January 22, 2025 • 11 mins
Looking for unique experiences for your Santa Fe vacation? Join host Darley Newman as she takes a flamenco class with La Emi and explores the Art Concierge Program and on-site apiary at Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado. Dine with Darley and Chef Fernando Olea at James Beard Award winning restaurant Sazón, go horseback riding just outside of Santa Fe in Cerillos, a mining town turned movie set, with Broken Saddle Riding Company. Investigate the mystery behind a miraculous staircase at Loretto Chapel with Darley and Richard Lindsley. Hear from passionate locals bringing Santa Fe culture and history to the forefront in this exciting new episode filled with expert travel tips for your next Santa Fe adventure.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Where can you go horseback riding in a historic mining area
(00:03):
that doubles as a movie set,
All right, so we're heading out, Harrold.
Yep.
Hit the trail.
learn the art of flamenco,
It's such a part of our culture in Northern New Mexico.
and investigate the mystery behind a miraculous staircase?
Why does it stand?
Nobody knows.
It's all in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico
and we're bringing you the ultimate guide
(00:25):
to the most unforgettable experiences in this magical city.
From staying at hotels filled with unique art,
to tasting New World Cuisine
at a James Beard Award winning restaurant. Mmm.
We'll take you along this exciting journey,
talking to local experts bringing Santa Fe's rich history
and culture to the forefront.
I've been very fortunate, very blessed, very lucky,
(00:47):
to be able to share a passion that I have.
To share the food that I have created in 35 years.
It's the Travels with Darley podcast,
where we travel with the locals
to bring you one of a kind adventures.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
We're starting our adventures doing
one of my favorite activities, horseback riding.
(01:10):
Just south of Santa Fe in Cerrillos,
Harrold Grantham of Broken Saddle Riding Company
leads travelers on horseback
through this mining area turned movie set.
Hailing from New Jersey, Harrold's been leading riders here
for over three decades,
through lands where turquoise was historically mined
by the early Pueblo people.
All right, so we're heading out, Harrold.
(01:32):
Yep.
Hit the trail.
[LAUGHS]
1898, the town hit its peak of about 3,000 people.
The little village of Cerrillos. It had a railroad station,
22 saloons, four hotels,
and then the mining, silver mining dried up.
And in 1905, they only had 500 people living there.
(01:55):
And now there's about 170.
Now it's a very small town.
Yeah.
With a big history.
You know, so you have the Ortiz Mountains over here
to the left, straight up there.
LLot of people don't realize you, it was your first gold strike
west of the Mississippi, 21 years before the California rush.
It's right up in there.
(02:16):
So we're in gold country.
Yep.
And a lot of TV shows are filming around here.
Yep. Most famous was Young Guns.
And then in this area out here, there's two movie sets.
No Country for Old Men was filmed up there.
Dark Winds.
So you came originally from New Jersey,
(02:38):
landed in New Mexico, and now you're
living the life of local here in Cerrillos.
I never get tired of it.
You know, 31 years of doing this,
and you think you'd get kind of tired of it,
but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Back in the heart of Santa Fe, I'm
dining at a James Beard Award winning restaurant, Sazón, where
Chef Fernando Olea combines his Mexican heritage
(03:00):
with New Mexico ingredients to create dishes that he calls
New World Cuisine. One of his specialties,mole.
This is your own style, Santa Fe style mole?
That's right.
You know, that's what we have here some New Mexican mole.
Ahead of us, a giant painting lines the wall showcasing
in bright colors and detail, the flavorful
(03:20):
ingredients that make up Chef Olea's mole.
What goes into this specific one?
Some apricots, pecans, white chocolate.
You see the red chimayo chile all over the mural.
And the piñon nuts in the right side in Santa Fe,
in the old times, the Native Americans used
to survive winter eating piñon nuts.
So as you eat your mole, you can try to pick out the ingredients
(03:44):
you're tasting.
Oh, yeah, that's, that's the apricots that I taste in this mole, yes.
Mmm.
Good?
A little cinnamon, a little sweet, a little spicy.
