Back roads can often lead to unexpected adventures. Venture off the freeway onto the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway, and you’ll see what we mean. The historic area encompasses more than 15,000 square miles in the heart of central New Mexico, linking Albuquerque to Santa Fe.
Long empty highway from Albuquerque to Santa Fe on the Turquoise Trail New Mexico.
I spent weeks searching for the most unique things to do in New Mexico. Yet, somehow I completely missed the Turquoise Trail. It wasn’t until we joined the fabulous Historic Old Town Santa Fe Biking Tour that we even heard of it. Kevin (who LOVES asking questions) made sure to grill the company’s owner on what she’d recommend as a local New Mexican. Without any hesitation, she suggested a road trip adventure from Albuquerque to Santa Fe — packed with quirky museums and old mining towns now home to artists and hippies. Check out our crazy adventure below and the 6 best stops along New Mexico’s Turquoise Trail.
Kevin gets the scoop on our road trip adventure along the Turquoise Road.
STOP #1: On the Way From Albuquerque to Santa Fe Visit the Whimsical Tinkertown Museum
The Tinkertown Museum is eccentric Americana at its best. There’s no denying it — this spot is quirky. But it also has a lot of heart. The museum was a passion project of Ross Ward, who spent more than 40 years collecting objects and constructing Tinkertown until he passed away in 2002. The Ward family continues his legacy today by maintaining and running the museum in his memory.
The building alone is impressive — constructed with 50,000 glass bottles. But it’s the sprawling collection inside that makes it such a unique place. Miniature sets span entire hallways — recreating everything from the big top circus to the great wild west with rowdy cowboys. There are buttons along the way that kids (and kids at heart!) will love pushing to power the scenes to life. I’d recommend coming with extra quarters to play the coin-operated devices, especially the fortune teller. While I had ZERO clue what my fortune actually meant, it still was fun watching the spectacle.
Midway through the museum, don’t miss the doorway leading outside to something you’d never expect in the desert — a 35-foot wooden sailboat that braved 10 years on the sea. Can you imagine sailing around the world for 10 years? The captain went with his wife. And let’s just say, she didn’t last very long. Something tells me this wasn’t like your romantic cruise on the Royal Caribbean.
STOP #2: Ride the Musical Road
Musical Road outside Albuquerque.
Just 10 minutes away from Tinkertown is a lonely stretch of Route 66 near the town of Tijeras, New Mexico. At first glance, it looks like any other road. But slow down to 45 mph to find the real magic — rumble strips engineered to vibrate to the tune of America the Beautiful. Okay, I admit it. I have a SLIGHT obsession with musical roads. I mean, I did an entire blog post dedicated to California’s secret musical road. Musical roads aren’t very common around the world — mostly found in Asia. South Korea even has a road designed to play Mary Had a Little Lamb to help wake up sleepy drivers. Maybe a future blog post for Gourmet Globetrotter? Don’t put it past me!
STOP #3: Good as Golden, The Town of Golden That is
Reasonably-priced southwestern handicrafts can be found inside Henderson General Store in Golden, New Mexico.
While most people think the great American gold rush began in California, they’d be wrong. In 1825, this remote part of New Mexico was the site of the very first gold rush west of the Mississippi. In the 1880’s, several big mining companies moved in and came up with the catchy name of Golden. People came to strike it rich. But soon enough, realized the prospects weren’t so good. Today, mining is pretty much gone but Golden survives. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of town. But we recommend making a quick stop to peruse the goods inside the Henderson Store, which specializes in Southwestern Indian jewelry, rugs and pottery.
STOP #4: Get Funky in Madrid
The sign inside this shop in Madrid pretty much sums up their mantra here!
Sure, we’ve been to Madrid, Spain. But the tiny village of Madrid, New Mexico, is like traveling to a foreign land. Nestled in a narrow canyon in the Ortiz Mountains, you’ll find a group of funky, liberal artists who definitely march to their own beat. Once a historic coal mining town and ghost town, Madrid is now a creative community with over 40 shops and galleries, several restaurants and a fascinating museum.
Parking is a hot commodity here. We recommend parking in the free lot located behind the Mine Shaft Tavern. There were plenty of spots when we arrived (but it filled up quickly). From here, you’re just steps away from Shugarman’s Little Chocolate Shop where you can sample slabs of homemade, organic fair trade chocolate. We basically tried it all — from the exotic chili lemongrass to the lavender hibiscus bars.
We loved the dark chocolate almond bars and bought several slabs (that didn’t last 10 minutes!).
If you haven’t filled up on chocolate, you’ll likely want some lunch by this point. Grab a seat outdoors at The Hollar to chow down on southern cuisine made with local ingredients. The food here is phenomenal. We grabbed a seat at the hightop bar to watch the madness of Madrid play out in front of us — and listen to the female folk singer belt out Joni Mitchell tunes.
The people watching doesn’t get any better than at The Hollar restaurant.
After lunch, stretch your legs and check out Madrid’s cute shops to stock up on all your must-have’s like chakra candles, Tibetan prayer flags and sage incense.
After getting your shopping in, we recommend either grabbing a drink at The Mine Shaft Tavern where you’ll find hipsters and tourists alike. Or just steps away, visiting the small but entertaining Old Coal Town Museum. The museum takes you through the town’s history, which allegedly was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Main Street in Disneyland. You’ll find an old steam locomotive, mining equipment and a section on all the movies filmed here including Wild Hogs, The Lone Ranger and Easy Rider.
But you won’t want to miss the section on how Madrid became known as “Christmas Town” due to its spectacular Christmas lights display. Today, the Christmas tradition carries on with a parade led by the town’s Yak dressed up like Rudolph the red nose reindeer.
Christmas decorations that once decorated Madrid.
STOP #5: Go Back in Time in Cerillos
Cerrillos is a much quieter and less developed version of Madrid. But it’s still well worth checking out. During the 1880’s, the place had over 20 saloons and four hotels. It was considered the capital of New Mexico and was host to many famous people including Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Edison. Today, you’ll find dirt streets lined with a few shops and galleries with a nod to the old west roots. The town has been the backdrop for several movies and it’s easy to see why.
We spent about 20 minutes walking around. However, one place you won’t want to miss is Cerrillos Station, a dance studio with a wonderful gift shop with incredible chocolate chip cookies. Be sure to grab a bag or 3. These locally-made treats are from Drift and Porter Baking Company, which specializes in gluten-free, organic, vegan cookies. I mean, they almost sound healthy right? The stash of cookies are conveniently located next to the cash register. And clearly, I have no self control and ate all 3 bags by the time we got back to the car!
FINAL STOP #6: Rest and Relaxation in Santa Fe
Santa Fe’s historic old town.
You made it! Santa Fe’s compact downtown, known as Old Town Santa Fe, is one of the best places to wrap up your road trip adventure along the Turquoise Road from Albuquerque. Looking for ideas on what to do? Check out our recommendations on Santa Fe walking tours you shouldn’t miss. Have more than a few days to explore? We suggest following this 1 day trip from Santa Fe to Taos along the famed high road. Or you can always do what we did in Santa Fe — eat a lifetime supply of breakfast burritos!
Our hearty breakfast at the Plaza Cafe that morning. Something tells me we’ll be doing a lot of pilates when we get back home.
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