Northern New Mexico - Off the Beaten Path (mostly)
May 23rd, 2011, 02:14 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 11,525
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Northern New Mexico - Off the Beaten Path (mostly)
The Pickles (Mr. Pickle, Pickle Boy, and me) spent a couple of days earlier this month exploring bits of New Mexico we hadn't all seen before. Pictures are posted here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/elendil...OjXmd7EhvKEZA#
May 11
We drove from Albuquerque up through Jemez Springs, then east through the Valles Caldera National Preserve. http://www.vallescaldera.gov/ This was a private ranch until 2000, when it was sold to the government. We had hoped to hike a little here, but it was snowing and, as it turned out, the preserve doesn't open to the public until May 21st, so we went on to Los Alamos.
The Bradbury Science Museum http://www.lanl.gov/museum/ is worth a stop; we spent about an hour here learning about Los Alamos history and the Manhattan Project. The film "The Town That Never Was" was pretty interesting, as are the plaques with snippets of interviews from a wide variety of people who worked on the Project. A corner of the museum is set aside for displays and information from peace activists, so you see a bit of both sides of the nuclear question.
Our main goal for the day was to visit Bandelier National Monument http://www.nps.gov/band/ outside Los Alamos, as we hadn't been there for at least 10 years. It didn't snow, but the cool, cloudy day made the walk through the canyon very pleasant.
The last time we were there, the Pickle guys climbed 140 feet worth of ladders and stairs to Alcove House. I don't like heights, so I waited at the bottom for them. Pickle Boy, who was four at the time, thought it would be fun to run down the "hill," not realizing there was a sheer drop at the edge. I heard Mr. Pickle yell, "Matthew, STOP!" and then my son's wail as he tripped and fell over a rock before he reached the edge. Providentially, he's old enough to know better now.
We considered stopping at Puye Cliff Dwellings on our way down the hill, but it was late in the afternoon and we decided to skip it. Our first night was spent at the Comfort Inn in Espanola. We thought about staying in Abiquiu, but we had enough hotel points to get our room for free.
Espanola is nothing to write home about, but the hotel is well-kept and comfortable, with a heated indoor pool, free wi-fi, and a decent breakfast.
Dinner was at La Cocina www.lacocinanm.com, not far from our hotel. They have a good mix of reasonably priced New Mexican and American dishes. When a menu says "We are not responsible for the heat of our chile," I can be pretty sure it will be spicier than I want to try! Pickle Boy had green chile on the side with his burger, and sure enough, I was right - the bit I sampled was delicious and really flavorful, but that bit was *hot.*
Lee Ann
https://picasaweb.google.com/elendil...OjXmd7EhvKEZA#
May 11
We drove from Albuquerque up through Jemez Springs, then east through the Valles Caldera National Preserve. http://www.vallescaldera.gov/ This was a private ranch until 2000, when it was sold to the government. We had hoped to hike a little here, but it was snowing and, as it turned out, the preserve doesn't open to the public until May 21st, so we went on to Los Alamos.
The Bradbury Science Museum http://www.lanl.gov/museum/ is worth a stop; we spent about an hour here learning about Los Alamos history and the Manhattan Project. The film "The Town That Never Was" was pretty interesting, as are the plaques with snippets of interviews from a wide variety of people who worked on the Project. A corner of the museum is set aside for displays and information from peace activists, so you see a bit of both sides of the nuclear question.
Our main goal for the day was to visit Bandelier National Monument http://www.nps.gov/band/ outside Los Alamos, as we hadn't been there for at least 10 years. It didn't snow, but the cool, cloudy day made the walk through the canyon very pleasant.
The last time we were there, the Pickle guys climbed 140 feet worth of ladders and stairs to Alcove House. I don't like heights, so I waited at the bottom for them. Pickle Boy, who was four at the time, thought it would be fun to run down the "hill," not realizing there was a sheer drop at the edge. I heard Mr. Pickle yell, "Matthew, STOP!" and then my son's wail as he tripped and fell over a rock before he reached the edge. Providentially, he's old enough to know better now.
