New Mexico Rd. Trip

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K-22

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Well, Mrs. K 22 wants to do a road trip through New Mexico. I am looking for suggestions and recommendations on places to stay, and The best route to take. We already have a pretty good idea of the things that we want to see. We want to see the Carlsbad Caverns for sure, and The native American ruins and buildings in the north west corner of the state.
At this point, it looks like we will fly into Albuquerque, Rent a car, and go from there. I would like some advice on the best way to choreograph this event and do as little backtracking as possible. I would like advice on places to stay, perhaps a few miles from the main attractions as the lodging prices May be a little better. All your thoughts and ideas, will be appreciated. I noticed that we have quite a few New Mexico residents on the forum .I feel that you folks will be able to give me a lot of very good direction and ideas. BTW, we will be there towards the end of May, and the first part of June. Also, referrals for good places to eat, will be most welcome. Nothing fancy, just good, non-chain, vittles.

Best,

Gary
 
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Gary in the Northwest part of the state there is Chaco Canyon, very interesting, just off Hwy 44 between Albuquerque and Aztec, in Aztec are the Aztec Ruins, another good stop. 35 more miles to the north is Durango, Colorado, the time you will be in that area a fun time would be the Bar D Wranglers show. Good luck on your trip. It has been over 15 years since I was in that area so I couldn't be much help on hotels or food places any more. Lots of folks here from NM so I bet you get some good ideas.
 
The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad in Chama was my main reason for going to New Mexico. But I enjoyed Kit Carson's home in Toas, and the Mysterious Staircase in the Loretta Chapel and the many art galleries in Santa Fe as well. There are a lot of good places to eat, just follow the crowds, and don't forget to order the sopapillas.
 
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Hi Gary. I've lived in NM for a long time, but it's been many years since I've been to either of the areas you mentioned. Depending on your interests, in SE NM you have Roswell (aliens and stuff) and Lincoln (Billy the Kid, interesting buildings still standing, museum, etc).

Restaurants in Albuquerque to try:
- Loyolas, at Adams and Central next to Ron Petersons gun store
- Golden Pride Chicken, for good breakfast burritos (local chain)
- Blakes Lotaburger, good burgers and burritos (local chain)
- Mr Tokyo, in strip mall at SE corner of Juan Tabo and Montgomery, small and family run, great Japanese at reasonable prices
- Betos, West side of Juan Tabo south of Indian School. Small and family run, very good New Mexican food. There is a difference between New Mexican and Mexican food.

Try to do the Tram on Sandia Mountain, too.

I'll PM you my phone number. Call or text if you need anything or want more information.
 
We went through Alamagordo through Cloudcraft to the caverns. Check out some of the pistachio growers and avoid franchised food and you will have a great time.
My wife has worked at two caves and we planned a full day at Carlsbad. Get reservations early, there were oil drillers that had booked most of the rooms when we were there.
 
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My wife and I are both from New Mex so we go back and visit quite often. I assume you will go from Albuq to Santa Fe and then to Taos.
Santa Fe, good place to stay and not to expensive is Palace of the Governors. You can walk to the square from there. Good place to eat is Tomasitas.
From Santa Fe take I-25 to Las Vegas. Charlies Bakery and Cafe a good place to eat. Then from Las Vegas take Hwy 518 to Taos. You will go through the Mora valley and Mora, NM. A great drive. At Taos, we have stayed at many places, but our favorite is Hacienda del Sol. A great bed and breakfast (book early and breakfast is great). Good place to eat is Michael's Kitchen. Lots of good thing to visit, Pueblos, Rio Grande Gorge, and the square. Have fun
 
I worked in SE NM for 10 yrs . Roswell is a great town to stay and eat . The UFO museum is interesting , takes about 2 hrs to go through it and watch the video . It has always been free in the past . Go to Lincoln and see the town and the jail that Billy the Kid shot his way out of killing a deputy and the sheriff . Continue on taking the " back road " into Ruidoso ( pass through Altos ) . YOu will be a lot in the forest , see the old Army fort (Fort Stanton) there , later became a POW prison for German prisoners in WWII and then a med security for women prisoners . Today it is a tourist attraction .
Eat in Roswell @ Cattle Barons for great steaks and the biggest salad bar I have ever seen . Martin's (pronounced Mar-teen's) Capitol Cafe for great mexican food . Lots of newer motels on N. Main . There are several big bronze renderings of John Chissum down by the courthouse on N Main St . White Sands @ Alamogordo is a site to see and you can drive out to where an A-bomb was tested , one of the first if not the first .
If you're staying in the northern part , take the old taos highway out of Espanola . It will take you through old spanish land grant towns . Chimayo is one of those places that has " magnetic convergence " . The Ortiz family has a shop there selling hand woven rugs . I stopped there and bought a beautiful rug for $600 , about 15 yrs ago . There is an old Catholic church in one of those towns , goes back to about 1710 or so . It is now a historic site . You will drive through the Kit Carson National Forst , very beautiful . Depending on time of yr for your trip , might want to check the weather and road conditions for the northern part of NM . I-40 can be very problematic in the winter .
 
