caflaf107

Help!
Going to Balloon Fiesta for opening on October 2-3 and then have 7 more days to visit the "area" What would you recommend and in what order?
Thinking of:
Taos
Santa Fe
Grand Canyon
Mesa Verde?
any other national parks..........
Lodging reccomendations welcome!
Suggestions please.
Should we fly in and out of Albuquerque? == need to get the plane flights nailed down soon.

ElendilPickle

Yes, fly in and out of Albuquerque.

You might want to plan an extra day in Albuquerque in case one of the opening days' activities is cancelled. Sometimes it's too windy for the balloons to launch.

You could make a nice loop through northern New Mexico with the rest of your time. What are your interests?

Lodging - I live here, so can't give a specific recommendation, but I would look at staying in the Uptown area. Marriott, Sheraton, Hyatt Place are all there, and there is a Park and Ride facility you can use to get to the Fiesta and avoid the hassles of driving and parking.

Lee Ann

Lee Ann

DebitNM

LeeAnn has a very good point about being able to have more time in ABQ in case the balloons don't launch on a specific day [it does happen each year, weather conditions must be perfect or they won't launch].

Driving to Mesa Verde NP is about 3.5 hours each way from ABQ. It would take at least 3 calendar days [drive up day 1, maybe see part of the park that day, day 2 in the park seeing cliff dwellings and driving Loop Trail and doing a hike or 2, day 3 driving back to ABQ] It is well worth it, just not sure if you want to invest that many days.

Grand Canyon would be the same thing, only a longer drive to and from ABQ.

Taos and Santa Fe are very doable and I highly recommend seeing both. A long day trip will get you to and from Taos, Santa Fe is an hours drive [or you can take Railrunner].

Staying in Uptown is a good choice, there is a park and ride to the Fiesta in nearby Coranado mall. Lots of restaurants there too [chains, mostly, but some local].


http://www.balloonfiesta.com/html/fi...park-ride.html

Another thought is to stay a bit out of ABQ. The Holiday Inn Express in Bernalillo is very nice [just had overflow relatives stay there] and is conveniently located to get to Santa Fe, and to Fiesta park. Hotwire has it for $78 a night last I checked. Let me know if you want details on how to score the room. They have good breakfast and is near lots of good local restaurants, a Railrunner station and Coranado Monument.

There's lots to do in the area, you really don't need to travel far. Acoma Peublo, Tent Rocks, Bandelier, town of Madrid and Sandia Crest, Turquoise Trail, great museums in SF and ABQ, an excellent zoo...just starters. Chaco Canyon is also excellent for a looking into how the native people lived,.Puye Cliffs too.


http://www.indianpueblo.org/

http://www.nhccnm.org/

http://www.skycity.com/


http://www.nps.gov/chcu/index.htm

http://www.puyecliffs.org/index.html.

There are lots of threads about NM with great ideas, take some time to read them:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...es/new-mexico/
Also-

http://www.cabq.gov/visiting.html

http://www.innofthegovernors.com/abo...e/attractions/

caflaf107

All good suggestions -- I'm going to check out the $78 room in Bernalillo for sure. Thinking about how often we will go western us vs. Europe and rest of world. I feel I might need to change the agenda and maybe fly into Jackson HOle instead - do two days at Yellowstone -- drive the next day and then do two days at Grand Canyon then drive the next day and leave the 7,8,9,10 for Balloon Fiesta and side trips to Santa Fe. etc.since the Fiesta activities are early and late in the day and not in the middle.
Perhaps we could work in Mesa Verde on one of the driving days or take a day away from ABQ and reserve it for Mesa Verde along the way back to ABQ from Yellowstone and Grand Canyon which would still give us the 8,9, 10th in ABQ for Balloons. Can we do Yellowstone and Grand Canyon highlights with two full days in each place? We're used to moving it out and doing all there is to do when we go somewhere -- quick meals, early mornings and late evenings. A woman I spoke to from the tourist bureau shied me away from Taos and Santa Fe's shops, restaurants and art galleries since I am traveling with a 10 yr. old -- she's mature and game for anything -- i think I want to empasize the nature and native american aspect rather than the quaint towns that might be fun with a friend. The trip is evolving -- just need some sanity checks on the latest idea and then I can start booking reservations. Thanks -- I will definitely go and read all the suggested links this weekend.

