LIVING IN THE EAST MOUNTAINS

Located 20 miles East of Albuquerque, and 40 miles South of Santa Fe, the East Mountain area is the best kept secret in the Southwest.  The Eastern slopes offer a rural alternative to those wanting to escape the congestion and heat of the city.  If you are considering a move, be sure to take a look at the East Mountains - "The Green Side" of the Sandias.

Separated from the big city of Albuquerque by the Sandia Mountains, at 10,678 feet, the Sandias are a scenic barrier that keeps big city life away from this magnificent land.  The elevation in the East Mountains is typically 6,200 to 7,200 feet and temperatures tend to be about ten degrees cooler than Albuquerque.  The East Mountains will typically receive about twice the precipitation of Albuquerque.

There are two major highways in the East Mountains.  The Interstate 40 and State Highway 14, also called the Turquoise Trail.  The Turquoise trail travels from Tijeras, just outside of Albuquerque, all the way to Santa Fe.

On your journey to Santa Fe on the Turquoise Trail, you will be passing through three historic ghost towns.  The first, Golden, is an untapped gem with a general store that first opened in 1918.  Prior to the Gold Rush of 1848, Golden was the primary source of gold in North America.

 Adobe Church in Golden

Next is the town of Madrid.  Madrid was an old coal miners town that is now being renovated by artisans who are buying the old company housing and turning them into studios.  The brightly painted coal mining housing is reminiscent of San Francisco's renowned painted ladies.  The town is brimming with vitality and unique works of art. 

The last ghost town is Cerrillos.  Cerrillos is the old west.  You won't find a fake gunfight in this town, but you will walk the dusty streets and know what it was like to live in this area in the 1800s.  Visit the Mining Museum, Rock Shop and petting zoo while you are there. 

Cerrillos, NM

There are a variety of shopping choices in the East Mountains.  A short relaxing drive to ABQ offers the close convenience of Costco, Sam's Club, Super Walmart, Lowes, and Home Depot.  There are no traffic jams on this drive and you will be in constant wonder at the clear skies, beautiful trees and ever-changing wildflowers whenever you take a drive in the East Mountains.   

Or you may choose to do your shopping with the local East Mountain Shopkeepers.  One is often mesmerized in the check-out line of the local grocer as your attention is drawn to the beautiful tree filled mountainside seen thru the grocer's front picture window. 

 Triangle Grocery

The local hardware store offers friendly help and an excellent array of supplies.  You won't have to scour the aisles for sales assistants in orange aprons at this place!  And of course, Duffy the Airedale, resident mascot of Davis Hardware, will be there to greet you.  Duffy travels from home to work on his own schedule, so if he decides to sleep in that day, he might not show up till after noon.

It's time to turn away from impersonal service in a land where you are just an anonymous face on a crowded freeway.  The East Mountains affords you the ability to live in nature's splendor and turn back the clock to a slower time when people cared just a little bit more.  You can have all of this while still enjoying the 21^st Century conveniences we can't seem to live without.

Forget taking the kids to McDonalds for lunch!  Picnic areas, streams and trails abound from the base of the mountain all the way up to Sandia Peak in the Cibola National Forest.   Take the kids to the Snowplay area in the winter for safe tobogganing in the National Forest.

That's right - SNOW!  But this isn't the Northeast with blizzards and endless winters.  The East Mountain snows are normally just enough to lace the trees with beautiful flocking making this a winter wonderland. 

Enough snow for the kids to make a snowman, but not so much that they need to own snowsuits and galoshes.  A short drive will bring you to some of the best ski resorts in the country.

Is golf your passion?  The East Mountains is home to Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club rated among the top 20 courses in the United States by Golf Magazine.  If you want to enjoy the beauty of the East Mountains in a golf community, the one to three acre lots and beautiful homes of the Paa-Ko community might be right for you.