What's the history of the mole?
The mole was prepared by the Aztecs.
The time of the biggest moles of
Mexico is after the Spainards came to America.
And that's where we have some like the mole
(04:05):
poblano, the mole negro,
with over 30 different ingredients.
You know, when the fusion of cultures,
fusion of ingredients happen.
You grew up in Mexico City, but now you have
what I would call as a long legacy here too.
Well, I started my culinary adventure in Santa Fe, 35 years ago.
I've been very fortunate, very blessed, very lucky,
(04:26):
to be able to share a passion that I have.
To share the food that I have created in 35 years.
Steps away from Sazón,
I'm visiting Loretto Chapel,
where curator Richard Lindsley shares the story
of this chapel's famous staircase.
This is called the miraculous staircase.
Absolutely. Our story begins in 1873,
(04:50):
the Sisters of Loretto hired
Projectus Mouly, a French architect to build their chapel.
He patterned the chapel after Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.
And it's our belief Projectus Mouly wanted to put in
a circular staircase in this chapel,
but apparently couldn't find anyone to come all the way from France
in 1877 to help him do that.
(05:11):
When the architect passed away,
the sisters at this chapel tried in vain to find someone
who could build the proposed spiral staircase.
So when they failed, the sisters being good Christian women
turned to prayer and they said
a nine day novena to Saint Joseph, the patron of carpenters.
And on the last day of their novena,
an elderly man with a gray beard came into town with a donkey
(05:32):
and told the sisters he had come to build their staircase.
He worked inside this chapel by himself for three months,
never allowing anyone to see him work on it.
And then after three months he vanished without being paid.
Basically, the sisters had two great mysteries.
Where did he come from? And where did the wood come from?
Because of his description being an older man,
(05:55):
they were convinced it was Saint Joseph,
Jesus' foster father,
and that story they told their students ever
since in all their schools around the country.
After Loretto Chapel became a private site in the 1970s,
the mysteries of the staircase continued to baffle engineers.
How were the stairs built?
The staircase also mystified scientists
(06:15):
who could not verify the specific species of the staircase's wood.
Richard Lindsley gathered the best and brightest over the years
to try to solve the mystery of this miraculous staircase.
In 2016, 120 modern
circular staircase builders from all over the United States came here.
Not one of those 120 modern American companies
(06:36):
said that they could reproduce the staircase the way it was built,
not one.
Why does it stand?
Nobody knows.
And where does the wood come from?
Nobody knows.
And that's why it's still known as the miraculous staircase.
Well,
what do you believe?
I definitely believe the prayers of Saint Joseph were answered
(06:58):
and I will find out the details on the other side.
You've been here as a curator and docent for many years.
For since 1990, I've been curator here.
You've done the research.
Absolutely.
You've done the investigation.
I did,
yes.
And you're calling it miraculous.
I definitely am.
Yes.
Santa Fe is renowned for its incredible art and architecture,
(07:20):
so why not make it a part of your stay?
Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado is a getaway
with scenic mountain views and an array of activities to enjoy,
including hiking, spa treatments, and on-site dining.
I've been lucky enough to stay here a couple of times on my recent visits to Santa Fe.
I stop by to check out the resort's Art Concierge Program
(07:42):
and have a cocktail made with honey from the resort's own bees.
Working to foster native pollinators is something this resort
stands behind to promote sustainability through education and biodiversity.
Through their on-site apiary, they find uses for honey
in many of the products travelers can taste or drink on-site,
perhaps while also enjoying local art.
(08:07):
Exploring the incredible artwork at local hotels has inspired me to learn more about Santa Fe's legacy
with dance and music, which leads me to a dance lesson with La Emi.
She offers flamenco lessons and shares its history
in Northern New Mexico from her studio in Santa Fe,
and she welcomes all ages.
I've been able to take dance lessons in Seoul, Korea,
(08:27):
and many other locations, and I can tell you the experience with La Emi is amazing.
To get the full experience though, I put on a long black ruffled skirt
and bright blue purple heels that I borrow from La Emi.
You have to look the part.
