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Help -
4 adults (2couples) will be traveling Nov.1-4, arriving at ABQ airport evening of 1st, we need to be in Durango by late on the 4th. We don't mind driving and simply want to see the most we can.
Some thoughts -
Go to Almagorddo, then to Carlsbad, on to Tuscon, up to Phoenix, then over to Durango
or
Go to Petrified forest, Flagstaff, Monument Valley
or
any suggestions you might have to help me
Don't know if we want to do loop south, west, north, etc.
Any tips, suggestions, will be appreciated.
looking forward to your response, and one last question, how far a drive from White Sands to Carlsbad Caverns?
Help -
4 adults (2couples) will be traveling Nov.1-4, arriving at ABQ airport evening of 1st, we need to be in Durango by late on the 4th. We don't mind driving and simply want to see the most we can.
Some thoughts -
Go to Almagorddo, then to Carlsbad, on to Tuscon, up to Phoenix, then over to Durango
or
Go to Petrified forest, Flagstaff, Monument Valley
or
any suggestions you might have to help me
Don't know if we want to do loop south, west, north, etc.
Any tips, suggestions, will be appreciated.
looking forward to your response, and one last question, how far a drive from White Sands to Carlsbad Caverns?
Albuquerque to Alamogordo is about a 3.5-4 hour drive. From White Sands National Monument to Carlsbad Caverns Nation Park is also about a 3.5-4 hour drive, possibly a little long given the mountain driving from Alamogordo until well east of Mayhill. That time of year could potentially also have snow in the Cloudcroft area.
To circumvent that you could take US 70 (from White Sands) to US 54 south through El Paso, TX to highway 62/180. 62/180 will actually take you straight to the Caverns without having to go into Carlsbad. BUT you're looking at about a 4-5 hr drive that way. I've done both routes from Las Cruces, during 2004 while doing a reptile and amphibian survey at Carlsbad Caverns, be they through El Paso or through Alamogordo. Time wise is about 4-5 hrs from Las Cruces either way.
I would HIGHLY recommend hitting Carlsbad first if you intend to head into AZ. I've never done the drive from Albuquerque to Carlsbad, so I'm uncertain about time, but I believe it's around 5-6 hours. Doing C-bad first will essentially keep you from having to double back. So....
Going C-bad to White Sands you can then take US 70 into Las Cruces (roughly 45-50 miles away). To avoid town traffic I'd take Us 70 to I-25 SOUTH to I-10 WEST. From Las Cruces, Tucson is about a 5-6 hour drive; it takes roughly 2-2.5 hours to reach the NM/AZ border.
Realistically, you could do ABQ to C-bad in a day, not sure how long you'd want to spend in the caverns. Assuming multiple drivers, you could do White Sands the next day and even be into Tucson later that evening. However, I don't know if you could make it to Phoenix and then up to Durango.
To give you another idea of how long it'll take just to get to CO from southern NM...from Las Cruces to Los Alamos is about a 5-6 hr drive. It's another 3-4 hours to reach the NM/CO border not taking I-25. I believe the I-25 route is even longer and will place you farther away from Durango. It's very much a whirlwind trip with just 3 days and the distance traveled. If you're bent on getting into southern NM, you might forego (due to time constraints) Tucson, Phoenix, and even Flagstaff, but cut over to the Chiricahua (Cheer-ri-cow-hoowa - roughly pronounced) Mountains in extreme southeastern AZ. On the west side of the Chiricahua Mountains is Chiricahua Mountains National Monument. I've never been, but apparently it's beautiful. I've only frequented the eastern side around Portal. Just outside of Portal, on US 80, is the Chihuahuan Desert Museum - new and I've yet to go, but hear it's nice.
Unfortunately, 3 days really isn't that much time given the amount of consumed driving time involved.
I suggest concentrating on seeing more and driving less. Spend a day or more in Albuquerque. Definitely take the Tram at sunset. Then drive to Santa Fe along the Turquoise Trail. Spend the rest of the day in Santa Fe. On day three drive the Enchanted Circle and finish off in Chama. Then drive to Farmington and on to Durango the last day.
I don’t live in New Mexico yet but this is one of the trips I have planned. It would allow us to take the Cumbres and Toltec train on one day and the Durango and Silverton a couple of days later.
IMHO the Benchmark Road and Recreation Atlases are superior for the western states. I have both.
There is much more to see in the Albq, Santa Fe, Taos, Chama, Pagosa Springs, Durango area than three days will allow. Endless possibilities, actually, if one considers side trips to various area tourist attractions. Three days is totally inadequate to take in the sights along that particular route other than to drive through / past them.
Another option is Albq to Durango directly on US-550. That alone is about a four hour drive. The Farmington area has several worthwhile tourist attractions - Indian ruins at Aztec, for example, and then there is Mesa Verde National Park - an all-day experience to do it justice.
The first option would simply be out of the question - for me!
No way would I recommend attempting to travel to Alamogordo and Carlsbad and back to Durango in three days - unless one is a glutton for punishing driving, or owns their own plane or copter! It's nearly a day's drive from Albuq to Carlsbad, non-stop, and leaves no time for seeing the caverns in the same day.
I suggest concentrating on seeing more and driving less. Spend a day or more in Albuquerque. Definitely take the Tram at sunset. Then drive to Santa Fe along the Turquoise Trail. Spend the rest of the day in Santa Fe. On day three drive the Enchanted Circle and finish off in Chama. Then drive to Farmington and on to Durango the last day.
I don’t live in New Mexico yet but this is one of the trips I have planned. It would allow us to take the Cumbres and Toltec train on one day and the Durango and Silverton a couple of days later.
IMHO the Benchmark Road and Recreation Atlases are superior for the western states. I have both.
I would concur with this also -- with a couple of elaborations. I am fairly sure that the C and T train is shut down for the season by November. You can still get some great scenery just doing the drive from Antonito to Chama. Bring warm clothes. Going up to the Enchanted Circle from Santa Fe, I would definitely take the High Road and thus avoid Espanola.
Wow, guys thanks for all the help! I think you are right regarding White Sands, and Carlsbad. If you have other thoughts keep them coming, you have been a wealth of information! Have a great day
I realize this is an Arizona Question, but is the Petrified Forest worth the trip
If you happen to be passing by on IH-40, it's a short detour circle drive with very little to see other than some petrified trees lying here and there. It's not like a "forest" at all - simply put, it's a desert area now with no tall standing trees living, or petrified! It's certainly not somewhere I'd consider a "must see destination."
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