Road Trip: Cerrillos

Cerrillos is located along the Turquoise Trail between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Gold, lead, turquoise, silver, and zinc have been mined in this area and it is said that some of the turquoise from Cerrillos made its way into the Spanish crown jewels.

As we neared the town we passed by the ruins of an old miner's shack.

I had to stop to get a picture of the gate for Kickin' Ass Ranch. Too bad I didn't get in a little closer. We walked along the old main street of the town. The church was especially beautiful, with its walls, nichos, sculptures, and its birdhouses.

These hollyhocks were easily eight feet tall. Some of the old buildings had been made into shops; others were undergoing repairs and reconstruction.

We saw an old miner who had stopped in at Mary's Bar for a cool drink in the shade. Parked out front was his vehicle, an old converted pickup truck drawn by six or eight little burros, with a spare burro tied at the back. I would give anything if I had taken his picture, but I was too shy to intrude. Ah, well, I have the memory of the scene.