caflaf107

Yes -- would like to know how to get the Holiday Inn Express on hotwire -- I tried to find it and am not sure how to tell since they evidently don't give you the hotel name -- interesting == hadn't seen that before.

ElendilPickle

Check Yellowstone's website - www.nps.gov/yell - to see what parts of the park are open in late September/early October. Just looking at their website, I see many things start closing in early September.

We just got back from Grand Teton and Yellowstone, and I think driving from Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon would be an insanely long drive, plus the rental fees for an open-jaw car rental would be pretty expensive.

You wrote:

>>i think I want to empasize the nature and native american aspect rather than the quaint towns that might be fun with a friend.

ElendilPickle

Another thought - if the weather is good and the road into the park is in good shape, you could visit Chaco Canyon National Monument.

Lee Ann

DebitNM

When you look on Hotwire, the "town" that you are looking for is Santa Ana Pueblo [which is right next to Bernalillo] It should come up as a 2 star. You can also use zipcode 87004
It will say
"We are still gathering reviews for this property. "

The amenities icons will be:
Smoke Free Rooms
Complimentary Breakfast
Pool(s)
Laundry Facilities
Golf Nearby
Tennis Nearby

Is it 2 adults and 1 child? That makes it a bit more. For 10/8 -10/10 with 2 A/1C it is showing $102, for 2 people $96.

Weekends are higher, weekdays are lower priced. Midweek the same set up is $48. For some reason, when I look for midweek the amenities icons are different:
Complimentary Breakfast
Fitness Center
Pool(s)
High-speed Internet Access

I am almost 100% positive they are both the same Holiday Inn Express [it's a small town!]

Taos and Santa Fe have lots for a 10 year old to see without going to shops and galleries. Is it a boy or girl?

Weekends at Balloon Fiesta are busier than weekdays and evening events tend to be during the week. Waiting until the last couple of days could mean not seeing a launch. You need to decide what your highest priorities are and go from that point.

DebitNM

I just realized that the second weekend of Balloon Fiesta is a 3 day weekend [Columbus Day] which must be why the room rate is so high. I would really try to go earlier - first weekend if it has to be a weekend, or during the week.

caflaf107

I'll book the hotel -- I saw it -- thanks!
I'm convinced that Yellowstone is too much and the wrong time of year if it's closing things down -- didn't realize that.

We'll fly in and out of Albuquerque and see Mesa Verde and the Grand Canyon in addition to the Balloon Festival -- sounds like we're better off ballooning at the beginning of the trip due to the holiday weekend crowds (?) -- if the room rate is the issue with the holiday weekend -- we'll be there for both weekends regardless of what we do.

Last clarification needed -- how many days should we plan to allot for The Grand Canyon? From before, it sounds like two for Mesa Verde. The 10 year old is a girl -- she likes everything and is very mature -- it's just the two of us - mother/daughter -- off to explore and learn new things!

All comments have been very helpful!

DebitNM

In Santa Fe, the International Folk Museum is great, you both will love it. The Zoo in ABQ is top notch, again something you will both love.

The Explora Museum in ABQ should be fun for her. http://www.explora.us/en/

I would still plan on using park & ride; there is a location about 15 minutes from HI Express in Bernalillo [Intel on Westside]
http://www.balloonfiesta.com/guest-guide/park-ride [link above doesn't work anymore!]

Play with the dates on hotwire for the HI Express, see what comes up.

DebitNM

I meant to add: once you buy via Hotwire, there are no changes nor refunds -- it is a done deal.