New Mexico and Arizona: travel/tourism tips and observations?

[The Old School JPS]

In September I did some traveling in Arizona, Sedona and the Grand Canyon mostly. I'm going back in December. I'll be in Phoenix for a few days. After that I'll have a few days and a rental car. I'm inclined to go east, into a different part of Arizona and likely to spend most of the time in New Mexico.

I would like to do some hiking, and I'd love to couple it with seeing some old native American ruins or interesting geological formations. However, I wonder if the weather (cold in December) will nix that idea substantially or completely. I'm also thinking of going to Carlsbad Caverns, but that will be a long drive from Phoenix and I'm flying out of Phoenix. I like to eat good and different food when I travel and I wouldn't mind picking up some silver and/or turquoise jewelry for my wife while I am there.

Does anyone have any suggestions for travel in that area (Phoenix, eastern Arizona, anywhere in New Mexico)?

Things to see? Places to go or eat or stay or avoid?

[wanderingcat]

I have been to New Mexico, north of Albuequerque many times, with the basic idea of going to Santa Fe. If you are on I-40 coming east one of the most interesting places is to visit Acoma, a pueblo located on top of a very high Mesa. It is very interesting and scenic. Then proceed from there on 40 until you come to the Santa Fe interchange. Santa Fe has great restaurants and things to do and see. From there you can visit the ruins, etc., at Bandelier National Park which is between Santa Fe and Las Alamos. A long drive maybe, buts, hey, when you got the time wander around.

[Ralph Cramden]

If you venture into New Mexico I highly recommend Taos and Ojo Caliente. Ojo Caliente has an awesome hot springs! :) There are many great hiking trails in the Taos area and abundant tribal history. If you are a skiier you might want to check out the Taos ski slopes too.

[wanderingcat]

You can take day trip to Taos since it is only seventy miles from Santa Fe and do both. At Taos is the Taos pueblo which is well worth a visit for a pretty good look at Native America. If you get to Santa Fe you will have no trouble finding things to do and places to wander, hiking, touring, shopping, eating, museums, art galleries, much ourquoise jewelry etc.

[UedK]

If you head east from Phoenix take 60 East and go to Globe, AZ. Eat at the:

La Casita Café
470 N Broad St
Globe, AZ 85501
(928) 425-8462

A small and 110% authentic Mex. Cafe. Family owned for ever. Great menu and real personal service. Food is great, great.

Then take 60 through the New Mex mountains up to I-40 on your way to Santa Fe, Taos or where ever. The drive on the two lane 60 is beautiful. Lots to see in the N-Mex mountains and desert.

I also spent time in extreme SE Arizona. Hiked the Ramsey Canyon in the Huachuca (pronounced like a sneeze) Mountains just a few miles from Mexico. Saw Black and Cinnamon Bear. There is a little B&B in the canyon run buy the Nature Conservancy. A woman from KY used to manage it. She made the best breakfast spread and then came by in the afternoon and baked two fresh pies every day. Pies like fresh blueberry, raspberry or blackberry. We never ate supper, it was breakfast, hiking and then pie with an evening cocktail or two.

This SE AZ area is lost from the normal traveled routes. The San Pedro River Valley and towns like Bisby and Tombstone were a treat to visit. FT Huachuca near Sierra Vista is where the Buffalo Soldiers were from. The Mex/Indian history in this area is so interesting, old mining towns, moutains, desert and a rich river valley. The San Pedro river is a major winter bird path down into the south.

