Best day trip from ABQ? (Albuquerque, Santa Fe: buy, theater, living in)

[Towanda]

jrod2828:

My solution is that you spend TWICE as long in NM ~ then you can see Santa Fe, the Jemez Mountains, NM 14 up through Cedar Crest, Madrid and Cerrillos ... AND Acoma!!!!

[honu1]

I totally agree with the aformentioned places. I loved visiting Sky City, Chaco Canyon, Valles Caldera, Bandelier, and driving the Turquoise trail from ABQ to Santa Fe through Madrid. I just want to throw one more day trip option in the mix. I am a big admirer of Georgia OKeffe. So, I enjoyed the drive from ABQ to Abiquiu..completed a day hike early in the am near Ghost Ranch, and then drove over to the forest road (FR 100 I think?..its been a while but you can google it) and hiked at El Padernal...the volcanic cinder cone she often painted. You think her paintings are somewhat abstract until you actually see the place. Amazing! Have a fabulous trip!

[thirdtimesacharm]

If you can drive and stay the night over then I suggest Carlsbad. This is my favorite place in NM.

Some may disagree but I think Roswell is cool. I love all the alien stuff. I think the city has greatly improved since the late 80's early 90's.

[ziaAirmac]

For a quick but cool hike I like Tent Rocks out by Cochiti lake. It's off of I-25 on the way to Santa Fe. You could hike it in the morning, still do the afternoon Santa Fe thing and hit I-25 for the hour long straight shot back to ABQ after dinner. There's a great living history museum in La Cienega, just south of Santa Fe called El Rancho De Las Golondrinas. It's a preserved, working old Spanish colonial ranch.

If you end up taking I-25 to Santa Fe, get off at the Old Pecos Trail exit on your way to the plaza. Hang a right on East Zia and a left on Old Santa Fe Trail. Take that to Paseo de Peralta (Santa Fe's beltway ;-) and hang a right. You'll see a lot of the views and architecture that draw people to Santa Fe and make it stand out from other destinations.

If you're into small two laners through high desert landscapes and little art towns, the suggestions for hwy 14 are right on. Plus you go through the East Mountain communities (over the back of the Sandias) providing for some amazing views. It feels like you can see to Texas on some days. The drive through Jemez/Caldera/Los Alamos/ Bandalier is beautiful, but honestly, unless you do less stopping and more driving, it will be a very long day. If you want to take in the best of Bandelier, you have to climb up the side of the cliff to the ceremonial caves on old style indian ladders hewn from local trees. No nets, no handrails. Nothing but you, the ladders and vertical. It's cool.

Oh, I haven't read it mentioned so I wanted to throw in that the Air Force has it's labs in Albuquerque as well, and I'm sure they have civilian contractor slots. I imagine the benefits would be pretty sweet.

Also, at one point you mentioned that most everyone in Los Alamos seemed to work in the Labs (by the numbers.). There's a legitimate reason for that. Los Alamos was built as a temporary community to support the research and development of the labs. There was no Los Alamos before the labs.

[abqsunport]

First off, I agree completely with everyone's suggestions!!!!!

Secondy, I have to ask, when are you coming, and what hotel did you decide on?

[jrod2828]

Thanks for all the wonderful info everyone. I actually talked my wife into 1 more day in NM. So now we'll have 5 full days to enjoy NM. I can't wait. We're going to be in town May 21 - 26. I just got a cheap hotel in the center of town since we are going to be driving all over. The Suburban Extended Stay or something like that. It's close to the center of town. I'm super pumped. I think I might do 2 of your guys/gals day trip suggestions.

I saw that the wine festival is going on during our trip. Is this worth going to? I'm a big wine lover. Has anyone on here gone to the festival out at the balloon fiesta park?

Also, it sounds like Santa Fe is just a must see. So we'll definitely do 1 day trip up there. So far there have been lots of suggestions for things to do in Santa Fe. If you had one day in Santa Fe what restaurant would you hit and what would you see or do?

Thanks again everyone. Lots of great info!

Also.. the wife had 1 phone interview and got a job offer.. so we're halfway there!

[mortimer]

casden almost has it right:

> drive from ABQ into the Jemez Mountains through to the Valles Caldera ... to Los Alamos and Bandelier National Monument.

Nope. Go straight to Santa Fe from Los Alamos.

> ... watch a great Flamenco show ....

Just wander around Santa Fe.

If you are looking for a day trip with the most varied scenery, then going from the Piñon-Juniper country from Bernalillo to San Ysidro then up to the Jemez is great.