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If you don't go through Santa Fe up to Espanola and then on the high road over to Taos, you're doing yourselves a major disservice.

Inn of the Governors in Santa Fe is a good place to stay. In Espanola my favorite place to eat is El Paragua. While in Albuquerque, in addition to Shark Bait's list, you should look into the Frontier for breakfast...

Conversely, the drive up 84 through Abiquiu is also quite nice, if you're a hiker then the Ghost Ranch has good trails.

Going south, I'd pass on Roswell and go for the White Sands, it's worth seeing and then cross over through Alamogordo and Cloudcroft to Carlsbad. I have less recommendations on that part of the state, but I did enjoy the white sands while there. I did the UFO thing in Roswell and wasn't impressed.

Just remember, in the southern part of the state there is less to do and more distance between them, so you'll burn a lot of time just driving from point A to point B, without as much scenery as in the northern parts.
 
In SE NM, besides the Carlsbad Caverns, I suggest you circle over the Sacramento Mountains, Ruidoso - Museum of the Horse for all hoss fans, Cloud croft, Lincoln.
Lincoln is a must for Western history buffs. Alamogordo, West side of mountains - Space Museum and White Sands.
Three Rivers N of Tularosa for all Indian Petroglyth fans.
Multiple Museums in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Best Indian Ruins in NM? Hands down Chaco Canyon.
Remote, no services, pretty hard to get to.
Neat ruins a mile from McDonald's ? Montezuma, NM.
Neat ruins 500 yards from a casino, 2 miles from Micky D?
Coronado Historic Site, Bernallillo , NM.
I also dearly love Cumbres and Toltec Narrow Gauge in Chama, runs to Antonito , CO.
Lots of stuff to see, eat, buy in Taos.
Vietnam Vet Memorial over the hill at Angel Fire.
The list goes on. Just depends on how long you can stay.
Everybody is invited!
Come on over!
 
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If you have a little extra time while visiting Carlsbad Caverns and you like to walk/hike slip over into Texas and visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It adjoins Carlsbad Caverns to the south, so it's a fairly short drive. It's pretty much a hiking only park, so if that doesn't appeal to you skip it. A short and easy but very pretty hike is the Smith Springs Loop at Frijole Ranch in the park. It's about two miles round trip to a secluded spring set among huge native trees. An early morning hike will often put you into close contact with mule deer or other wildlife.

If you have a bit longer than the couple of hours the Smith Springs loop will take you might consider McKittrick Canyon. You can hike the trail to the grotto and back in about four hours. This is one of the most beautiful places in the area. If you have all day then you can hike on up to the notch on the McKittrick trail for an amazing view. This part of the trail is much more strenuous than the trip to the grotto, though.



Another possibility for an all day hike is the Guadapupe Peak Trail which takes you to the top of the highest point in Texas. The view from the top is amazing, but the trail is difficult and very steep in places. If I remember correctly the round trip is about eight and a half miles. Unless you are young and in great shape (I'm not) you will return to the parking lot exhausted, but better for the experience.

Be forewarned; the trails in the park are well maintained, but they are surfaced largely with coarse rock to minimize erosion in the steep terrain. This is not a hike to take in flipflops. Footing can be treacherous in places. Take plenty of water on the longer hikes. You'll need it.

In NM you really don't want to miss White Sands National Monument - unless they are testing that day at the nearby Holloman AFB. Missile tests result in closure of the park. The space museum in Alamogordo is worth a visit. The UFO museum in Roswell is pretty lame unless you are really excited by UFO lore. Billy the Kid country is interesting. Santa Fe is historic and beautiful. Taos is nice. Red River is beautiful, but it's really just a big tourist trap. Take the time to walk across the bridge over the Rio Grande Gorge unless you are afraid of heights. Cloudcroft is a lovely little mountain town not too far from Alamogordo. It's another tourist trap, but the drive is very scenic.
 
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The 'Force thought I loved the desert southwest: three tours in southern Nevada, one in Phoenix, and two in southern New Mexico. I loved New Mexico, and if it weren't for state income tax might still be there.

