Album: Historic Sites

Old Spanish National Historic Trail

What do vibrant blankets of the Southwest and mules have to do with each other? In 1829, they met on one of the crookedest, most arduous trails in history. The Old Spanish Trail was the first route to connect the Mexican provinces of New Mexico and California. Warm, colorful serapes, blankets, and ponchos were coveted in Los Angeles while Santa Fe citizens waited for the pack mule trains to bring back horses and mules. Follow the route through images across six states.