From San Ysidro
San Ysidro Church on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

You'll travel up the canyon carved out of the Jemez by the Jemez river
On The Way To Jemez on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
and pass through the Jemez reservation and the fabulous red rocks there.

Jemez Red Rock, New Mexico on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Turquoise Stand at Jemez Red Rocks on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Stop to buy some oven or fry bread.

Later, all the hot springs you need on this trip is here at the Soda Dam
VallesCaldera 003 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Drive past the dam and park on the uphill side for less hassle. Check out the sizzling-hot sulphurous water that bubbles up from a spring on the opposite side of the road.

As you climb higher, the vegetation changes to high mountain pines and aspen. Stop at the parking area on your right (can't miss it) another 7-8 miles up the road. You can walk out to a nice overlook.

Further down the road is another stop at the previously mentioned Valles Caldera.

Then, drive without stopping (unless you have to pee) to Santa Fe through Los Alamos.

In Santa Fe I've found following Paseo de Peralta to Marcy St to the East of the square is a good way to find an open parking meter with low hassle factor both stopping and leaving.

Wander around the square for an hour. If it is close to meal time there is no other option than to eat at the Plaza Cafe.
Dynamis Art - Santa Fe Plaza Cafe
I don't care what anyone else says. Eat there.

Optional trip: Drive up to the Santa Fe Ski Basin.

From there, go South on Cerrillos and take the back way (named Turquoise Trail) down to Madrid. Stop if you want.
Madrid Hatter: <Heh> on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Madrid NM on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Madrid: Main Street Housing on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Continue till you get to the Sandia Crest turnoff. If you started off around 9 am in Bernalillo earlier then you should be arriving pretty close to see a sunset from the Crest.

This trip takes you through all the upper climate zones in New Mexico. You cross the Rio Grande twice. There are far-off vistas and close-in canyons. You will drive and walk through large expanses of Aspen and Pine forest. Your ears will pop repeatedly with the elevation changes.

This is a great drive any month of the year. It pretty much fills up one entire day. You'll feel like you've done a lot.

[ABQSunseeker]

Jrod2828, definitely you should see Santa Fe, it's unique, special, and not like anything else in the country.

And you should take the Turquoise trail (Rte 14 on the East side of the Sandias) one way or both ways back and forth from Albuquerque. The scenery is beautiful, very typical of New Mexico, and not crowded. Stop for a while in Madrid, it's a town somehow caught in a time warp from the 60s. Funky and fun.

I don't know what kinds of things you like to do, any good guide book can help you. Some of the things I've enjoyed are just browsing stores in the Plaza, checking out the atmospheric La Fonda hotel and having lunch or dinner in the colorful courtyard. Going to the Georgia O'Keeffe museum, browsing the art galleries on Canyon Road.

For food I've also enjoyed Ore House on the Plaza (steaks and NM food), one flight up on the west side of the Plaza. And just outside of town at Marie's for Mexican food--very reasonable in an expensive city. Extremely high end but delicious is the restaurant at the Inn of the Anasazi where chef Martin Rios presides.

Plenty to see and do on a day trip.

[casden]

Originally Posted by mortimer

casden almost has it right:

> drive from ABQ into the Jemez Mountains through to the Valles Caldera ... to Los Alamos and Bandelier National Monument.

Nope. Go straight to Santa Fe from Los Alamos.

> ... watch a great Flamenco show ....

Just wander around Santa Fe.

Wander around the square for an hour. If it is close to meal time there is no other option than to eat at the Plaza Cafe.
Dynamis Art - Santa Fe Plaza Cafe
I don't care what anyone else says. Eat there.

OK - OK - you're right about the Los Alamos thing. He's better off going right into Santa Fe.

...but the flamenco thing? They have pretty much world class flamenco in Central New Mexico. Although I think the dancers at El Farol are in the evening - heck, I'd just go for the show.

But I do agree with you about the Plaza Cafe. That place has amazing food. It's like a little cafe but it is really good.

Jrod - you should go to the Plaza Cafe - try the posole and the white sangria. Posole is a sort of hominy stew with pork. As far as the white wine sangrias - I've only seen white sangrias in Santa Fe and they taste amazing.

Mmmmmm! Too bad I'm not in New Mexico right now - I could go for a really good local meal and drink.

[Towanda]

Originally Posted by mortimer

Wander around the square for an hour. If it is close to meal time there is no other option than to eat at the Plaza Cafe.
Dynamis Art - Santa Fe Plaza Cafe
I don't care what anyone else says. Eat there.

Good choice.

HOWEVER, .... if The Plaza Cafe is crowded, try The Shed.
It will be crowded too, but the green chile stew, the enchiladas and the hamburgers are worth the wait.