A few places already highlighted:

White Sands National Monument (I lived seven miles from there the last time I was stationed in NM). Give yourself some time to hike around the dunes. Stick your finger in the sand (gypsum) on a hot day -- it gets colder the deeper you go.

The Space Museum in Alamogordo. I never tired of visiting.

Cloudcroft is ok. 16 miles east of Alamogordo, 9,000', quaint, touristy.

A few places I loved that nobody else mentioned:

Mesilla. Tiny town southwest of Las Cruces. Touristy, yes, but much more picturesque and culturally satisfying than Cloudcroft. Gorgeous old church on the town square. Some GREAT little hole-in-the-wall, authentic places to eat. I little ways south of there are pecan orchards and a "factory" shop with all sorts of goodies made with pecans.

Gila National Forest. Western New Mexico. Get to Silver City and go north on route 56. One of my favorite places in the state. Canyons and canyons and canyons with walking trails to get you off the main drag. Simply stunning and probably not heavily traveled at the time you'll be there.

Enjoy your trip.

Bob
 
Yes , Mesilla ! That was the very first state capital . A very picturesque lil town with a rich mexican flavor . To eat there -- try the " El Compador " . It's right on the access road coming into Mesilla . Great , great mexican food . If you do go to southern NM ? Go to cloudcroft , then on up the mountain is a solar observatory @ the 13,000 foot level .
 
If you can work a meal in at Rancho de Chimayo, north of Santa Fe, do it. Been several years, but I had the best flan I have ever eaten there. And I really mean that... :D The rest of the food is great too.
 
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If you choose to go south first, the road is good down to Roswell on US 285, stuff already mentioned in Roswell, then on down south on 285 to Carlsbad. In addition to the Caverns, on the north side of Carlsbad, west side of the road, is the Living Desert State Park that's worth the time so see. Back north to Artesia, then west on US 82 to Cloudcroft through Hope and Mayhill, then down the mountain to Alamogordo. On the way is a pull off just downhill from Cloudcroft where you can walk out on a platform and view the old railroad trestle left over from the days when logs were brought down the mountain to the saw mill north of Alamogordo. About half way down is a neat tunnel through a portion of the mountain at Fresnal Canyon with a large pull off area just below. Stop and take a look down into the canyon as well as west out over the White Sands toward the Organ mountains. Beautiful! Attractions already mentioned in the Alamogordo area.

Head back north us US 54 toward Corona. Carrizozo is south of Corona (these are small towns!!!). At Carizozo, turn west for about five miles and stop at the park on the eastern edge of the Malpais (a surface lava flow across the desert floor that covers several miles long and wide). You can walk around a paved path that puts you right up close to the lava. It's a unique and very interesting place. At Corona you will leave US 54 and travel north through Cedarvale, Willard, Estancia and Moriarity where you will connect again with I-40 and turn west back to Albuquerque.

North from Alb, exit I-25 at the Bernalillo exit and travel across the Rez through Cuba to Bloomfield. North from there to Durango if you wish (a touristy destination and pretty but probably more expensive). You can ride a narrow gauge train to Silverton and back if you wish, and it's a pretty ride. You can travel west to Cortez and see the Mesa Verde ruins and the Chaco canyon ruins, stop at the Four Corners monument and come back toward Farmington past the Shiprock formation. Or you can stay in Farmington (have stayed there at a Comfort Inn that was not bad at all) and reverse the route to wind up back in Durango. If you are there and have time, drive north across the Million Dollar Highway up to at least Ouray, Colorado and back. That's a trip you will always remember!

If you wish to visit the points in northern NM mentioned above, go east from Durango to Pagosa Springs, then south down US 84 to Tierra Amarilla, then east on US 64 through Tres Piedras and from there across the Rio Grande Gorge bridge (worth the time to stop and look way down!) and from there to the Taos area. South from there back down to Santa FE, and back down I-25 to Albuquerque.

So much to see, so little time, so you'll probably have to be choosy, but I do not think you will be disappointed. The great variation of scenery and topography as well as cultures and history is why NM is called "The Land of Enchantment". Lots of great (and some not so great) eats everywhere, and so many things to see. It's hard to go wrong which ever way you go. Yes, some tourist traps like every where, but beautiful country and very interesting as well. Across the Rez from Cuba to Bloomfield in some places looks kinda like the back side of the moon! Keep you gas tank above a half tank and pay attention to your maps for the next place that's likely to have gas. For example, 100 miles from Roswell to Vaughn so don't leave either place unless you've got enough gas to travel that far!

Good luck with your choices and I hope you have a wonderful time!
 
If you happen to get to Silver City you might go to the Masonic Cemetery
and pay respects to Tom Threepersons. He was the last old west gun
fighter and a great one.
 
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