We considered stopping at Puye Cliff Dwellings on our way down the hill, but it was late in the afternoon and we decided to skip it. Our first night was spent at the Comfort Inn in Espanola. We thought about staying in Abiquiu, but we had enough hotel points to get our room for free.
Espanola is nothing to write home about, but the hotel is well-kept and comfortable, with a heated indoor pool, free wi-fi, and a decent breakfast.
Dinner was at La Cocina www.lacocinanm.com, not far from our hotel. They have a good mix of reasonably priced New Mexican and American dishes. When a menu says "We are not responsible for the heat of our chile," I can be pretty sure it will be spicier than I want to try! Pickle Boy had green chile on the side with his burger, and sure enough, I was right - the bit I sampled was delicious and really flavorful, but that bit was *hot.*
Lee Ann
May 23rd, 2011, 03:10 PM
#2
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 5,904
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sounds like a nice trip. Bandelier is special and the separate part, Tsanlawi, about 5 miles closer to Santa Fe makes for a very interesting hike.
We saw elk in rut one late September in Valles caldera, a reason for a return trip.
Thanks for the report.
We saw elk in rut one late September in Valles caldera, a reason for a return trip.
Thanks for the report.
May 23rd, 2011, 03:12 PM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 11,525
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
May 12
After breakfast, we headed out to Abiquiu. Espanola doesn't have much in the way of good coffee places, but La Cocina has a full coffee bar, where I got an excellent Americano.
We drove through Abiquiu and stopped at Echo Amphitheater so Mr. Pickle could take a few pictures of the red rocks. We had thought of stopping at the Ghost Ranch Educational Center, but it was closed (one hazard of traveling this time of year).
Heading north towards Chama, we took Highway 64 east at Tierra Amarilla toward Tres Piedras. This stretch of highway is routinely closed in winter, and there was still about a foot of snow along the highest parts of the road. It was a lovely drive through ranching country, transitioning into a high mountain pass, then coming down onto the plateau west of Taos.
This route takes you past the Earthship community filled with creatively built, whimsical-looking homes made with old car tires and built partly underground. They're supposed to be pretty energy efficient.
We stopped briefly on the west side of the Rio Grande Gorge bridge, but didn't take the time to walk out on the bridge, which is about 600 feet or so above the river. I tried it a few years ago and couldn't make myself go out there.
After lunch in Taos, we headed to Taos Pueblo. www.taospueblo.com We hadn't been there since before Pickle Boy was born. They used to have a guided tour, but now it's self-guided, so we weren't there all that long - just took time to walk around the parts of the pueblo that are open to the public and to visit the church.
We had planned to drive the Enchanted Circle north from Taos to Red River, but Mr. Pickle realized that route wouldn't allow us to visit Angel Fire, and we headed east on Highway 64. This is the southern part of the Circle - very scenic and worth the time to see.
As you head toward Angel Fire, the landscape opens into the Moreno Valley - really gorgeous with lots of sky and the hills and mountains surrounding you.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/VietnamVets.htm is located outside Angel Fire. Historian Victor Westphall and his wife Jeannie had planned to build a resort on this location, a hill overlooking the valley, but when their son David was killed in Vietnam they decided to build a chapel in his honor as a place for reflection and healing. Over the last three decades, they've added trees, walking paths, and a visitor's center. It is a lovely place - quiet, peaceful, and moving.
We spent the night in Red River at the Best Western. If you like to ski, you can't beat the location next to one of the ski lifts. In mid-May, there isn't a lot of tourist activity, and we had a beautiful room with a deck right next to the river for less than $70, which includes breakfast with eggs and waffles made to order.
Apparently most of the town shuts down from March to Memorial Day, so we didn't have many dining choices. We thought about buying some steaks and grilling dinner, but realized once we bought everything we'd need to be able to eat, we wouldn't save any money. Capo's Corner met our dining needs with a tasty pizza.
