There are many day trips to take in New Mexico, but one of the closest to Santa Fe and one of my favorites is the Turquoise Trail. NM 14 is a scenic byway off the main Interstate 25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
It offers 4 quaint towns to stop in that are a major part of New Mexico’s history.
These little villages were almost forgotten until historical enthusiasts and artists starting buying up the dilapidated buildings and converting them into their homes, galleries, shops, and fun places to visit.
The first stop when you get off Interstate 25 is Golden. This was a gold camp in the 1880s. This little community is becoming a new custom built home community for those working in Albuquerque, but there are many more crumbling foundations of homes and businesses than new homes. It is interesting to get out and walk around the remnants of a town and look and see what you find.
As you travel along the Turquoise Trail note the Ortiz Mountains in the distance. These are private land now with no public hiking trails. But in the gold rush heyday this is where gold was found. In fact, it is one of the few places in New Mexico where gold was found.
The next community you will find on this trip is Madrid. (Not pronounced like the capital city in Spain but ‘Maadrid: -don’t ask me why. If you say it wrong, you can count on being corrected. Here the mines used to produce 250,000 tons of coal a year for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. This town was at one time even larger than Albuquerque. It had the state’s first unlimited electricity as well as a baseball stadium, and gold course. Madrid has become an artist community with a selection of galleries and studios. The town also boasts a melodrama theater. Where you can boo and cheer for the villain and heroes. (They even provide marshmallows to throw at the cast)
Cerrillos is the next stop on the Trail where you will see authentic architecture still in place from the 1870s. The movie “Young Guns” was filmed here for that reason. The town was founded in 1879 after a lead strike. In Cerrillos you will also find The Cerrillos Hills Historic Park. It is the largest in the county with hiking and biking trails thru areas that are thought to be the mining grounds for turquoise by Pre-Columbian Indians.
If you want to make a full day of this trip and stay in the area, Crystal Mesa Farms is a lovely Bed and Breakfast near Cerrillos with farms animals, theme style accommodations, (including a teepee) and great hospitality. Did I mention the view? - Spectacular!
http://www.thesantafesite.com/MiniWeb/crystalmesa.html
On the turquoise trail there are a few places to eat and enjoy the surroundings. Java Junction specializes in Coffee and gourmet snacks. Kokopelli’s Restaurant and Kantina serves all three meals. San Marcos Cafe offers European cuisine; Blue Sky Café specializes in homemade food and spectacular desserts.
For more information on the area check out the site.
www.turquoisetrail.org
Happy Day Tripping!
Eileen Richardson
