Spend any time in Santa Fe and you might think that the turquoise trail was a walk around the plaza, where colorful vendors sell some irresistible Indian jewelry. In New Mexico, if you’re in a buying mood, the turquoise trail might as well be the imaginary line connecting your ring-laden fingers to your bracelet-bearing wrists to your squash-blossomed neck to your earring-enhanced earlobes.

The literal Turquoise Trail is, in fact, a historic national scenic byway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. When they say this is the artful way to Santa Fe, they mean it. There’s the magnificent view from Sandia Crest, where you can get a sense of the Southwestern splendor of the heart of central New Mexico. And there are the old mining towns of Golden, Madrid, and Cerrillos, where prehistoric, Spanish, and Western history mingle with art, music, museums, hiking, and restaurants.

Travel the Turquoise Trail — it’s the enchanting way to Santa Fe. And be the Turquoise Trail — it’s what the stone and the sterling were destined for.

Read the complete story in the pages of Cowboys & Indians magazine at your local newsstand or call (800) 982-5370.