"Along the Turquoise Trail" Top 5 Page for this destination Madrid by Bunsch

It is MAD-rid, not Ma-DRID. And it is a "recovered ghost town" that now exists as an artists' colony, or, as a wag put it, "one big dysfunctional family." Multi-colored buildings, mailboxes, gazebos and fences with cascades of flowers, front yards full of wind chimes or fountains or sculptures, Madrid is as much a feast for the eyes as anything else. But I do seem to recall a really fabulous ice cream place, too.

I've learned to pay attention to these designations. Nearly always, it means that I'll be traveling on a much more interesting route as well as one which promises better scenery. It isn't the quickest way to get from Point A to Point B, but it means you can enjoy the journey a bit more.

Madrid is about half-way down the 62-mile Turquoise Trail from Santa Fe to Albuquerque and probably has the largest cluster of things to see, buy, or eat. If you happen to be passing on the first Saturday of any month, you can participate in the Madrid Art Walk (2:00 PM to 7:00 PM), and there is a bang-up July 4 parade annually.