Flamenco was born in the familia.
You would dance with your abuela, with your abuelo, your brothers, your sisters, your cousins.
(08:50):
And it was something born of the people.
It's such a part of our culture in Northern New Mexico
and it's something that I aspire to continue and preserve.
There are no two artists that are the same.
Everyone has their own personal story
and in that you can find the expression of their artistry.
You express your sadness, your joy.
(09:11):
For me that's, that's the beauty of it, is it's
such a deep and profound personal expression.
Are there specific classic dances in flamenco?
So in flamenco, there really are three elements that, you know, are the base structure.
There's the singer, the guitarist, and the dancer.
So what we're gonna do is we're going to put our hands in a clapping position
and we're going to go
(09:32):
uno, dos, tres, ay, uno, dos, tres, ay.
Now we're gonna add the feet.
So we're going to do a golpe, which is the flat foot hitting the ground.
Golpe.
There's also palmas claras.
Palmas abiertas.
So this, we're gonna hit in the center of the palm.
It makes a crackling noise. Ooh.
Muy bien.
(09:53):
It's almost like we're playing the drums over here now. We're percussionists.
You know, that's it. Yes. That's what I love about flamenco is
the we are, we're like a musical instrument, right?
And that's what we can create is the soniquete, the sounds.
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro. Uno, dos, tres, cuatro. Uno, dos, tres you got it.
(10:14):
We're going to get our skirt with the exactly, pa,
and we're gonna go in a circle, con la cadera, the hips.
Now for the real challenge, dancing with a live band and La Emi's regular students.
These young girls, ages 7 to 11, are pretty good.
Vamos. Ay. [APPLAUSE]
(10:37):
Throughout our travels in and around Santa Fe, we've immersed ourselves in extraordinary art,
architecture, history, food, and mystery, guided by passionate locals who have shown us the wonders
of this remarkable area.
For more expert Santa Fe travel tips, including a guide to the renowned Santa Fe Indian Market,
listen to our previous podcasts on Santa Fe County, bringing unique experiences
(11:00):
to wherever you're listening.
I'm Darley Newman and if you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe
and keep listening for more hidden gems across the USA and into Quebec,
and down to the Guadalupe Islands, on this thrilling Season 3
of the Travels with Darley podcast.
And look for our PBS series on PBS and on streaming.
(11:21):
(gentle music)
Where can you go horseback riding in a historic mining area
(00:03):
that doubles as a movie set,
All right, so we're heading out, Harrold.
Yep.
Hit the trail.
learn the art of flamenco,
It's such a part of our culture in Northern New Mexico.
and investigate the mystery behind a miraculous staircase?
Why does it stand?
Nobody knows.
It's all in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico
and we're bringing you the ultimate guide
(00:25):
to the most unforgettable experiences in this magical city.
From staying at hotels filled with unique art,
to tasting New World Cuisine
at a James Beard Award winning restaurant. Mmm.
We'll take you along this exciting journey,
talking to local experts bringing Santa Fe's rich history
and culture to the forefront.
I've been very fortunate, very blessed, very lucky,
(00:47):
to be able to share a passion that I have.
To share the food that I have created in 35 years.
It's the Travels with Darley podcast,
where we travel with the locals
to bring you one of a kind adventures.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
We're starting our adventures doing
one of my favorite activities, horseback riding.
(01:10):
Just south of Santa Fe in Cerrillos,
Harrold Grantham of Broken Saddle Riding Company
leads travelers on horseback
through this mining area turned movie set.
Hailing from New Jersey, Harrold's been leading riders here
for over three decades,
through lands where turquoise was historically mined
by the early Pueblo people.
All right, so we're heading out, Harrold.
(01:32):
Yep.
Hit the trail.
[LAUGHS]
1898, the town hit its peak of about 3,000 people.
The little village of Cerrillos. It had a railroad station,
22 saloons, four hotels,
and then the mining, silver mining dried up.
And in 1905, they only had 500 people living there.
(01:55):
And now there's about 170.
Now it's a very small town.
Yeah.
