I have been to Cerrillos before with my brother. It was snowing that day. We returned, assuring Tom he would love it. The rain stopped but the sky was, well . . . white out! Oh well, it was fun and I think we got some great photos.

Cerrillos is a small community with just a few residents. In the 1880 it was a thriving community of about 2,500 miners working on deposits of turquoise, gold, lead, silver, copper and zinc. The town had 21 saloons, 4 hotels, numerous brothels, 2 stables, 2 churches, a general store and a Western Union station. It was on the newly built railway. But, as is often the case, the mines gave out and the residents left. Today it is a photographer's stop, a picturesque reminder of the old west.

I was on a mission to get photos of gates. The guys, Tom and Steve were more open to shoot whatever they saw that was interesting. Enjoy Cerrillos . . . just down the road from Madrid along the Turqoise Trail.

But before we look at Cerrillos, consider just the beauty of the ride along a dirt road into town.

At this point I am yelling at Tom to get down off the rock pile. Did you notice the split in the rocks above? This site is an active 'watch out for rocks' area. But, Tom took his time and continued to shoot all the way down!

Cerrillos is a community in transition. There is a lot of really old junk and abandoned structures. There are some new homes. There are a lot of homes that are being 'restored'.

I know. I did not know either. It is a reflection of the church in a puddle left from the heavy overnight rain.

There is a museum in town, a petting zoo with chickens and a llama and there is a scenic overview with a rail and saddle in case you want to sit a while. Yes, I am smiling!

From Cerrillos we made the short trip to Madrid, pronounced by the locals as MADrid! Lunch at the Mine Shaft was just what we were after. Photos from Madrid are up next.

Thanks for sharing our vacation. We hope you are enjoying the posts and get an 'itch' to go take some photos!!!