Anybody here from New Mexico or Colorado?

[Squatch]

My wife and I are heading out your way next week for a month-long vacation. I've planned out a good portion of the trip, but am stuck on the last few days. I would love to hear suggestions!

We are camping in an RV with a 3-year old and a 5-month old, so kid-friendly is a plus. After Costilla (where I plan on doing quite a bit of fly fishing), I'm kinda at a loss. I was thinking of Angel Fire/Eagle's Nest, but am unsure as to what there is to do up there?

Here's what I have so far. As you can see, from the 16th to the 21st, I'm kinda clueless.

Thu 7-Aug Texola, OK - Santa Fe, NM
Fri 8-Aug Santa Fe, NM - Santa Fe, NM
Sat 9-Aug Santa Fe, NM - Santa Fe, NM
Sun 10-Aug Santa Fe, NM - Taos, NM
Mon 11-Aug Taos, NM - Taos, NM
Tue 12-Aug Taos, NM - Taos, NM
Wed 13-Aug Taos, NM - Costilla, NM
Thu 14-Aug Costilla, NM - Costilla, NM
Fri 15-Aug Costilla, NM
Sat 16-Aug
Sun 17-Aug
Mon 18-Aug
Tue 19-Aug
Wed 20-Aug
Thu 21-Aug
Fri 22-Aug Chama, NM
Sat 23-Aug Chama, NM - Chama, NM
Sun 24-Aug Chama, NM - Chama, NM
Mon 25-Aug Chama, NM - Colorado Springs, CO
Tue 26-Aug Colorado Springs, CO - Kansas City, KS
Wed 27-Aug Kansas City, KS - Lexington, KY


Any ideas would be GREATLY appreciated!

Brian

[arcadian]

1. Go to Bandelier and then go to Chaco Canyon

Bandelier is right outside Los Alamos so you can check out nuke stuff there. The hike down Frijole Canyon to the Rio Grande is spectacular. You must go to Chaco Canyon, it's on a par with the Mayan ruins in the Yucatan and the Incan ruins in Peru. It's a must see.

[Squatch]

2. That's gorgeous...I'm going to have to put that on the list!

Thanks!

[Midlodemocrat]

3. Wow. That sounds like a fantastic vacation. I'm jealous.

Safe travels.

[Squatch]

4. Thanks! We cannot wait to get on the road.

The motorhome we are travelling in only gets about 10 mpg, but this is really a once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity so it doesn't really bother me too much.

[yellowdogintexas]

5. OHHH you are going to Chama? Are you going to ride the train..DO ride the train!

This is the Cumbres-Toltec Railroad

http://www.cumbrestoltec.com/ link here

We did the full day trip, East to West from Antonito to Chama and it was a blast. With a baby you might only want to do the half day one. However you do it, it is a great deal of fun.

That whole Santa Fe Taos Area is wonderful.

Have a wonderful time.

[begin_within]

6. Here are a few:

As far as Angel Fire, here is a page of sights around there:

http://www.angelfirechamber.org/stufftosee.html

If you are going into Colorado, I'd recommend Mesa Verde National Park, Durango, Pagosa Springs and the Royal Gorge bridge - all of those are in southern Colorado. In Durango, there is a train you can ride called the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which rides on a specatularly beautiful and dramatic course through the mountains and over bridges with rushing rivers below. It's not cheap, but on three Sundays, August 10, 17 & 24, anyone can ride for the child's fare of $45.

http://www.durangotrain.com/

Northwestern New Mexico has Chaco Canyon as mentioned, Four Corners, Shiprock, Gallup with its famous swap meet if you're looking for turquoise and silver jewelry, El Morro National Monument, El Malpais National Monument with the Bandera Ice Cave, Mt. Taylor, the Zuni Mountains area, and the Acoma Pueblo (aka Sky City).

You can drive parts of the old Route 66, which I think was at its best in New Mexico. Tucumcari is the town that most honors Rt. 66, but otherwise I found Tucumcari a little dull. When I was there 10 years ago, you could stay at the historic Blue Swallow motel for $10 for 2 people.

You may also want to visit the mountain towns of Cloudcroft, New Mexico and Ruidoso, New Mexico if you have time. Those are more south though.

New Mexico Tourism Department has a great magazine they put out once a year called "New Mexico Vacation Guide" and it might be too late to get one in the mail to you but you can view it online or download it in PDF format here:

http://newmexico.dirxion.com/entrymap.asp
or
http://newmexico.dirxion.com/Main.asp

They have a great web site you should check out:

http://newmexico.org/



http://www.go-newmexico.com/home.cfm

[puerco-bellies]

7. Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and a MUST is the train ride from Durango

You will never forget it. In Taos take a look at the Earthship compound. They have a tour of one of the off the grid houses. Have fun on your trip.

http://www.earthship.net/

[Parche]

8. Flying Is More Fun

:woohoo: :woohoo: :hi:

[Arugula Latte]

9. The Silverton/Ouray area in Colorado is spectacular, and

there is a train that goes between there and Durango (or Durango to that area). The Million Dollar Hwy. in that area is spectacular, but, if you're in an RV, I'd advise not taking it because it's a white knuckle drive in some places, w/ spectacular drop-offs and plenty of markers where snowplows have tumbled off the side and plunged hundreds of feet ... :scared:

Railroad info.:

http://www.roadtripamerica.com/places/durango.htm