You have two choices traveling between Albuquerque and Santa Fe: I-25, your basic interstate highway, or SR 14, better known as the Turquoise Trail—which is slower but more scenic, with Madrid (MA-drid), a former mining company settlement turned ghost town turned eccentric artistic community, as a stop along the way. Guess which route I picked while in New Mexico on travel assignment?

My traveling companion Will and I left Albuquerque on a brilliantly sunny morning, taking I-40 east out of the city to the SR 14 exit. It’s a pretty drive that winds past sagebrush-speckled ridges ranging in color from light tan to pale red. Once you hit the Turquoise Trail the scenery changes from high desert to pine forest. But as we drove farther north the pine trees thinned out and it was back to rolling hills dotted with sagebrush and cactus. It’s an austere, arid landscape, but one that is nevertheless quite beautiful and unfurls under New Mexico’s huge blue skies.

In the midst of all this wide open country Madrid materializes almost like a mirage. SR 14 is the main drag, and other than a few short side streets it’s the only drag. You won’t find any chain stores, gas stations or strip malls in this slip of a community—just some scattered houses, a couple of restaurants and two dozen or so art galleries and artsy shops strung along the road, many of the latter housed in little wood houses.

Will hitchhiked all over the West back when he was footloose and fancy free, and he has friends in the unlikeliest places. Right after we arrived he said he was going to check around and see if he could locate an old acquaintance he had last seen in Madrid in the early ’80s. “Good luck,” I thought to myself. In the meantime I set out to do a little exploring on my own.

This is the kind of place where something whimsical pops up when you aren’t expecting it. I discovered a winged stone gargoyle next to the entrance gate of an old house; the interplay of sunlight and shadow provided a perfect photo op. A little ceramic clown with Bozo hair and a top hat perched at a rakish angle stood atop a rock outside one shop. Standing in the front yard of another was some sort of animal (a llama, perhaps) constructed from what looked like rusted hulks of scrap metal.

Madrid has a ’60s flashback feel. I heard back-to-back classics wafting from the outdoor speakers at a local watering hole—“The Weight” by The Band and Quicksilver Messenger Service’s “Pride of Man.” But there’s also a definite biker presence here, a result of the 2007 road trip comedy “Wild Hogs,” starring John Travolta, Tim Allen and William H. Macy as suburbanites turned biker wannabes. Maggie’s Diner (2867 SR 14), constructed for the film, was left standing and is now a gift shop with some displays of movie memorabilia.

If you enjoy browsing for unusual art, turquoise and silver jewelry, kitschy souvenirs and all things Southwestern, this is your kind of place. Unlike the high-toned galleries in Santa Fe, Madrid tends to have a funkier vibe. I really liked Hanuman’s (2872 SR 14), a “world gallery” that had some really cool sculptures and a good collection of CDs. Check out the metal wind chimes hanging from wood beams next door. Tumbleweeds (on Firehouse Road across from the Mine Shaft) also has an intriguing mishmash of items, including old timey-looking “wanted” posters and art made out of barbed wire.

I hiked up a ridge that offered a nice view of town from an elevated perspective. Then I had coffee on the front porch at Java Junction, a popular hangout that doubles as a gift shop selling novelty mugs, T-shirts, Madrid souvenirs and a whole bunch of hot sauces, salsas, jellies and spices.



Just about the time I was starting to wonder what had happened to Will he showed up, and amazingly had managed to find his long-lost friend, who suggested that the three of us have lunch at Mama Lisa’s Ghost Town Kitchen (2859 SR 14). It’s a cute, homey place, and chef Mama Lisa turns out inventive and delicious made-from-scratch dishes like a brisket sandwich with chipotle barbecue sauce and carne adovada (marinated pork stew) with cremini mushrooms. I had a fantastic salmon pesto burger on a homemade bun, washed down with an utterly refreshing hibiscus iced tea. I even took in stride the fact that the restroom was a porta-potty out back. It’s all part of Madrid’s rough-hewn charm. 

Click on the map to see the Madrid area and the Turquoise Trail on TripTik Travel Planner. To read a detailed guide to driving the Turquoise Trail, see AAA's Turquoise Trail Drive Trip.
 
 Photos by Greg Weekes