they came to our site so we also could visit with the puppies.  

Quiet, sweet and so gentle...Dakota

Energetic, playful and so spirited...Zoey

The Yuma Farmer's Market is on Saturday mornings.  Yuma and farmers markets are a perfect fit.  Fresh citrus and fruits, veggies, and home-baked bread are always a draw for us and pups are welcome there too.  We joined Carol and Ronnie and perused the tents, and chatted with the vendors who were mostly Yumans.

We came home with strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, banana bread and the best of all, fresh Medjool dates.  These large, soft, "caramel-sweet" fruits are often called the "king of dates".  Originally from Morocco, these heart-friendly delightful treats offer a good source of fiber, potassium, and magnesium.  Although I have heard they are quite yummy stuffed with nuts and cheese or blended into a smoothie, I just prefer to eat then raw and savor each bite of the chewy texture. 

Another day we went to the Arizona Market.  This expansive open-air market is the second largest in Arizona.  I didn't get any photos, but take my word for it...it is huge with over 150 vendors. A large section is dedicated to RVers...reupholstery, awning material, flooring, and lots of other supplies one might be in the market for.  We did purchase two new folding chairs.  Other vendors had fresh produce, straw hats (Carol and I both got a new hat), crafts, and one vendor even had a cloth shop for all kinds of sewing needs.  The hot dogs smelled yummy and the lemonade looked refreshing, but we held out for a Dole Whip.  

Just around the corner from the market is The Lemon Grove.  Changes have been made since we were there last year.  The produce market is the same, but the food truck is gone. In its place is a nice built in counter to order sandwiches, chips and yep...a Dole Whip. A new patio with tables and umbrellas are scattered about with rows and rows of citrus trees for a backdrop.  

Pineapple was the flavor of the day and we all enjoyed ours with a swirl of vanilla soft cream. 

 

Lemon trees for sale.  

Lemon trees as far as the eye can see.  I couldn't find a number for the acreage there, but Yuma has approximately 6,000 acres of citrus trees in total.

The sweet smell of lemon blossoms filled the air...

We have walked our 2.5 miles just about everyday with Carol and Ronnie.  We have covered all the Yuma West Wetlands and the Yuma East Wetlands that follow the Colorado River and includes all the parks.  

East Wetlands Interpretive Trail

Bottlebrush blooms along the trail

Located at Gateway Park, the Ocean to Ocean Bridge was built in 1915 and was the first highway crossing the lower Colorado River. 

Part of the wetlands trail follows in the footsteps of Juan Bautista de Anza.  The actual trail is 1,210 miles from Nogales to San Francisco.

New growth on a very old Cottonwood tree

A monument to the Morman Battalion lead by Lieutenant Colonel Phillip St. George Cook who crossed the Colorado in 1847 when the river was much wider and wilder than it is today.  

Lucy enjoyed our walks too!

And to wrap up our fun times so far, we had the awesomest Happy Valentine's Dinner at the River City Grill with Carol and Ronnie. It was a cozy patio setting with friends, perfect weather, a glass of wine and a delicious dinner and desert.  

An Arizona Highways article states: It has been said that this hip but tiny restaurant, housed in a 90 year old building and featured in Architectural Digest, puts the yum in Yuma. "Low in fat, rich in flavor" that's the mantra here where locals who prefer breathing room head for one of the two spacious, maturely landscaped patios.   

Located in Historic Downtown Yuma, the Grill has a globally menu  inspired representing the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and India using fresh local produce.  The owner/chef, Nan Bain, says it's a perfect mix of Southwest-meets-world cuisine.   

I ordered the Mustard Crusted Halibut served over spinach ricotta ravioli, Alfredo olive tapenade, feta, and fresh veggies.  

I ate every bite and if that wasn't enough, I also ordered a warm flourless chocolate torte with a whiskey caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream.  And I also ate every bite of that too.   

Our winter vaca is off to a great start.  And I will close with just a few extra photos I like.  

Free range roosters and chickens at The Lemon Grove...yes, the eggs are gathered and sold in the market there.

Tiny, but very colorful eggplants at the Yuma Farmer's Market.

Harvesting curly kale

Mallard feathers at the Duck Pond in the West Wetlands

A kid at the goat farm

Brittlebush...lots of yellow along the river and trails

Leaves and feathers washed up on the edge of the Duck Pond

Ronnie working on "come" with Lucy at the doggie park

Girl time and lots of laughs!

And sweet little Lucy...

Until next time,

HAPPY TRAILS !

and SWEET DREAMS!