The town of Madrid is nestled in a narrow canyon in the Ortiz Mountains.  It was once a coal mining town, then ghost town in the 1800’s.  It is situated along the Turquoise Trail between Sante Fe and Albuquerque.  This little mountain community is residence for about 300 people.

Today, Madrid (emphasis on the first syllable) is a bustling creative community  with over 40 shops, galleries, several restaurants, a spa, a museum.  One can almost always find a group of bikers at the local pub.  These bikers don’t just party…they contribute huge amounts of school supplies for the neighboring school kids every year toward the end of the summer!

Another interesting tid-bit about Madrid is that several well-known movies were filmed on location here.  Two that I’m sure of are WILD HOGS starring John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William Macy and BEER FOR MY HORSES starring Willie Nelson and Toby Keith.

It’s a great place to spend the afternoon.  You can find just about anything  funky/unusual as you stroll up and down the main drag.  The artists are thrilled to talk about their crafts and their stories are delightful to listen to.

My friend, Claudette (my hiking buddy) and I had a blast when we went a couple weeks ago.