You Won't Want To Miss This One-Of-A-Kind Attraction Hiding In A Tiny New Mexico Town
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Brandie Erisman
Author
New Mexico has so many hidden delights if you just know where to look. The Casa Grande Trading Post, in the tiny town of Cerrillos, is one of those out-of-the-way attractions that could easily be missed. If you traveling New Mexico State Road 14 or just want an easy, inexpensive day trip, stop in.
Located in the historic mining village of Cerrillos, The Casa Grande Trading Post, Mining Museum & Petting Zoo has the proverbial "something for everyone." The vibe is low-key and home-grown, but that adds to the charm of the quirky attraction.
Vintage mining equipment is on view outside. Shelves of old bottles fill the windows and glass insulators line the adobe's flat roof. As you walk up to the porch, signs promising "tourist information" assure visitors that they want to come inside.
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With the help of family and friends, trading post proprietors, Todd and Patricia Brown crafted the building themselves. They even handmade the 65,000 adobe "mud" bricks that formed the structure. Six of the 28 rooms now house the trading post and mining museum.
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Tables of rocks and minerals, from New Mexico and all over, dominate the trading post floor. Hand-painted hubcaps and magnets are located closer to the walls. Lucky horseshoes beckon from a floor stand. Nearby, self-published pamphlets wave amid other affordable trinkets and pottery.
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Once you've made a once over of the store, come back to the jewelry counter and look for the turquoise pendants. The gems are authentic Cerrillos turquoise mined from the Browns' own "Little Chalchihuitl" mine and other nearby claims. Todd Brown cuts the stones and hand-sets them in sterling silver.
For a small fee, venture beyond the main rooms into the mining museum. Comprised of cast off relics collected from the surrounding village and hand-built displays, the museum offers a unique look at the area's mining history. Rocks, bottles, tools, insulators, and assorted antiques fill out the collection.
Grab a bag of animal kibble ($2 per bag in the trading post) and feed the goats budging at the petting zoo fence. Various birds may wander between their feet and nibble up the leftovers. Most likely, the resident llama will amble over and demand his share too.
Because the trading post is at the edge of the town, it offers great views of the surrounding canyon, arroyo, and hills. Find the Casa Grande Trading Post 17 Waldo Street, in Cerrillos. It's 20 miles south of Santa Fe on New Mexico 14 (the Turquoise Trail).
The Casa Grande Trading post can easily be part of a larger day trip to Madrid and the rest of the Turquoise Trail.
Meanwhile, if you are a fan of one-of-a-kind museums, be sure to put Tinkertown on your list for another day.
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