America’s internal compass has historically pointed westward. But out in New Mexico, where thunderstorms can be seen for miles and eternity feels like a next-door neighbor, history has traveled on a northward road. It is El Camino Real, the Royal Road, once the footpath of Indians and officially blazed in the 16th century by Spanish conquistadors — a hellish 1,800-mile trail extending from civilization in Mexico City to the wild, remote reaches of the “tierra nueva” north of Santa Fe.
From an essay about El Camino Real, the Royal Road, first noted here three years ago.