San Miguel Mission [Oldest Church in the U.S.], Santa Fe (must see)

Back in 1610, some Franciscan friars got busy and put up what's now the oldest church in the States. This was Santa Fe's first church, and those Spanish missionaries were smart enough to plonk it down across the river where the native folks were hanging out. They were all about spreading the good word, so they whipped up this mission before even sorting out their own church closer to the Plaza.

Now, this place has seen its fair share of facelifts, so it's tough to say what's original and what's not. It's made of adobe with walls about five feet thick, and they threw in some stone buttresses in 1887 to keep everything from going sideways. The original church was likely a bit smaller, but it's been spruced up despite being set on fire during the Pueblo Revolt, and keeps standing on the same old foundations.

But enough about the exterior—let's dive into some juicy bits. The interior snug and whitewashed, with a restored late-18th-century altar screen that's seen its fair share of adventures. Covered in layers of house paint for years, it is the handiwork of an anonymous Mexican artist and acts like a giant picture frame, stuffed with oil paintings and bultos (fancy term for those painted wooden saint statues). And if you peek beneath your feet, you'll catch a glimpse of the church's original foundations—talk about history underfoot!

Tucked away at the back, San Miguel's old bell supposedly hails from Spain way back in 1356 – or so the engraving claims. Historians aren't buying it: They reckon it's more likely a sneaky defect that made an 8 look like a 3. Anyway, it made its way to the New World and landed here in the early 1800s, and it still hums like a charm, even with just a little tap.