Turquoise Trail from Tijeras to Madrid and Los Cerrillos on SR-14

Turquoise Trail from Tijeras to Madrid and Los Cerrillos on SR-14 .

May 9, 2007.

We got up this morning and moved the motorhome from the extreme western side of Albuquerque to the extreme eastern side. Thirty something miles later we exited 1-40 at exit 178 where we entered Hidden Valley Resort, a PPA park $11.88 FHU 30-amps nice level pull-thru sites with gravel interior roads and sites. Level sites in New Mexico are a bonus. VBG

For those of you that are not familiar with PPA (Pass Port America) it is an organization you can join for less than $50 per-year. Campgrounds that belong to PPA offer 1/2 price discounts. That kind of savings can quickly add up. While participating PPA parks generally have some restrictions on dates the PPA offer is valid, or possibly days of the week the discount is valid, or perhaps the number of days that the PPA discount will be honored the discount is genuine. Many times PPA campgrounds are new campgrounds that need help in getting established. Other times PPA campgrounds may be on the outskirts of town instead of in the "prime" location thus they need to provide an incentive for campers to stay with them. Whatever the reason PPA campgrounds generally provide a much cheaper option. PPA is the only campground organization that I think is worth the cost. PPA does not have a gimic. What you see is what you get. Once you join they send you a directory listing all participating campgrounds. The PPA directory is the FIRST directory we check when trying to locate a place to spend the night. You can join PPA by calling 228-452-9972. If you decide to join PPA, it would be nice if you gave them my number "R-0156251" as the PPA member that told you about PPA. In return PPA will give me a years membership free. I will thank you in advance for that kindness. Thank you.

We made this move to be closer to the dealer that we are purchasing our new motorhome from and to be closer to things we have yet to do around Albuquerque.

We are scheduled to switch motorhomes on Saturday. Until then we are free to continue our exploring.

Last night Joyce contacted old friends from Pensacola who have moved to New Mexico. Most people would say they live near Santa Fe and that would be accurate enough for Government Work. But the truth of the matter is they live off SR-14 between the historic old communities of Madrid and Los Cerrillos. That is only 36-miles north of the Hidden Valley Resort we are staying in.

Turquoise Trail

Well, you have guessed it. We are heading up SR-14 the (Turquoise Trail) to visit with Frank and Sandy.

Tijeras Canyon

Upon leaving the RV-Park we have to travel west on old Route 66 (now SR-333) for about 5-miles where we connect with SR-14 (Turquoise Trail) to head to Frank and Sandy's. While still on SR-333 we are driving through historic Tijeras Canyon. We stopped to read this historical marker. Today I-40 follows that same route through the Sandia and Manzano Mountains.

Mt Taylor in the distance

Once on SR-14, the Turquoise Trail, we started climbing. Eventually the highway meandered to a spot where we could look out on an extensive valley to our west and south. This picture is looking west toward what we assume is Mt. Taylor that we wrote about in a travel log last week.

View from Turquoise Trail

Another view from Turquoise Trail.

Cholla Cactus

This was the view to our east. That is a cholla cactus in the center of the picture.

This was a view to the southwest across that huge plain.

Cholla cactus with fruit

This is a close-up of a cholla cactus with fruit. The yellow things are not flowers.

Igneous rocks

Sangre De Christo Mountains

In the distance we get a peak at the extreme southern tip of the Sangre de Christo Mountains. Santa Fe is located at the southwestern tip of that range.

Sangre De Christo Mountains and Mt Taylor

This is a better look at the Sangre De Christo Mountains and the broad valley that sweeps south of Santa Fe. Mt Taylor that we wrote about last week is the tallest peak.

Now we are about to reach the outskirts of the old coal mining town of Madrid. Frank told us that a group of miners from southern Missouri moved here to mine coal. They named the town Madrid after the Madrid fault region of Missouri where they were from.

In 1828 gold was discovered in these hills. It was placer gold that could be washed from stream gravels. Production was limited, of course, by the lack of water. Lack of water is a problem in most of New Mexico. Lode gold was found in bedrock a few years later, inaugurating a gold rush that preceded the more famous California gold rush by more than a decade. Later, lead, silver, and hard anthracite coal, rare in the West, were mined in these hills.

