Such a gorgeous spring day deserved a road trip. 70 degrees and sunny! I decided to make a foray out of town this time. So I headed for the Turquoise Trail. I took I-40 West at the foot of the Sandia Mountains to Hwy 14N and up through the Ortiz Mountains. The trail follows 14 through a series of small mining towns from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. It encompasses 15,000 square miles of land in Central New Mexico. My destination? Madrid, New Mexico.
Madrid is a former coal mining town that began a resurgence in the 70's. I met the owner of a gallery in Madrid, who, with her husband, was one of the first artists to come to the town. They rented miners cabins. Today, Madrid is a small thriving community of artists. The town is lined with small shops filled with pottery, weavings, folk art, paintings, sculpture and of course, turquoise jewelry.
You may have actually seen parts of Madrid without realizing it. In 2007, the Madrid Chili Festival was the site of the last stand in the movie, Wild Hogs - starring John Travolta and Marisa Tomei. Most of the scenes were shot around Maggie's Diner - which is still standing.
After some fun shopping, I decided to drive the rest of the route up to Santa Fe. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous! My camera just doesn't do it justice. But I can highly recommend both the drive and the quaint town of Madrid!
Madrid is a former coal mining town that began a resurgence in the 70's. I met the owner of a gallery in Madrid, who, with her husband, was one of the first artists to come to the town. They rented miners cabins. Today, Madrid is a small thriving community of artists. The town is lined with small shops filled with pottery, weavings, folk art, paintings, sculpture and of course, turquoise jewelry.
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