New Itinerary-Durango/ABQ
Dec 2nd, 2009 | 06:32 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 14
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New Itinerary-Durango/ABQ
Everyone has been so helpful here in the Arizona forum. Hope you don't mind that I post a New Mexico question.
During the Christmas holiday we had planned to fly in/out of Las Vegas on our trip through Arizona to Durango, CO. Have decided instead to fly home from ABQ. Any NM sightseeing suggestions on the drive down from Durango? How about in ABQ? Would like to visit the Petroglyph National Monument, The American International Rattlesnake Museum (my 14 year old son wants to become a herpetologist) and possibly the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway. Maybe even a hot air balloon ride.
All info is greatly appreciated.
During the Christmas holiday we had planned to fly in/out of Las Vegas on our trip through Arizona to Durango, CO. Have decided instead to fly home from ABQ. Any NM sightseeing suggestions on the drive down from Durango? How about in ABQ? Would like to visit the Petroglyph National Monument, The American International Rattlesnake Museum (my 14 year old son wants to become a herpetologist) and possibly the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway. Maybe even a hot air balloon ride.
All info is greatly appreciated.
Dec 2nd, 2009 | 07:23 PM
#4
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,830
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There is an interesting and unusual Atomic Energy Museum in aBQ as well. If it isn't part of your trip from AZ to Durango, consider side trip to Mesa Verde, also the 4-Corners and Shiprock are interesting to look at if nothing eles.
Dec 3rd, 2009 | 06:17 AM
#5
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 73
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If you're open to taking a very scenic but potentially long (and cold) detour, go through Chama and Taos, two beautiful but very different little towns with their own unique drawing cards. Chama is an adorable mountain town, and home of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. I don't think the Railroad runs during the winter, but the scenery is still beautiful.
Taos is the site of a very old Native American Pueblo which does allow tourists to visit (with some restrictions on cameras). We were there over Christmas a few years back and had one of the most memorable holidays of our lives. We went to a mass at one of the old Catholic churches in town (and we're not even Catholic!), which was conducted in English, Spanish and Tewa (the language of the Indian tribe there) and visited the Pueblo during one of their celebrations (I forget what it's called) where they take the statue of the Virgin Mary out of the church and walk it around town. Meanwhile, they have all these bonfires burning - it's other-worldly!
Another neat town along that route is Espanola (between Taos and ABQ). Like Taos, it's a very old town with long-standing Native American and Spanish traditions. The old church, the Santuario de Chimayo, dates back to the early 1800's. There's a little "anteroom" off the main hall where people have apparently left walkers, crutches, canes, etc. after being healed at the church. There's a whole complex built around it where crafts and souvenirs are sold. Very interesting.
And then of course, there's Santa Fe... The drive from Durango to Taos is about 5 hours; the drive from Taos to Albuquerque is about 4. Again, these are some cold areas at the time of year you're visiting, but seeing them at Christmastime is really something special.
Have a wonderful time and a Merry Christmas!
Taos is the site of a very old Native American Pueblo which does allow tourists to visit (with some restrictions on cameras). We were there over Christmas a few years back and had one of the most memorable holidays of our lives. We went to a mass at one of the old Catholic churches in town (and we're not even Catholic!), which was conducted in English, Spanish and Tewa (the language of the Indian tribe there) and visited the Pueblo during one of their celebrations (I forget what it's called) where they take the statue of the Virgin Mary out of the church and walk it around town. Meanwhile, they have all these bonfires burning - it's other-worldly!
Another neat town along that route is Espanola (between Taos and ABQ). Like Taos, it's a very old town with long-standing Native American and Spanish traditions. The old church, the Santuario de Chimayo, dates back to the early 1800's. There's a little "anteroom" off the main hall where people have apparently left walkers, crutches, canes, etc. after being healed at the church. There's a whole complex built around it where crafts and souvenirs are sold. Very interesting.
And then of course, there's Santa Fe... The drive from Durango to Taos is about 5 hours; the drive from Taos to Albuquerque is about 4. Again, these are some cold areas at the time of year you're visiting, but seeing them at Christmastime is really something special.
Have a wonderful time and a Merry Christmas!
