The last two days
- Alberto Rizzotti
- Oct 1
- 3 min read
Iffy weather again. It’s strange how the skies can look so threatening, yet when it comes to actual precipitation, it usually amounts only to a few raindrops. And the overcast sky is actually welcome, when compared to a blazing sun overhead as you are hiking or otherwise walking outdoors.
On this day we headed back to Albuquerque, via what has become a tourist destination, the Turquoise Trail. I recall when this road was barely used, and when ghost towns along its path were just that, ghostly.
Cerrillos is the first town we encounter. It is possibly the ghostliest of all. This location was prime for filming westerns, and it retains that aura, without resorting to fake sets.
Madrid is next. This was a town that was booming until the 1950s, when its mines were producing coal, and gold before that. When the mines were shut down, everyone left, leaving abandoned houses and several old vehicles behind. In the 70s I used to enjoy photographing these eerie sites. In the 80s and 90s, hippies discovered the town, reclaiming and updating the old houses. Then artists and entrepreneurs followed suit, and Madrid is now a prime tourist destination in the state, with good restaurants, shops, art galleries, and even a unique theater where the stage is backdropped by an old steam locomotive.
We wanted to drive up to the crest of the Sandia mountains, but the clouds had completely overtaken it, and it would have made no sense to drive up when there was no view. So, we headed on to Albuquerque, checked-in, and enjoyed dinner in a Costa Rican restaurant.
The following day we made our first stop at Old Town, once again. We enjoyed walking its quaint alleyways, where we stumbled upon a store that “Breaking Bad” fans would have really enjoyed. The series, of course, was based in Albuquerque.
Over the past several years, numerous good quality museums have opened in Albuquerque. One of these is the Albuquerque Museum, which features great works of art, including paintings by Salvador Dali and Giorgio De Chirico. On this day it also had a very interesting section dedicated to the art of Germany during the years of WWII.
At last, we made it to Sandia Crest, but instead of driving up the eastern slope, we took the suspended tramway that took us up to 10,300 feet in approximately 15 minutes. The view was stunning to say the least.
The weather, once again, became threatening. From the top you could see lightning in all directions, which caused the tramway to suspend service. When it eventually reopened and we were able to return to the base, we started out completely engulfed by thick clouds. It was quite an experience.
Well, this ten-day trip has come to its conclusion. We have taken you to the northwest quadrant of the state. There is so much more to see here. Hopefully I’ll be able to cover that in a future blog.
Arrivederci a presto!
Bellissimo !