Petroglyphs and Coal Towns

Trip Start Jan 08, 2008
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Trip End Apr 09, 2008


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Flag of United States  , New Mexico,
Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Oops!  Woke up this morning and made a course correction.  We decided to head east to Albuquerque NM and up to Taos.  This will add miles to the trip but free us up to consider a completely new route for the trip home.  We gave Santa Fe and Taos a miss on the way down due to the cold weather as we passed this area in January.  First stop was Petroglyph National Monument.  Spent an hour walking along one of the cliffs and spotted some images but, due to the warnings about recent parking lot car break-ins, we didn't't linger. 
We headed down to the Old Town to explore it in warmer temperatures.  This time there were more visitors and vendors around and the restaurant patios were in use.  After a couple of hours of enjoying the sun and checking out the shops, we leave town via another section of Route 66.  Signage and 50's architecture were once again reminders of the golden era of the road.
Message for Travellers
Message for Travellers
 We traveled north via the Turquoise Trail, one of New Mexico's scenic tours - a back road that leads north to Santa Fe via hwy 14.  We stopped for a few minutes to wander along the street in Madrid, a former coal town that was rescued by a group of artists in the 70's and 80's.  In many ways this community reminds me of Jerome (and of Lanark Village in its hey day) and is probably very busy later in the season.  The community consists of a mix of retail, artist studios and a few bed and breakfast establishments.  One of the railway buildings has become a local restaurant/bar and the railway that served the community has acquired an older engine for which they have future plans.  We arrived in Santa Fe in time to check into a hotel and have an excellent dinner nearby.
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