Madrid

Joyce snapped these pictures out the window as we passed through Madrid on our way to Frank and Sandy's.

Madrid

Madrid Trading Post.

Cerrillos

After visiting for a while Frank and Sandy loaded us in their vehicle for a sight seeing ride. The first stop was the historic old mining town of Cerrillos.

Be sure to process the events and dates in this official Historic Marker. Remember the Pueblo revolt that expelled the Spanish from New Mexico back in 1680. I thought all the surviving Spanish retreated to the El Paso area but this Historic Marker says some Spanish refugees were harbored here.

Turquoise is what the area is know for but it appears the community wasn't founded until a lead strike in 1879.

Cerrillos

Cerrillos

This is Frank and Sandy in downtown Cerrillos. It looks like it hasn't changed much since the 1800's.

Cerrillos

This is another of the famous buildings in down town Cerrillos. You may recognize this building from western movies that have been shot here. Young Guns, was an 80's western shot in Cerrillos while Vampires by John Carpenter was shot in the mid-90's.

Joyce and I are going to have to find these movies and watch them now that we have visited Cerrillos.

For Sale Needs Work sign

Frank stopped to let us take a picture of what remains of this old car that obviously plunged off the road years ago.

The plywood sign had blown over so Frank bounded down the ravine and placed the sign in its rightful place, where it has been for years.

Thanks Frank. The "For Sale Needs Work" sign absolutely needed to be put back in its proper place.

For Sale Needs Work sign

Frank drove us to this spot a few miles west of Cerrillos where we could look back at the town.

Up here we are in the midst of the rock formations where turquoise can be found. Turquoise forms as rounded or bumpy nodules or thin crusts deposited by underground water circulating through certain kinds of volcanic rock. Oddly, its occurrence is limited to arid regions. Sky-blue varieties such as that found in the Cerrillos Hills are the most valuable; their color comes from minute amounts of copper compounds.

Cerrillos Doc Richard's Drug Store

Clear Light Opera House Cerrillos, New Mexico

This old building in Cerrillos has seen its better days. With some imagination this building could be restored to its former glory. Any takers?

Clear Light Opera House Cerrillos, New Mexico

And this is the history of the above building.

Casa Grande Trading Post Cerrillos, New Mexico

Frank and Sandy took us by the Casa Grande Trading Post for a visit with Mr. Brown, one of their friends. For some reason we did not end up with a good picture of the Casa Grande Trading Post. We must have been concentrating on socializing. Sorry, it just happens from time to time.

From Cerrillos Frank drove us to the old coal mining town of Madrid about 5-miles south on SR-14. They were telling us about the movie "Wild Hogs" being filmed there not long ago. Joyce was quick to remember that our son had told us about going to a movie recently that was about a town in New Mexico---that movie was Wild Hogs and the town was Madrid.

Madrid Diner from movie "Wild Hogs"

We stopped in front of this diner that was used in the movie "Wild Hogs".

Movie "Wild Hogs"

Thise sign is in the window of the above restaurant.

Movie "Wild Hogs"

Sign on the door of that Diner.

Madrid, New Mexico

This building with the Sears Roebuck sign on the wall was another building featured in the movie. Sandy told us that the movie producers had the Sears sign painted on the building just for the movie.

Taco Cafe Madrid, New Mexico

This is the Taco Cafe, a block or so south of Maggie's and the Sears Roebuck sign. I don't know if it was in the movie but it should have been. The movie makers wouldn't have had to do anything to juice up the ambiance. I think most of the dining takes place under that tree to the right.

Madrid, New Mexico

There were several other buildings in town that could easily have been used in that movie.

Old steam locomotive in Madrid, New Mexico

This is an old steam engine located in Madrid. I suspect it was used in the coal mine industry that has closed.

Madrid, New Mexico hippy house

And we took this final picture on our way out of town. I guess this was one of the abandoned buildings Frank said hippies moved into in the 1960's.

Frank Young & Mike Hendrix

Back at Frank and Sandy's their dog comes out to greet us.

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Until next time remember how good life is.

Mike & Joyce Hendrix