Route 66 & Santa Fe New Mexico: Arts, Culture & History Along the Mother Road | Travels with Darley

Route 66, Santa Fe & the Stories That Made America's Most Fascinating Destination. From the Route 66 legacy running through downtown Santa Fe to centuries-old chapels, Native American hoop dance, and monumental sculpture gardens — join Darley Newman on the Travels with Darley Podcast for an immersive journey through the arts, culture, and layered history of Santa Fe, New Mexico and Santa Fe County. What You'll Discover in This Podcast: ✅ Route 66 in Santa Fe — Many visitors don't know that the Mother Road passed directly through downtown Santa Fe from 1926 to 1937, bringing travelers to landmarks like La Fonda on the Plaza and along the Old Santa Fe Trail. As Route 66 approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026, find the historic Route 66 sign at the corner of Old Santa Fe Trail and East Water Street — steps from the Plaza. ✅ Loretto Chapel & the Miraculous Staircase — Curator Richard Linsley shares the legend of the Miraculous Staircase, built in 1877 by a mysterious stranger who appeared after the Sisters of Loretto said a nine-day novena to St. Joseph, completed the spiral staircase alone in three months, then vanished without being paid. ✅ Barrio de Analco Historic District & San Miguel Chapel — David Blackman of Preserve San Miguel takes Darley through one of the oldest European settlements in the United States, settled around the same time as Jamestown and Quebec City. San Miguel Chapel — believed to be the oldest church in America, with roots dating to the early 1600s and built atop an Indian Kiva used for worship since the 800s — still holds Mass today, with an altarscreen dating to 1798. ✅ Santa Fe's Historic Plaza & Pueblo Revival Architecture — Centuries of Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and American history converge in downtown Santa Fe, the oldest capital city in the United States. Discover the Pueblo revival architectural style — adobe walls, vigas, flat roofs — woven throughout the city center, along with historic plaques connecting the city to the Manhattan Project and more. ✅ Lightning Boy Foundation & George Rivera Studios, Pojoaque Pueblo — Just north of Santa Fe, Felicia Rivera opens the doors of George Rivera Studios on Pojoaque Pueblo, where the Lightning Boy Foundation teaches traditional Native hoop dance to youth in Northern New Mexico. Felicia shares the moving story of her son Valentino, whose love of hoop dance inspired the foundation's mission. ✅ Origami in the Garden, Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway — Artist and entrepreneur Kevin Box and his wife created Origami in the Garden, a studio master-planned by the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture along the historic Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway. Kevin shares how he transforms the ancient art of origami into large-scale bronze sculpture — combining something fragile with something permanent. ✅ Allan Houser Sculpture Garden — South of Santa Fe, David Redding guides Darley through the outdoor sculpture garden of renowned Chiricahua Apache artist Allan Houser, where more than 70 monumental works in bronze, steel, and stone illuminate Native American culture and history. Houser's first sculptural commission came in 1948 — a World War II memorial for Native soldiers at the Haskell School of Lawrence, Kansas. ✅ Santa Fe Festivals & Events — Traditional Spanish Market in July, Santa Fe Indian Market in August, and the Burning of Zozobra and Fiestas de Santa Fe in September. 📺 Watch Travels with Darley on PBS & Streaming: https://www.darley-newman.com/travels-with-darley 🔔 Subscribe for More Travel & History Videos: https://darley.link/youtubesubscribe 🎧 Listen to the Travels with Darley Podcast on iHeart, Spotify, Apple Podcasts & Amazon: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/53-travels-with-darley-123513653/ 📚 Get Darley's New Book — Revolutionary Road Trip: Hidden Stories of America's Founding Journey: https://www.amazon.com/Revolutionary-Road-Trip-Americas-Founding/dp/B0GKPQVNFG 📲 Follow Darley for Exclusive Travel Content: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darleynewman/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelswithdarley TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@darleynewman Twitter (X): https://x.com/DarleyNewman