Madrid, NM: Wild Hogs on the Turquoise Trail
And the way tourist brochures go, you pick up a bunch that looks remotely doable, and by the time your stay is over, you've only visited one of those places.
That would have been the case with us, except that by some weird chance, we ended up going on a ride with a group of retired and unemployed motorcycle riders called, "Albuquerque Motorcycle Riders Group" (AMRG).
After polishing off a 5 pound breakfast burrito smothered in spicy green sauce at an old truck stop dubbed, "Murphy's Mule Barn", Sash and myself stepped outside to join up with these riders who seemingly had not enough things to do with themselves other than consume mass quantities and ride motorcycles during the work week.
Turquoise Trail, as it turned out, is otherwise known as Highway 14, a 46 mile run of pavement connecting Santa Fe with Tijeras, a town about 10 miles east of Albuquerque. Highway 14 runs down the back side of the Sandia Mountains, while Interstate 25 runs down the other side.
Now declared a National Scenic Byway by the Federal Highway Administration, the Turquoise Trail leads you through a number of old mining towns that have redefined themselves into art colonies, golf communities, and tourist traps.
Anchoring the route is the town of Madrid, an old coal mining town now blistering with art shops and cafes. Madrid recently got a boost in tourism after the movie "Wild Hogs" was filmed there. Maggie's Diner, which was built for the movie, is now a gift shop that sells memorabilia from the film.
The biggest draw into Madrid, however, seems to be Mine Shaft Tavern, an establishment that combines both a museum, bar and grill. The tavern, which was originally built in 1895, burned down in 1944, and was since rebuilt. They offer their own line of beer on tap.
Turquoise Highway offers wide sweeping curves that meander through foothills and valleys laden with juniper and piñon against a majestic backdrop of the Sandia Mountains. It's not unusual to see roadrunner scurrying across the asphalt. Eerily shaped rock formations of reddish-brown color jut up from the ground in an area known as "Garden of the Gods". Further down the road, you can head up the mountain along Highway 536, twisting its way up to Sandia Crest at 10,678 feet for a grand view of Albuquerque.
Perhaps it was only coincidence that the riders of AMRG took us along one of the attractions for which we had a brochure for. But at this point in our lives, Sash and I don't chalk up stuff to chance or luck anymore. Maybe it's just the way things happen to attract each other.
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| Members of Albuquerque Motorcycle Riders Group at Murphy's Mule Barn |
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| Dana's GSXR 1000, hand painted using black and red Sharpies. |
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| Riding without a helmet in these parts will surely get you a sunburn. |
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| Turquoise Trail, Highway 14 |
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| Sash sucks on a cranberry ginger ale to keep her hair pink |
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| Asphalt Annie got herself on the 86 List at Mine Shaft Tavern! |
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| Mine Shaft Tavern uses dollar bills as wallpaper. |
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| The last scene of Wild Hogs was filmed on this highway in Madrid, NM |
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| Maggie's Diner from "Wild Hogs" is now a gift shop |
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| Old Chevy Impala is a prop for the Trading Bird store in Madrid, NM |
Steve:
ReplyDeleteyou learn something new every day. Now the secret is out how Sash keeps her hair PINK. Sash looks right at home in Madrid, NM Doesn't look very busy, must be before tourist season
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
It is always beneficial to go on a ride with locals. They know the best routes, the famous places to eat and usually never ride you into a dead-end or get you lost.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures. Keep them coming.
The pink in my hair is natural. I color the rest brown just for something fun. It's pink because I'm so damn sweet, like cotton candy. . .
ReplyDeleteSmooches!
Sash
www.SashMouth.com
This looks like a good day ride I like little old towns like that, good pics.
ReplyDelete