May 13
Our first stop was Elizabethtown, an abandoned mining village between Red River and Eagle Nest. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/nm-etown.html It has quite a colorful history!
A drive through beautiful Cimarron Canyon brought us to Cimarron. http://cimarronnm.com Old West outlaws and ranchers met here, especially at the St. James Hotel http://www.exstjames.com/ where you can see the room that Jesse James stayed in and view the bullet holes in the saloon's tin ceiling.
Unfortunately, we had to head home, but we had a wonderful time. The weather was great, nothing was crowded, and building family memories is always worthwhile!
Lee Ann
After breakfast, we headed out to Abiquiu. Espanola doesn't have much in the way of good coffee places, but La Cocina has a full coffee bar, where I got an excellent Americano.
We drove through Abiquiu and stopped at Echo Amphitheater so Mr. Pickle could take a few pictures of the red rocks. We had thought of stopping at the Ghost Ranch Educational Center, but it was closed (one hazard of traveling this time of year).
Heading north towards Chama, we took Highway 64 east at Tierra Amarilla toward Tres Piedras. This stretch of highway is routinely closed in winter, and there was still about a foot of snow along the highest parts of the road. It was a lovely drive through ranching country, transitioning into a high mountain pass, then coming down onto the plateau west of Taos.
This route takes you past the Earthship community filled with creatively built, whimsical-looking homes made with old car tires and built partly underground. They're supposed to be pretty energy efficient.
We stopped briefly on the west side of the Rio Grande Gorge bridge, but didn't take the time to walk out on the bridge, which is about 600 feet or so above the river. I tried it a few years ago and couldn't make myself go out there.
After lunch in Taos, we headed to Taos Pueblo. www.taospueblo.com We hadn't been there since before Pickle Boy was born. They used to have a guided tour, but now it's self-guided, so we weren't there all that long - just took time to walk around the parts of the pueblo that are open to the public and to visit the church.
We had planned to drive the Enchanted Circle north from Taos to Red River, but Mr. Pickle realized that route wouldn't allow us to visit Angel Fire, and we headed east on Highway 64. This is the southern part of the Circle - very scenic and worth the time to see.
As you head toward Angel Fire, the landscape opens into the Moreno Valley - really gorgeous with lots of sky and the hills and mountains surrounding you.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/VietnamVets.htm is located outside Angel Fire. Historian Victor Westphall and his wife Jeannie had planned to build a resort on this location, a hill overlooking the valley, but when their son David was killed in Vietnam they decided to build a chapel in his honor as a place for reflection and healing. Over the last three decades, they've added trees, walking paths, and a visitor's center. It is a lovely place - quiet, peaceful, and moving.
We spent the night in Red River at the Best Western. If you like to ski, you can't beat the location next to one of the ski lifts. In mid-May, there isn't a lot of tourist activity, and we had a beautiful room with a deck right next to the river for less than $70, which includes breakfast with eggs and waffles made to order.
Apparently most of the town shuts down from March to Memorial Day, so we didn't have many dining choices. We thought about buying some steaks and grilling dinner, but realized once we bought everything we'd need to be able to eat, we wouldn't save any money. Capo's Corner met our dining needs with a tasty pizza.
May 13
Our first stop was Elizabethtown, an abandoned mining village between Red River and Eagle Nest. http://www.legendsofamerica.com/nm-etown.html It has quite a colorful history!
A drive through beautiful Cimarron Canyon brought us to Cimarron. http://cimarronnm.com Old West outlaws and ranchers met here, especially at the St. James Hotel http://www.exstjames.com/ where you can see the room that Jesse James stayed in and view the bullet holes in the saloon's tin ceiling.
Unfortunately, we had to head home, but we had a wonderful time. The weather was great, nothing was crowded, and building family memories is always worthwhile!
Lee Ann
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
sassy_cat
United States
21
Oct 4th, 2009 12:43 PM
