Bandelier or Mesa Verde?
 

Dear Southwest Traveler Friends: NOW what I'm trying to decide is whether to go from Monument Valley to Albuquerque by way of Canyon de Chelley OR by way of Mesa Verde, Durango, Chama, etc. Also, we don't have time to see Bandelier AND Mesa Verde -- which would be better, especially with kids? And is Durango worth a visit? Thanks for all your good advice so far!

It would be a shame to travel via Durango and not take the Durango & Silverton Railway. Kids will just love it. I am not familiar with Bandelier but Mesa Verde is not to be missed. Again, the youngsters will be very interested in seeing how the Indians lived many years ago in those cliff dwellings.

I totally agree. Mesa Verde is not to be missed. It should be at the top of your list. You should plan on spending at least a day there! Also, the train to Silverton is also a must! Durango is fun! <BR>When you go to Monument Valley, make sure you wake up early enough to watch the sunrise over the monuments. Spectacular sight! <BR>By the way, Bandelier is worth seeing, but it can't compare with the Mesa Verde experience.

If you must see Bandelier OR Mesa Verde, wherein one MUST be excluded, I would visit Mesa Verde. I don't think there is a real contest between those two. <BR>BUT, that does not make Bandelier a dismal place. I enjoyed it; but Mesa Verde has more to offer. What is interesting, however, is to read the books on the Anasazi (the ancient ones) and trace many of the ruins at some point. Bandelier, Aztec Nat. Mon. <BR>(which has nothing to do with Aztec Indians), Hovenweep, Chaco Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, and a couple of others. If the Boy Scouts still have an Indian Lore merit badge, those parks make a great place for a youngster to complete some of the requirements. (It has been 52 years since I was involved actively.) <BR> <BR>Also the topic of the Durango - Silverton train came up. I rode it; both ways with my son who was 11. I am not sure who was the most bored: my son or me. Most of the trip is down in a trench, so that views are restricted. <BR>There is one spectacular place where you can look out of the window on the east side of the train and see the Animas River rushing below; and at one other place you can look up and see Grand Turk Mountain. But you can see more scenery from the highway because there are places to leave the road and drive up into the hills. The trip is also expensive. <BR>I probably will catch some flack for this comment, but so be it. <BR>If you are in that area and want some mountain views, drive up to Yankee Boy Basin outside of Ouray. And if money is burning a hole in your pocket to take a ride, get one of the local jeep outfitters to take you up on the steep trails. That run from Ouray to Telluride is a eye-popping. You will never forget it; and you will save you own car!! (You can catch that fake shootout in Silverton without riding the train. I presume they still do it for the benefit of the tourists.)

Thanks so much for the advice! I hear you all loud and clear saying NOT to miss Mesa Verde, and will make plans accordingly! Do any of you have any ideas about where the prettiest places to camp somewhere between Mesa Verde and Chama might be?

If you are camping at Mesa Verde, the Moorfield Campgroud was (when I was there a few years ago) the only place where you could camp without extra special permission. It is a long ways from the ruins. You should check and see if tours through Balcony House are still limited. The last time I was there, one had to get a ticket. The ticket was free, but the quota was limited. Also there are ruins on two mesas. The western mesa is called Weatherall Mesa and has some interesting ruins. I had to park my car and ride the tram-but to get there. Cliff Palance and Spruce Tree House are the other big ones to see, but Balcony House is the one where you can run up and down ladders and crawl through tunnels and slither over rocks in the entrance way. <BR>Great fun, and quite a learning experience. <BR>BUT, I thought I knew the desert realm of the 4-Corners area pretty well, but where is Chama?? <BR>

Bob: Chama is at the top of New Mexico, north of Santa Fe. I've heard it's pretty country. Thanks again for all your helpful information!

Thanks for telling me where it is. I found it on an old map I had that listed the towns and cities. It looks like it not far from Taos. <BR> <BR>I can add a little more about Mesa Verde. I friend of ours was a summer ranger at Mesa Verde for 7 seasons. Her suggestion is to find out first about the tickets to the ruins and have them in your possession. Then visit the museum/visitor center to learn what you can before your tour time. In Cortez, the best turquoise and silver jewelry used to be at the Noteh Dinha (sp??) Trading Post. I hope it is still there. We bought some good pieces there a few years ago. My spelling is phonetic, so I hope it is decipherable once you get there. Stuff in Durango is overpriced as a general rule. <BR> <BR>If you take that train ride, my recall is that you need to order tickets in advance. I suggest that if you do feel compelled to go, take the train only one way and ride the bus back; or have someone drive to Silverton and meet you. <BR>We rode it both ways and one way was more than enough. <BR>

Definitely take the bus back from Silverton. You can buy the bus tickets for your return the same time you buy the train tickets to Silverton.