Driving to Albuquerque (then CO) with dogs (Phoenix, Flagstaff: hotels, movies)

[jlhb210]

Hello. We are moving from Phoenix to Denver at the end of the week, and planning to stop for a night in Albuquerque on the way out. I've never made the drive from here and wondering if anyone who has could recommend some good places to stop and let the dogs out on the way. Either gas stations or rest stops would be fine. We are taking two separate vehicles so we would like to coordinate where our breaks will be before we leave. We are also traveling with young kids, so we will need at least one stop each day of the trip and preferably two.

TIA!

[PhureeKeeper]

Which route are you taking to ALBQ? I-17 to I-40, or???

Sunset point is the largest rest stop along I-17, but that only takes you an hour and a half or so out of PHX.

Do Google searches for fenced in dog parks in the cities you plan on stopping at.

Take lots of paper towels and baggies with you, plus gallon size jugs of water.

Good luck!

[jlhb210]

Now that you mention it we hadn't even decided which route yet! I'd love recommendations if anyone feels strongly about one way versus the other. I've taken I-17 to the 40 before, but not AZ-87. Google puts the time difference at only about 10 minutes, so that doesn't really matter.

[hikernut]

We've driven three times with a dog, although we did these in one day so we didn't have much time for stops.

There's an off-leash park in Flagstaff. It's a bit off the highway, but worth considering. For a second stop on day one you might look at the rest area on the az-nm border.

For day two there's a nice rest stop in Colorado near Pueblo. Looking at the map, I think it's the one by mile mark 74 (on I25). That would be your second stop. Not sure about the first first stop... maybe Raton?

[adriver]

The only one I know is about 30-45 minutes west outside of Flagstaff, the meteor crater. If you liked the grand canyon, (the big hole made by mother nature), then the crater is the smaller, big hole made by space. ooohhhh ahhhhh.

about an hour and a half, past that is the petrified forest.

[Jkgourmet]

I'll add that for overnight stays, you'll want to find a La Quinta, Red Roof Inn, or Motel 6 (recommended in that order, with Motel 6 as a last resort). ALL of those specific chains are 100% pet friendly with no additional charges for the pets.

Some limitations apply to number of pets per room.

[Ponderosa]

Plan a stop for a Laguna burger. We never pass it up on our trips that way.

A burger too good to be at just one place - Route 66 News

[sargeant79]

Originally Posted by jlhb210

Now that you mention it we hadn't even decided which route yet! I'd love recommendations if anyone feels strongly about one way versus the other. I've taken I-17 to the 40 before, but not AZ-87. Google puts the time difference at only about 10 minutes, so that doesn't really matter.

As long as one of the vehicles you're taking isn't a moving truck, I'd strongly recommend going through Monument Valley and taking US-191 through southern Utah to I-70. It's about 100 miles less than going through Albuquerque but the lower speed limits make it a wash as far as the time is concerned. I've done this drive a few times in both directions and it is some stunning scenery almost the entire way.

For the dogs, there are multiple places to pull off on the side of the road along US-160 and US-191 where they can run around and do their thing, and even the interstate rest stops along I-70 in Colorado are beautiful. Moab is a little over halfway and with it being an outdoor recreation destination, there are multiple pet-friendly hotel options.

[ScottsdaleMark]

Great ideas in this thread!

The Maverik gas station in Holbrook is a great place to stop, they have one of the best convenience stores I've ever seen. There's some open areas around the gas station/etc that a dog could stretch their legs.

The rest stop on the AZ/NM border was another good suggestion already made, I can second that. It has restrooms and some grass areas etc. ABQ and Santa Fe should both have dog parks and so forth but you'd lose some time getting to them.

Raton is a nice stop, also if you get off at Las Vegas, that's a very pretty town, the downtown is sometimes used to film TV/movies but it's a good 5-10 minutes off the freeway. Prior to that, Springer has gas and is a small town so plenty of places to run around. There's a Mexican restaurant there that's pretty good. It's right next to the freeway. There's also a rest stop somewhere in that Springer/Wagon Mound vicinity that's decent as well and has restrooms but I don't think it really has much grass.

New Mexico all along I-25 also has some scenic turnouts/points of historical interest that usually have some grassy areas a dog could do its thing in and walk around some.

For points of interest along the way that don't take too much time I'd say Petrified Forest ... the lava fields around Grants (you can just see those from the car though) ... downtown Las Vegas (town square). Mount Capulin is really cool but that would add several hours to your trip.

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by Jkgourmet

I'll add that for overnight stays, you'll want to find a La Quinta, Red Roof Inn, or Motel 6 (recommended in that order, with Motel 6 as a last resort). ALL of those specific chains are 100% pet friendly with no additional charges for the pets.

Some limitations apply to number of pets per room.

I was told there are a handful of LaQuinta Inns that don't allow pets, so be sure to check before you book.

Also, most hotels that allow pets have a weight limit for dogs, but I'm not sure how tightly it's enforced.