[WILD1]

We've traveled quite a lot in that region...the elevated climate might make for a very cold and snowy trip in December...driving through some of the mountainous areas might also be difficult, if not completely impossible, that time of the year. If you get the chance, check out Canyon De Chelley and, of course, Monument Valley. I'd recommend the North Rim of the Grand Canyon over the South Rim (completely different terrain...less traffic/people) but it's access road is closed in December so you might wish to visit again during a warmer season.
You may find folks selling jewelry at stands along the roads surrounding the rez's (they do Spring-Fall) but if not, Gallup, NM has plenty of jewelry stores...since my youth, I've adored Native American turquoise/silver jewelry (well, pretty much all types of jewelry) and own more than 10 people could wear but I still made the hubby enter each and every store on the main drag through Gallup and couldn't leave without buying more...he was a good sport. ;)

[BOURBON TOWN CAT FAN]

We lived south of Tucson for 3 years in Sierra Vista. If you drive south of Phoenix, I recommend the following

Saguaro National Park
http://www.nps.gov/sagu/

within the park you also can visit
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
http://www.desertmuseum.org/

if you take 10 towards NM
Chiricahua National Monument
http://www.nps.gov/chir/

once in NM
check out Elephant Butte
http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/elephant.htm

[wanderingcat]

If you do get to Albuquerque, the ideal place to buy Native American jewelry is at the Native American Cultural Center off San Mateo, I think it is. All the items there are from the pueblos so you are not taking much of a chance on being ripped off and there is a wide variety since a number of Tribes are represented.

[ukblue22]

If you want authentic New Mexican cuisine you have to go to Los Cuates. It is west of San Mateo at the below address. You can't get lost in Albuquerque because you always know whats east. Two 10,000 ft tall mountains are always to the East. An interesting hike is the trail up to Sandia Crest or the Tram to the top is an easier trip to the top.

4901 Lomas Blvd Ne
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Get Directions
(505) 255-5079

[The Old School JPS]

Thanks to everyone. I'd love to hear more.

I'll have a Thursday afternoon to travel, a Friday and Saturday to spend, and then a flight back out of Phoenix before noon on Sunday. I hope to cram a lot in to that time.

I'm thinking the best thing to do will be to depart Phoenix around lunchtime (any suggestions as to where to eat?), take I-17 north to I-40, and perhaps spend the night near the Petrified Forest so as to see it early Friday and then head on to Albuquerque and Santa Fe. I also thought about stopping in Gallup, and the more I hear about the Indian made jewelry there, the more interested I am - though the places in Albuquerque sound great too. At first I was thinking about heading southeast from Phoenix, sort of as UedK and Bourbon Town mentioned, but I don't know that I have the time to do all of that, unfortunately.

How likely is it that the winter weather in the first half of December will severely impact my ability to walk around and enjoy the Petrified Forest, or even to be able to drive safely from Phoenix to Albuquerque? Driving through the continental divide - twice - between Arizona and New Mexico, how likely is it that snow will slow or stop traffic?

I love the suggestion of driving on US 60 but I wonder if I'll be able to do all of that in such a short timeframe - or if it's likely to be safe to drive in December. (I have no idea and would appreciate any insight.)

I really like the idea of seeing Acoma, Ojo Caliente and Taos; how likely is it that I could fit them into such a short span of time?

Please keep the suggestions coming because I really want to make the most of this trip.

Anyone who can provide guidance regarding the likely weather and its impact on traffic, please fill me in!

[UedK]

JPS, the US 60 Route would be great if you had more time, a traveling companion and an SUV. Early Dec. probably wouldn't be too risky but no way could you do it justice in a short time frame.

Have a blast on your trip. BTW. If you can meander up to Four Corners there are always a bunch of Native Americans with booths set up around the parking area selling jewelry, etc. Plus you can take a picture with your feet standing in four states!

[wanderingcat]

If I recall it is about 525 miles from Phoenix to Albuequeque, then another 65 to Santa Fe. If I were you, but you are you and I am me, considering the time you have, I would consider going straight to Santa Fe. You can shop for jewelry at the Palace of the Governor where the Native Americans sit out side under the portico and must be approved to be there and many, many other places. Prices are good and you can respectfully negotiate. I would wander around Santa Fe and take in Canyon Road which is a very interesting area only a short hike from the Plaza the hub of Santa fe. Stop at the El Farol at the upper end of Canyon Rod if you like a cold one. You might try staying at the Plaza Real Hotel which is right by the Plaza, reasonably decent and you can deal with them since you will be there out of season.(Plenty of motels on Cerrillos Road, but you will have to drive to the Plaza and Canyon) From there you can walk around town. If you have time go to the Taos Pueblo. Unless you are going skiing, the rest of Taos, is to me a smaller and lesser version of Santa Fe. If you want to stop at Acoma or Albuequerque, do that on the way back if you have time.