With a big history.
You know, so you have the Ortiz Mountains over here
to the left, straight up there.
LLot of people don't realize you, it was your first gold strike
west of the Mississippi, 21 years before the California rush.
It's right up in there.
(02:16):
So we're in gold country.
Yep.
And a lot of TV shows are filming around here.
Yep. Most famous was Young Guns.
And then in this area out here, there's two movie sets.
No Country for Old Men was filmed up there.
Dark Winds.
So you came originally from New Jersey,
(02:38):
landed in New Mexico, and now you're
living the life of local here in Cerrillos.
I never get tired of it.
You know, 31 years of doing this,
and you think you'd get kind of tired of it,
but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Back in the heart of Santa Fe, I'm
dining at a James Beard Award winning restaurant, Sazón, where
Chef Fernando Olea combines his Mexican heritage
(03:00):
with New Mexico ingredients to create dishes that he calls
New World Cuisine. One of his specialties,mole.
This is your own style, Santa Fe style mole?
That's right.
You know, that's what we have here some New Mexican mole.
Ahead of us, a giant painting lines the wall showcasing
in bright colors and detail, the flavorful
(03:20):
ingredients that make up Chef Olea's mole.
What goes into this specific one?
Some apricots, pecans, white chocolate.
You see the red chimayo chile all over the mural.
And the piñon nuts in the right side in Santa Fe,
in the old times, the Native Americans used
to survive winter eating piñon nuts.
So as you eat your mole, you can try to pick out the ingredients
(03:44):
you're tasting.
Oh, yeah, that's, that's the apricots that I taste in this mole, yes.
Mmm.
Good?
A little cinnamon, a little sweet, a little spicy.
What's the history of the mole?
The mole was prepared by the Aztecs.
The time of the biggest moles of
Mexico is after the Spainards came to America.
And that's where we have some like the mole
(04:05):
poblano, the mole negro,
with over 30 different ingredients.
You know, when the fusion of cultures,
fusion of ingredients happen.
You grew up in Mexico City, but now you have
what I would call as a long legacy here too.
Well, I started my culinary adventure in Santa Fe, 35 years ago.
I've been very fortunate, very blessed, very lucky,
(04:26):
to be able to share a passion that I have.
To share the food that I have created in 35 years.
Steps away from Sazón,
I'm visiting Loretto Chapel,
where curator Richard Lindsley shares the story
of this chapel's famous staircase.
This is called the miraculous staircase.
Absolutely. Our story begins in 1873,
(04:50):
the Sisters of Loretto hired
Projectus Mouly, a French architect to build their chapel.
He patterned the chapel after Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.
And it's our belief Projectus Mouly wanted to put in
a circular staircase in this chapel,
but apparently couldn't find anyone to come all the way from France
in 1877 to help him do that.
(05:11):
When the architect passed away,
the sisters at this chapel tried in vain to find someone
who could build the proposed spiral staircase.
So when they failed, the sisters being good Christian women
turned to prayer and they said
a nine day novena to Saint Joseph, the patron of carpenters.
And on the last day of their novena,
an elderly man with a gray beard came into town with a donkey
(05:32):
and told the sisters he had come to build their staircase.
He worked inside this chapel by himself for three months,
never allowing anyone to see him work on it.
And then after three months he vanished without being paid.
Basically, the sisters had two great mysteries.
Where did he come from? And where did the wood come from?
Because of his description being an older man,
(05:55):
they were convinced it was Saint Joseph,
Jesus' foster father,
and that story they told their students ever
since in all their schools around the country.
After Loretto Chapel became a private site in the 1970s,
the mysteries of the staircase continued to baffle engineers.
How were the stairs built?
The staircase also mystified scientists
(06:15):
who could not verify the specific species of the staircase's wood.
Richard Lindsley gathered the best and brightest over the years
to try to solve the mystery of this miraculous staircase.
In 2016, 120 modern
circular staircase builders from all over the United States came here.
Not one of those 120 modern American companies
(06:36):
said that they could reproduce the staircase the way it was built,
not one.
