Hmmm. I've been to Canyon De Chelly. Loved that place and stayed in Thunderbird Lodge. I didn't realize it was that close! I visited that place when I did the Monument Valley/Lake Powell trip. How far is Canyon De Chelly from Albuquerque? I need to go look at a map....

Canyon de Chelly probably wasn't mentioned because it's in Arizona and your were asking about New Mexico. Canyon de Chelly National Monument is 230 miles and about a 4 hour drive from Albuquerque. It's a beautiful park. You are allowed to drive along the rim and take one hike down into the canyon. If you want to see more of the canyon you have to take a Navajo guided tour. We only did the 1/2 day tour from the Thunderbird Lodge, but I wish we had done the all day tour. It's very scenic and very imformative on the areas history.

Utahtea

Hi Chele60,

You have planned well from what I can see. You must plan a minimum of 2 days at the Balloon Fiesta because rain and wind often cancel sessions. Having an option to say longer if needed is smart.

Also, be sure to catch at least one AM session w/Mass Ascension and one PM session with Balloon Glow/Fireworks. These are the highlights of the Fiesta IMO.

As for as other places to go, I'd spend more time with Santa Fe as a base. Even if you're just relaxing, I'd rather be in SFe than anywhere else. Get a good tour book, as there are plenty of day trips from SFe.

A drive to Ghost Ranch (Abiquiu) is beautifully scenic, and low-stress. A day at a SFe spa (10000 waves is special) if you're into that.

I thought that the church at Chimayo was a little overrated, but it's still a must see. While you're there there is a great burrito stand (Leonas) next to the church where you can get great and inexpensive fast-food.