[gerntz]

- Santa Fe; Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Governor's Palace, Cathedral, great galleries. Have a print hanging over our bed from there.
- Take the High Road to Taos for the Church of the Holy Mud, woven rugs, Rancho de Chimayo Inn, Visit inside several small mission churches dating to the 1600's.
- Taos: Millicent Rogers Musuem of native jewelry & art, stop on the high bridge over the Rio Grande Canyon, & visit the Earth Ship homes on the bluff above the west side of town. They are built into hillsides & heated by solar energy. Must be 25-50 of them. Friends of mine own one & I've stayed there several nights. Of sourse, the Taos Ski valley is then only 20 mile sup the road.
- Then there's Espanola, the low rider capital of the world.

[The Old School JPS]

Great stuff. Again, thanks, and I'd love to hear more.

wanderingcat, the more I've thought about it, the more I agree with you about the time, though I'd love to see the Petrified Forest on the way through there.

Does anyone have any restaurant recommendations for the days I'll be in Phoenix? I'm not a huge fan of Mexican or Tex/Mex but I assume there are some good restaurants of other types.

Also, transportation in Phoenix: am I out of luck unless I rent a car?

[Calsegs]

Thanks to everyone. I'd love to hear more.

I'll have a Thursday afternoon to travel, a Friday and Saturday to spend, and then a flight back out of Phoenix before noon on Sunday. I hope to cram a lot in to that time.

I'm thinking the best thing to do will be to depart Phoenix around lunchtime (any suggestions as to where to eat?), take I-17 north to I-40, and perhaps spend the night near the Petrified Forest so as to see it early Friday and then head on to Albuquerque and Santa Fe. I also thought about stopping in Gallup, and the more I hear about the Indian made jewelry there, the more interested I am - though the places in Albuquerque sound great too. At first I was thinking about heading southeast from Phoenix, sort of as UedK and Bourbon Town mentioned, but I don't know that I have the time to do all of that, unfortunately.

How likely is it that the winter weather in the first half of December will severely impact my ability to walk around and enjoy the Petrified Forest, or even to be able to drive safely from Phoenix to Albuquerque? Driving through the continental divide - twice - between Arizona and New Mexico, how likely is it that snow will slow or stop traffic?

I love the suggestion of driving on US 60 but I wonder if I'll be able to do all of that in such a short timeframe - or if it's likely to be safe to drive in December. (I have no idea and would appreciate any insight.)

I really like the idea of seeing Acoma, Ojo Caliente and Taos; how likely is it that I could fit them into such a short span of time?

Please keep the suggestions coming because I really want to make the most of this trip.

Anyone who can provide guidance regarding the likely weather and its impact on traffic, please fill me in!

Hola!

My dad's family is from el norte, New Mexico ie. I encourage you to visit Acoma, though i haven't been there in 40 years.. it used to be cool .Taos is touristy , but small and beautiful and pretty much a MUST if you like art galleries . People working in stores tend to be from Texas or California, i stop in at WalMart to get a look at the Taosenos.(locals)
While you're in Santa Fe, stop in at the Whole Foods, a couple of miles from the plaza, there is only one . It's just shy of state of the art, lots of beautiful people and beautiful food. I love the Museum of International Folk Art. And the flea market on weekends out by the Opera. If you drive north to Taos from Santa Fe, you might stop in Espanola at Rio Grande Cafe for huevos rancheros, or for lunch/dinner at Anthony's at the Delta.
Whatever you do, have a great time in La Tierra Encantada!