GET-YUR-MOTOR RUNNIN' ROAD TRIP
Astoria - Santa Fe - Death Valley - Astoria
October 24, 2013 (Day 10 of 44)
Sandia Crest, NM Via The Turquoise Trail
Miles Today: 124 / Trip Miles: 1,709
Erica and Victor arrived yesterday evening … our group is now complete.
Turquoise Trail:
Today's journey is the Turquoise Trail south. Our destination … Sandia Crest. The Turquoise Trail (Highway 14) is a scenic highway linking Albuquerque and Santa Fe through rolling hills with mountain views and quaint historic mining towns. (Rating = B)
Sandia Crest:
From the Trail, we headed west for fourteen miles, through a national forest, up the very winding Highway 536 to Sandia Crest. Sandia Crest (10,700 feet) is the highest point in the Sandia Mountains which are located east of Albuquerque, New Mexico. "SandÃa" means watermelon in Spanish. In 1540 when the Spaniards arrived at the Sandia Pueblo, they called it Sandia because they thought the squash growing there were watermelons. It is believed that the mountains were named "Sandia" because of the reddish color of the mountains at sunset, and when viewed from the west, the profile of the mountains is a long ridge, with a thin zone of green conifers near the top, suggesting the "rind" of the watermelon. The view from the crest is good, but not super. Unfortunately, the view today was somewhat hazy. (Rating B-)
Madrid:
Madrid (population = 150 / elevation = 6,000 feet) is a former mining town that has been reborn as an artist’s community with galleries along the highway. The past is represented by the Mineshaft Tavern and the Coal Mine Museum. We had a decent lunch at the tavern (Rating C+). Overall rating for Madrid is B.
Company Town:
Mining for lead occurred in the Madrid area as far back as the 17th century. Coal mining began in the area around 1835. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway acquired the property in 1891, and controlled the area via its subsidiaries. Madrid was “founded” in 1895, but since the town was wholly owned by a series of corporations for next 80 years, it was never incorporated.
Madrid Miners Baseball Team:
The Miners baseball team was started by the Madrid Employees Club. The Oscar Huber Ballpark, built in 1920, was the first lighted ballpark west of the Mississippi and possibly North America. In a town of 3,000 (at its height), as many as 6,000 visitors attended ball games. The Madrid Miners were New Mexico's only AA Minor League Team, and their reputation for winning pennants became widespread. Fans would arrive at 7:00 AM to claim a good seat for the Sunday games. [Photo of Madrid Miners]
Motion Picture:
The ending of the film "Wild Hogs" (2007) was set and filmed in Madrid. "Wild Hogs" is a comedy-outlaw-biker-road movie starring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy.
Turquoise Trail:
Today's journey is the Turquoise Trail south. Our destination … Sandia Crest. The Turquoise Trail (Highway 14) is a scenic highway linking Albuquerque and Santa Fe through rolling hills with mountain views and quaint historic mining towns. (Rating = B)
Sandia Crest:
From the Trail, we headed west for fourteen miles, through a national forest, up the very winding Highway 536 to Sandia Crest. Sandia Crest (10,700 feet) is the highest point in the Sandia Mountains which are located east of Albuquerque, New Mexico. "SandÃa" means watermelon in Spanish. In 1540 when the Spaniards arrived at the Sandia Pueblo, they called it Sandia because they thought the squash growing there were watermelons. It is believed that the mountains were named "Sandia" because of the reddish color of the mountains at sunset, and when viewed from the west, the profile of the mountains is a long ridge, with a thin zone of green conifers near the top, suggesting the "rind" of the watermelon. The view from the crest is good, but not super. Unfortunately, the view today was somewhat hazy. (Rating B-)
Madrid:
Madrid (population = 150 / elevation = 6,000 feet) is a former mining town that has been reborn as an artist’s community with galleries along the highway. The past is represented by the Mineshaft Tavern and the Coal Mine Museum. We had a decent lunch at the tavern (Rating C+). Overall rating for Madrid is B.
Company Town:
Mining for lead occurred in the Madrid area as far back as the 17th century. Coal mining began in the area around 1835. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway acquired the property in 1891, and controlled the area via its subsidiaries. Madrid was “founded” in 1895, but since the town was wholly owned by a series of corporations for next 80 years, it was never incorporated.
Madrid Miners Baseball Team:
The Miners baseball team was started by the Madrid Employees Club. The Oscar Huber Ballpark, built in 1920, was the first lighted ballpark west of the Mississippi and possibly North America. In a town of 3,000 (at its height), as many as 6,000 visitors attended ball games. The Madrid Miners were New Mexico's only AA Minor League Team, and their reputation for winning pennants became widespread. Fans would arrive at 7:00 AM to claim a good seat for the Sunday games. [Photo of Madrid Miners]
Motion Picture:
The ending of the film "Wild Hogs" (2007) was set and filmed in Madrid. "Wild Hogs" is a comedy-outlaw-biker-road movie starring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy.
The group had dinner at the Cowgirl BBQ in Santa Fe. The Cowgirl serves righteous barbecue and Tex-Mex cuisine. The food was good, the restaurant on the noisy side ... no complaints. (Rating = B)
Tomorrow:
Day trip - the High Road to Taos, New Mexico.
Photos
(Click on Photo For Larger Image)
Art gallery in Madrid, New Mexico. [flickr.com]
Madrid, New Mexico [flickr.com]
Madrid, New Mexico [flickr.com]
This building in Madrid, New Mexico was featured in the 2007 movie "Wild Hogs". The movie producers had the Sears Roebuck sign painted on the building just for the movie. [flickr.com]
The jackalope is an antlered species of rabbit. They are rumored to be extinct, but occasional sightings of this rare creature continue to occur in its native home, the American West. The jackalope is a rare and fierce creature that uses its antlers to fight.
The jackalope is the product of a male jackrabbit and a female antelope. Jackalopes possess an uncanny ability to mimic human sounds. In the Old West, when cowboys would gather by their campfires to sing at night, jackalopes would frequently be heard singing back, mimicking the voices of the cowboys. Jackalopes become especially vocal before thunderstorms, perhaps because they mate only when lightning flashes. This explains the rarity of this species. [flickr.com]
Customers were lined up to buy hot roasted chili peppers sold in eight-gallon-sized bags - Old Route 66, Santa Fe, New Mexico. [flickr.com]
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