A Road to the Past

Discovering El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro,
From El Paso, Texas to Zacatecas, Mexico
My fascination with “The Royal Road” into the heart of Mexico began long ago. When, in the 1990’s I bicycled the Santa Fe Trail, I hungered for insight into the “other” section of the 19th century trade route. Through books and interviews, I learned as much as I could about traders who traveled back and forth from Franklin, Missouri to Santa Fe. But that was only half of the story. The Santa Fe Trail came into existence because of the goods from Spain desired by those to the north of Mexico City. Along El Camino Real, riches were transported to Santa Fe. But what about the ancient route that stretched from Mexico City to Santa Fe?