road trip to arizona / new mexico
 

hi folks,<BR><BR>we're two young gals taking a road trip through arizona and new mexico the last week of march to visit a friend in albuquerque...<BR><BR>we were hoping for some (cheap) sightseeing / accomodations recommendations. we like the outdoors, hope to soak in the local flavor (i hear the sopapillas in NM are good?), and avoid tourist traps as much as possible. we would particularly appreciate recommendations for good hostels. and are there any places that aren't too crowded where we can see some good cliff dwellings?<BR><BR>thanks!

p.s. please no grand canyon info... i've done that before and though it's fun it's not what we're going for this time

Walnut Canyon National Monument just a little east of Flagstaff has cliff dwellings. <BR><BR>I don't know how much off the freeway you want to go but Chaco Culture National Historic Park in the north west part of New Mexico has to be one of the best experiences as far as pueblo ruins go. It's really off the beaten path and you will have to drive on dirt roads to get there. Just make sure it hasn't rained or is going to rain. I have no idea what the weather in March will be like in the are.<BR>http://www.nps.gov/chcu/<BR><BR>There is also Bandelier National Monument just north of Albuquerque but that wasn't that impressive to me.<BR><BR>Of course there is Mesa Verde in southwestern Colorado and it shouldn't be busy in March.<BR><BR>Another place would be Canyon de Chelly in northeastern Arizona. You can hike into the canyon in only one place to see cliff dwellings on your own. The rest of the canyon you will need to have a navajo guide take you in. The tours into Canyon de Chelly are worth it.<BR><BR>We always camp so I'm no help in lodgings.<BR><BR>

Do you belong to AAA? If not, it might not be a bad idea to join. Besides road service and towing, as a member you also receive free maps and guidebooks. Arizona and New Mexico are available in a single guidebook, and it's full of good sightseeing ideas and AAA recommended places, from one to four diamonds. There's a lot to see and do, just depends upon your interests.

if we're talking books, the best one is &quot;the Rough Guide to Southwest USA&quot; by Greg Ward. has all the info you need in an easy-to-find format.