How is the Trinidad area (cars, rated, great)

[bovinedivine]

David, the Hwy 12 (Highway of Legends) route is a great drive, but it takes you up and over to La Veta and not in the direction of Raton.

Are you looking for museums, galleries, etc. -- or more outdoor adventures?

In Trinidad, The A.R. Mitchell Museum & Gallery is a gem. There's a Colorado History Museum also, both on Main Street and walkable. Be aware of some businesses being closed in Trinidad and Raton on Sundays; both towns are quite historically Catholic.

One possibility is to head east from Raton to Capulin Volcano National Monument, a Natl Park Service site. It's about 33 miles east of Raton on Hwy 64/87 with a short jog up Hwy 325 at the barely existent town of Capulin. You can drive up the volcano, which is a highly regarded example of an intact cinder cone in the country, and then hike the rim (1 mile). If you have young people with you, there's the Junior Ranger program, video, exhibits, store, etc. From the top of the volcano you can see 4 states -- CO. NM, OK, TX. Maybe Kansas, too, though it's hard to tell. (:

An alternative to Hwy 64/87 East is Hwy. 72 (Johnson Mesa), which also is reached from the northern edge of Raton, from I-25. This will take you into the near-ghost town of Folsom and then over to Capulin Volcano as well. Folsom has an interesting local museum and you can learn about the Folsom Man Site, although you can't actually visit it. There is some road work on the Johnson Mesa road, so maybe check to be sure it's open. There's a big, official NM Tourist Welcome Center in Raton, just several blocks off the Interstate, with tons of information and knowledgable people.

From Raton east to Clayton NM lies a 6,000 sq mile volcanic field. Beautiful topography, which is actually a bit green right now. All the roads I've mentioned are paved, and there is some open cattle grazing so one needs to be alert to the possibility of animals on the road.

Sugarite State Park (NM) is also up in that area. Not sure if people are still fishing.

If you want to tool around on any lesser roads, be sure to be aware of gasoline options. For instance, you could head out of Trinidad east on 160, south on CO 89 through tiny Branson, CO, through Toll Gate Canyon to Folsom NM, to Capulin Volcano, and then loop back to Raton. That entire loop is, say, 125 miles, with your only gas possibility would in Des Moines, NM, about 10 miles east of the Volcano. Always a good idea to fill up in Trinidad or Raton, though you won't see any great deals on fuel. If you kept going to Clayton NM, you could see dinosaur tracks at another state park.

This is a distinctive part of NM that even a lot of New Mexicans don't know exists. Don't expect great dining options in any of the tiny little near-ghost towns. If you want a meal, Trinidad and Raton are pretty safe bets -- or, at Des Moines, NM is the Sierra Grande with the gas pumps. Sierra Grande is the other most prominent volcano in the region -- though it's a shield volcano so has a very different shape than Capulin.

Have Fun, whatever you do!You might see bears, deer, pronghorn (antelope), and various birds of prey if your eyes are open on the beauty outside your window. Reliable cell service/GPS is not always a given.

[bovinedivine]

Oops. Meant to say go south on CO 389 through tiny Branson, CO, NOT CO 89.

Sorry for other typos and lapses in grammar. Fingers moving faster than brain and I forgot how to go back in and make corrections.

[debbie at bouontiful]

Good News I just read that the Amtrak will be saved for 20 years. That would have been horrible loss for Trinidad if it had closed.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by debbie at bouontiful

Good News I just read that the Amtrak will be saved for 20 years. That would have been horrible loss for Trinidad if it had closed.

The story is premature, unfortunately. The state of Kansas ponied up some money to be spent over a 20 year period to upgrade a short section of track on the Southwest Chief Amtrak route. It's only about 10% of what is required to upgrade the entire Southwest Chief route from Emporia, Kansas to Dalies, New Mexico. The Southwest Chief's route through Kansas to Albuquerque is still very much in jeopardy--in fact, the entire route of the Southwest Chief is by no means secure. Another great example of how billions (trillions) spent to subsidize highways and airports is called an "investment," but the pittance expended to support Amtrak is called a "subsidy."

[debbie at bouontiful]

I just read in the Pueblo newspaper that they got a 12. something million as a federal grant and 9.5 million from the the few States with the understanding that Amtrak will keep it going for 20 years. But.. maybe I didn't all the facts but do hope it stays open. I love sitting in the area where Amtrak stops in Trinidad plus the same goes for the Santa Fe Railroad area.

[debbie at bouontiful]

Well it snowed last night so I best pack warm clothes!