On my first trip to New Mexico, nearly fifty years ago, I explored the Turquoise Trail which connects Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The fifty-mile trail is named for the rich deposits of turquoise mined in the region. It meanders through the Sandia Mountains and connects several historic mining towns like Cerrillos, Madrid, and Golden. The trail has been used for centuries, first by Native American tribes and later by Spanish settlers and miners during the late 1800s.
I immediately fell in love with the area and the trail and have driven on it numerous times. Quite a bit has changed since my first explorations. On my first trip, the mining towns along the route were sleepy, some nearly ghost towns. Then, loads of artists and craftspeople moved in, converting old buildings into galleries, shops, and cafes.
Yesterday, along with my friends Jeanne and Jack, we drove in the Turquoise Trail, their home is located near it. On this trip I was struck by how many galleries and artist studios there are. But even with the buildup, the scenery is stunning. Fabulous rock formations, vistas that go for miles, and tons of sculpture. Every few minutes we stopped so I could take photos.
One of the first stops was the St. Francis of Assisi church, as photogenic as it could possibly be. Built in 1839, it is a small, well-maintained church. People were friendly and chatty.
I saw some fantastic sculpture and yelled, “STOP.” We made a U-turn to the studio of Michael Austin Wright in Madrid. What an imagination and talent!
Lunch was at the Tesuque Village Market. It is a specialty food market with an excellent restaurant. It is as quirky as all get out, worth a stop if you are in the area. The town is also filled with galleries.
Then back to Albuquerque for the Balloon festival “glow.” More about that tomorrow.