Exploring the Turquoise Trail

Kick off your adventure in the Village of Cerrillos, where rustic buildings line dusty streets and time seems to have stood still. The landscape and the village have starred in many film and TV productions, from “Young Guns” to “Longmire.” Walk through the village to see the old opera house and other historic buildings. You can buy turquoise, mined in this area for more than a millennium, at shops in the area. Have lunch at the restored Blackbird Saloon, which dates to the 1880s, and you’ll feel like you’re back in the heyday of the Old West town, especially when you try the Black Jack Ketchum burger, spiked with gun-powder rub.

Learn more about the area’s mining history at treasured Cerrillos Hills State Park, located on the edge of town. Hike trails to abandoned mines or take a guided horseback ride. Either way, you’ll marvel at the sweeping mountain views. Locals love the Star Parties, where a sky guide reveals galaxies, star clusters, planets and constellations in the sky above you. The park also hosts birding hikes and other fun events.

Head south to Madrid, a little town with a big history. Gold fever broke out in the mid 1800s followed by a boom in coal mining, when Madrid became a “company town.” Learn more at the Madrid Coal Town Museum. Then shop away the day in Madrid’s boutiques, galleries, antique stores and more. For an authentic taste of Madrid, head to the historic Mine Shaft Tavern and dig into a hearty green chile cheeseburger, a regional favorite. Chat up the locals at the impressively long wooden bar. Stay for the live music. Before leaving town, stock up at Shugarman’s Little Chocolate Shop on some fair trade, organic treats such green chile cashew, white chocolate lavender and Thai lemongrass bark.

Heading back north on the Turquoise Trail, an easy detour leads to El Rancho de Las Golondrinas Living History Museum, celebrating New Mexico’s culture and heritage from the 17th and 18th centuries. Costumed docents, historic buildings and annual festivals showcase the region’s past and present. The October Harvest Festival, for instance, offers grape stomping for children and adults, tortilla making and other hands-on activities that bring New Mexico’s unique history to life.

Journey deeper into the past at nearby La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Site, where ancient Pueblo people carved fantastical images into rocks and boulders. No one can interpret with certainty the meaning of these images made so long ago. But you’ll have fun trying as you view the many petroglyphs depicting birds, deer and Kokopelli, the infamous hump-back flute player. Bring sturdy hiking shoes to access this mysterious, majestic site.

There’s nothing like outdoor hot springs to restore your spirits after a day on the road, and Ojo Santa Fe Spa Resort is your ticket to pure bliss. This award-winning retreat offers secluded outdoor pools with spring-fed waters, surrounded by a lush oasis of gardens, trees and pathways. Indulge with a hot stone massage, and then work out the kinks in your body with a yoga session by a peaceful pond. Savor a farm-to-table meal at Blue Heron, which showcases seasonal ingredients grown on the resort’s farm. Savor a spinach and goat cheese salad, fish tacos with blackened mahi mahi, and chile relleno with cashew queso.   You’ll feel so relaxed that you’ll want to spend the night in this serene spot, and you can, in a room with a garden view or a casita with your own courtyard.