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Turquoise Trail Road Trip

Road Trip

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flickr/Mr.TinDC
330.7 miles: 7 hours, 30 minutes
I-40 winds past tan-colored, sagebrush-speckled ridges; SR 14, the Turquoise Trail, runs through pine-forested mountains. Farther on are rolling hills dotted with cactus under huge blue skies. In the midst of this austere, arid landscape the mining settlement turned ghost town turned eccentric artistic community of Madrid (MA-drid) materializes like a funky mirage.
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Drive trips stop
AAA/Inspector 76
1
Albuquerque to Santa Fe
72.5 miles: 1 hours, 46 minutes
I-40 winds past tan-colored, sagebrush-speckled ridges; SR 14, the Turquoise Trail, runs through pine-forested mountains. Farther on are rolling hills dotted with cactus under huge blue skies. In the midst of this austere, arid landscape the mining settlement turned ghost town turned eccentric artistic community of Madrid (MA-drid) materializes like a funky mirage.
Recommended Stops
attraction 2
Museum of International Folk Art
706, Camino Lejo Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
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San Miguel Chapel
401, Old Santa Fe Trail Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
Drive trips stop
Wikimedia Commons/William Aranda
2
Santa Fe to Taos
88.8 miles: 2 hours, 16 minutes
Watch for the signed High Road turnoff on US 285. The road begins to climb almost immediately, passing green meadows before heading into the lofty, stunningly austere Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Take the side turnoff to El Santuario de Chimayó, an old adobe chapel tucked into a verdant river valley. Closer to Taos pine-forested ridges replace high desert arroyos.
Recommended Stops
attraction 2
New Mexico History Museum
113, Lincoln Avenue Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
Drive trips stop
Fololia.com/monamakela.com
3
Taos to Espanola
46.2 miles: 1 hours, 2 minutes
Before heading out, drive to the Río Grande Gorge Bridge for a dizzying view of the incredibly deep, dramatically steep-walled Río Grande Gorge, with the ribbon-like Río Grande far below. The river is popular with canoeists and kayakers and is ideal for non-whitewater rafting. Back on the road, SR 68 cuts a swath through impressively scenic high-desert country.
Recommended Stops
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Taos Art Museum at Fechin House
227, Paseo Del Pueblo Norte Taos, New Mexico 87571
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Taos Pueblo
120, Veterans highway Taos, New Mexico 87571
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Río Grande Gorge Bridge
U.S. Highway 64, Taos Taos, New Mexico
Drive trips stop
Wikimedia Commons/russavia
4
Espanola to Albuquerque
123.2 miles: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Take a side trip to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, named for unusual rock formations resembling tepees, traffic cones and even swirls of soft-serve ice cream. The hike to the top of a mesa is strenuous, but the 360-degree views are incredible.
Recommended Stops
attraction 2
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
Cochiti Cochiti, New Mexico