Why does it stand?
Nobody knows.
And where does the wood come from?
Nobody knows.
And that's why it's still known as the miraculous staircase.
Well,
what do you believe?
I definitely believe the prayers of Saint Joseph were answered
(06:58):
and I will find out the details on the other side.
You've been here as a curator and docent for many years.
For since 1990, I've been curator here.
You've done the research.
Absolutely.
You've done the investigation.
I did,
yes.
And you're calling it miraculous.
I definitely am.
Yes.
Santa Fe is renowned for its incredible art and architecture,
(07:20):
so why not make it a part of your stay?
Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado is a getaway
with scenic mountain views and an array of activities to enjoy,
including hiking, spa treatments, and on-site dining.
I've been lucky enough to stay here a couple of times on my recent visits to Santa Fe.
I stop by to check out the resort's Art Concierge Program
(07:42):
and have a cocktail made with honey from the resort's own bees.
Working to foster native pollinators is something this resort
stands behind to promote sustainability through education and biodiversity.
Through their on-site apiary, they find uses for honey
in many of the products travelers can taste or drink on-site,
perhaps while also enjoying local art.
(08:07):
Exploring the incredible artwork at local hotels has inspired me to learn more about Santa Fe's legacy
with dance and music, which leads me to a dance lesson with La Emi.
She offers flamenco lessons and shares its history
in Northern New Mexico from her studio in Santa Fe,
and she welcomes all ages.
I've been able to take dance lessons in Seoul, Korea,
(08:27):
and many other locations, and I can tell you the experience with La Emi is amazing.
To get the full experience though, I put on a long black ruffled skirt
and bright blue purple heels that I borrow from La Emi.
You have to look the part.
Flamenco was born in the familia.
You would dance with your abuela, with your abuelo, your brothers, your sisters, your cousins.
(08:50):
And it was something born of the people.
It's such a part of our culture in Northern New Mexico
and it's something that I aspire to continue and preserve.
There are no two artists that are the same.
Everyone has their own personal story
and in that you can find the expression of their artistry.
You express your sadness, your joy.
(09:11):
For me that's, that's the beauty of it, is it's
such a deep and profound personal expression.
Are there specific classic dances in flamenco?
So in flamenco, there really are three elements that, you know, are the base structure.
There's the singer, the guitarist, and the dancer.
So what we're gonna do is we're going to put our hands in a clapping position
and we're going to go
(09:32):
uno, dos, tres, ay, uno, dos, tres, ay.
Now we're gonna add the feet.
So we're going to do a golpe, which is the flat foot hitting the ground.
Golpe.
There's also palmas claras.
Palmas abiertas.
So this, we're gonna hit in the center of the palm.
It makes a crackling noise. Ooh.
Muy bien.
(09:53):
It's almost like we're playing the drums over here now. We're percussionists.
You know, that's it. Yes. That's what I love about flamenco is
the we are, we're like a musical instrument, right?
And that's what we can create is the soniquete, the sounds.
Uno, dos, tres, cuatro. Uno, dos, tres, cuatro. Uno, dos, tres you got it.
(10:14):
We're going to get our skirt with the exactly, pa,
and we're gonna go in a circle, con la cadera, the hips.
Now for the real challenge, dancing with a live band and La Emi's regular students.
These young girls, ages 7 to 11, are pretty good.
Vamos. Ay. [APPLAUSE]
(10:37):
Throughout our travels in and around Santa Fe, we've immersed ourselves in extraordinary art,
architecture, history, food, and mystery, guided by passionate locals who have shown us the wonders
of this remarkable area.
For more expert Santa Fe travel tips, including a guide to the renowned Santa Fe Indian Market,
listen to our previous podcasts on Santa Fe County, bringing unique experiences
(11:00):
to wherever you're listening.
I'm Darley Newman and if you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe
and keep listening for more hidden gems across the USA and into Quebec,
and down to the Guadalupe Islands, on this thrilling Season 3
of the Travels with Darley podcast.
And look for our PBS series on PBS and on streaming.
(11:21):
(gentle music)
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