10/18/07 The Turquoise Trail

No sooner were morning chores out of the way and we were out the door. Today we will travel the Turquoise Trail, the road that links Albuquerque and Santa Fe. It was suggested we come this way when we left Albuquerque but we opted for the Interstate since we didn't know what conditions we would find as far as mountains were concerned. We're glad we took the interstate highway!

We decided to ride out and work our way back. We drove as far a Madrid, pronounced MAD-rid, not like the country. Some highway scenes.

Madrid is a small town where you park your car and walk. We parked at the Mine Shaft Tavern. Since it was lunchtime we decided to eat before we went any further. Once again Bob got a little adventurous and ordered a buffalo burger and I opted for the good ol' American kind. Madrid's history, dates from the early 1800's. Because of the unique geology of the area, a phenomenon found in only two other mines in the world, hard and soft coal were mined here with shafts as deep as 2500'. The area was booming in it's heyday supplying coal for the Santa Fe Railroad, local consumers and the US Government. The company town became famous for its Fourth of July parade, lighted Christmas displays and minor league baseball games in the first lighted stadium in the west. When coal use declined the town died. It became a ghost town of sorts.
In the early 1970's , artists and craftspeople arrived. They converted old company stores and houses into quality shops and galleries and services. Madrid has a mining museum, an original tavern, and in the summer there is melodrama in a theatre created in the engine house, blues concerts at the ballpark, and walking tours.

A look down main street.

Lots of artists have moved into the area and here is one store where they sell fountains that bubble up out of blocks of stone and windchimes. These were the nicest windchimes we've ever heard. They are made out of CO2 cannisters with a piece of wood wrapped in leather hanging from a rope inside. Here's Bob checking them out becaue I want one!

We went into the Old Boarding House Mercantile and got quite a surprise when we went in. This is the town's grocery store and the interior walls have not been removed and neither has the wallpaper!

This home was "moved" here in 1884 as were all the buildings in the town. There were no trees for lumber and the coal company found it cheaper to move the workers homes here rather than haul in lumber, windows, doors etc and pay carpenters to build new homes. We learned all this from the fella who now runs the town grocery store. He was born here in 1964 and he brought the population up to 18. Of course now it is an artists paradise and the town has grown.

They did have a Sears and Roebuck. S & R must have sold some darn good paint! Its still there after all these years.

Some local scenes.

After walking Main Street and checking out all the shops it was time to get back in our truck and head home.

We did stop in Cerillo on the way back but there wasn't too much going on in this little town.

One very old adobe building.

A perfect day for these fulltimers.