Turquoise Trail

Santa Fe Skies RV Park

Santa FE, NM

August 30, 2026

Days gone by...

New Mexico Highway 14 is better known as the Turquoise Trail . It officially earned designation as a National Scenic Byway in 2000. This historic 65 mile highway  joined Albuquerque and Santa Fe as early as 900 AD.  At that time , trade routes were established by ancient Pueblo people who mined turquoise in the Cerrillos Hills along with local lead and mineral ores to glaze and decorate their pottery. Fast forward to the 1800s-1900s when a major Western Gold Rush occurred...decades before the California Gold Rush.  Add that to that the discovery of Coal Gulch, Madrid later emerged as a bustling coal-mining company and was famous for the first electric Christmas lights in the west.  At the same time and not far away, Los Cerrillios boomed with silver, lead and turquoise extraction. Combine the two and this makes the historic route one of the oldest documented mining districts in the United States.  

As mining operations faded away towns like Madrid and Cerrillos transformed into quiet ghost towns before being revitalized by artists, writers, and crafts people in the 1970s.  Our adventure for the day led us to Madrid and stopping at Cerrillos and Origami in the Garden on the way back to Belle. 

Today Madrid is often described as a vibrant, quirky arts community...a small unincorporated community that has evolved over time and found a way to survive. Our first stop was Refinery 14 where we enjoyed brunch on a shaded, puppy friendly patio.  

Our service was great  and our meal was yummy.  I ordered a mimosa and breakfast tacos...two corn tortillas, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, pico, avocado, and queso fresco.  I ate every bite!  

Once we parked, everything was within walking distance.  Google says there are over 40 locally owned shops and art galleries that line Main Street.  Most are operated by the resident artist who sell their own works.  There is a wide range of fine art, metal and glass sculptures, photography and pottery and one chocolatier.  It was about half and half open for business and closed today stores, but I did check to make sure we went on a day to get chocolate.

Shugarman's Little Chocolate Shop is a charming, small-batch artisanal chocolate boutique that should not be missed.  It typically opens Friday - Monday 11:30 am to 5:00 pm.  Specialties include handcrafted organic and fair-trade chocolates, creative barks, homemade turtles, and artisan truffles.  White chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate are all offered.  You must try the Red Chili Mango Bark...thank you Jodee!  The truffles are melt in your mouth yummy...the kind of yummy you wish would linger a little longer.  Harvey Shugarman is the founder, owner, and handcrafts all the chocolate he sells. He opened his boutique in 2013.  

Another favorite was Indigo Gallery. It opened in 2013 by owner and artist Jill Shwaiko. Her whimsical bronze sculptures of sheep are some of the sweetest sculptures I have ever seen.  Inspired by Anasazi petroglyphs and ancient rock art, she has created large to small sculptures with each piece having a distinct personality.  Some of the pieces are integrated into a serene, sensory landscape mounted on top of New Mexico stone pedestals or granite water fountains.  Jill also paints these whimsical sheep using bold colors.  

Looking thru the door at Indigo Gallery

Heading home our first stop was Los Cerrillos (translates..."the little hills") for a walk.  I don't think much has changed there in many years as the streets are still dirt and historic buildings are weathered. It was a popular movie set back in the 1980s as Young Guns, John Carpenter's Vampires, and Outrageous Fortune had movie sets there. The most prominent building in this tiny community is Iglesia de San Jose...Saint Joseph's Catholic Church.  The structure we see today was built in 1922.  

The sanctuary was closed, but we did walk in the courtyard.  

Cerrillos is probably best known for it's Casa Grande Trading Post.  Originally a one room adobe built by the owners in 1975, it has expanded thru the years to 28 rooms. The owners have a turquoise mine and make their own jewelry on site.  They also have a mining museum and entrance is $4.00 a person. 

I cant say the owner, Todd, was very friendly as the first words out of his mouth were, " Dogs are not allowed." with no eye contact, and a bit on the grumpy side too! Joe and Lucy waited patiently on the porch while I stuck my head in for a minute.  Im sure there are treasures to be found among all the collections, but not for us this day.

 Our last stop was Origami in the Garden.  What a delightful garden it is and a BIG thank you to Jodee for suggesting it.  Very puppy friendly and bigger than life sculptures of traditional Japanese paper-folding art.  Simple folds are cast into monumental heights using bronze, stainless steel, and aluminum.  Kevin and Jennifer Box, the owners and artists,  have designed a great walking path with twists and turns to strategically place these giant pieces against the wild landscape of the high New Mexico desert.  They are open May - October Monday - Friday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  There is no admission, but a donation is appreciated.  

Hero's Horse...Greek myth of Pegasus
powder-coated fabricated stainless steel
Artist Kevin and Jennifer, 2022
Box says, "Hero's Horse is a story of hope. It reminds us that when we're faced with impossible odds, help is on the way and good will always  win the day." 

Playful Pinwheels and Fun Flowers

 

The small gift shop is also a delight to visit.  Also puppy friendly and full of interesting things to see.  

If interested, Jennifer will teach you to make a butterfly...

A paper size Pegasus...I can not imagine the math involved in transferring the scale of this one to the sculpture outside and cutting each of those pieces.  Notice the star on the unfolded sheet. 

A history of the Box Studio traveling exhibitions...includes Atlanta Botanical Gardens in 2022-23 at 1,236 miles.

And Tucson was their sixth exhibit in 2017-18 at 506 miles.  I was thrilled when Jennifer said that the Tucson Botanical Gardens has already called them to make plans for a 10 years anniversary return to Tucson.  

Back at Belle, all is good.  The weather continues to be delightful and the skies at Santa Fe Skies do not disappoint.  Walks, talks, reading and playing with Lucy fill our time here.  

 

That is a wrap for the Turquoise Trail this trip.  I'll close with a few favorite photos from our walks along the Turquoise Trail.

A door in Madrid

The Blackbird Saloon...historic adobe building from around 1885
Cerrillos

Consider the Lily
The origami blossom rests on the ground so  you can look inside and see the shape of a star...a feature of the origami process.

Colors make me happy!

A peephole to a residence in Cerrillos with beautiful iron work

 

A fence in Madrid

Scents of Gratitude
Features 77 origami-inspired flowers including a blue hydrangea with 37 blossoms, daisies with 2 layers of petals, and lilies in 5 stages of bloom.  Most of these flowers gently spin in the breeze and hidden in them are a butterfly (which we found) and a crane. 

Until next time,

HAPPY TRAILS!

Stay tuned!   Up next...

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

Santa Fe Skies RV Park

Santa Fe, NM

August 28, 2026

NM-16 entering the Cochito Reservation

About 30 miles from Santa Fe Skies is the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument.  Take I-25 south, exit at #264 NM-16 and you find yourself entering the Cochiti Reservation.  At a little over 8 miles make a left turn onto NM-22.  You will see the Pueblo de Cochiti Visitor Center.  

Entry into the monument is by reservation only...Thursdays - Mondays between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm and you are asked to exit by 4:00 pm.   Reservations (a small fee required) with the pueblo are made on-line and the America Beautiful Pass are needed to enter.  

Reservations are checked at the VC upon arrival and a pilot car leads you to the entrance kiosk where you are greeted with a big smile and given a map, instructions for parking, and any questions you have are answered.  It might seem complicated, but it is for the protection of a gorgeous and unique piece of our country and well worth the effort.

Being early birds, we were up and on our way and the first ones to arrive at the VC.  This made parking easy and close to the trailhead.  

There are two trails located in the designated monument parking area.  The Canyon Trail is a 1.5 mile one-way (moderate/difficult) trek into a narrow slot canyon with a steep climb to the mesa.  The Cave Loop Trail is 1.2 mile easy hike. 

We chose the Canyon Trail...

It is  0.5 miles from the parking lot to the Canyon trailhead which counts as part of the 1.5 one way.  There are kiosks along the way telling about this Geological Treasure  from its fiery past which began approximately 6.8 million years ago to its final stage which is all up to the weather and ongoing. 

Smelling the sweet vanilla scent of the Ponderosa pines is one of nature's precious gifts.  While we enjoy the smell of nature's bakery, it is the same chemicals that act as a defense to keep harmful insects away.  

It took a few minutes to check out this giant Ponderosa pine tree.  The roots have been exposed from years of rushing water.  But with great determination, it sends its life line, the tap root, up to 36 feet deep. That's deep enough for them to grow  300 to 600 years before succumbing to natural decay or environmental stressors.

The front of the tree entering the canyon

and the back of the same tree exiting the canyon.

From here to the end of the slot canyon, it was one WOW after another...looking up, looking ahead, and looking down.  

Lots of twists and turns, one foot in front of the other in the narrowest of places,  dark and deep slots, and bolder climbs made this an exciting and fun adventure.  

We have always enjoyed our walks in slot canyons and Tent Rocks is no exception.  To say it is beautiful is an understatement.  The photos do not do it justice.  I am not sure if it is the time of day we were there or the season, but it was a perfect morning with only a  few folks.   It's nice to take your time...stopping to ooooh and aaaah, and take a kazillion pictures with just the canyon walls, the gorgeous blue sky, the giant ponderosas, and my honey!  

Keresan is the native language of the Pueblo de Chochiti people in New Mexico.  Kasha-Katuwe translates to "white-cliffs" in their language.  

 

After our walk, we took the  3 mile (one way) dirt/gravel road up to an overlook.  It's a twisty road that leads to the overlook, a short hike (which we did not do), a picnic area (where we had a snack),  and a Veterans's Memorial. 

The "tents" or hoodoos have "caps" called differential weathering and erosion.  This hard resistant rock acts as a protective shield for the softer rock beneath it.  The wonders of nature at work!

What a wonderful morning!  Even if you are not a walker, there are several picnic areas, and very short walks that will get you close enough to see the tent rocks and cliff walls.  The drive to the scenic lookout is vehicle friendly with no special requirements needed.  I rarely ever make recommendations, but I hope if you are ever in the area, you will add Tent Rocks to your "to do" list.  

Back at the Belle...

Santa Fe lights

Full Sturgeon Moon and art along the walking path...our patio view. 

Until next time,

HAPPY TRAILS

and  SWEET DREAMS !

Stay tuned!  Up next...