Please help w/ Arizona & New Mexico
 

I posted under "Arizona" with the same title. Please look it up and help us with our trip !(I didn't know how to post under both headings). We have never been to NM but are looking forward to this trip.<BR>Also , what is a good time for our visit ? We were thinking latter part of April (2002) but we are flexible.<BR>Thanks ! I'll be checking both AZ and NM posts.

That all depends on what you are looking to do and with whom. New Mexico in April can be many things from warm spring conditions with birds chirping and flowers in bloom to windy, muddy and cold conditions that make you want to stay inside. If your plans include a ski vacation April is a bit late as conditions tend to deteriorate, and most areas close around the first or second week of April. If your on a sightseeing trip you will find April one of the least crowded months. This is a time of year when ski areas are closing down and the summer holidays are months away. It was April my family always left N.M. as my parents had jobs that relied on visitors. <BR>You will find time to see the sights and get to meet people at your own pace. <BR>Hope you have a great trip. I am sure you will find it "enchanting" regardless of the season.<BR><BR>happy trails<BR>

anne: i don't know how long you will have, but here are my favorites: santa fe and high road to taos; acoma pueblo; canyon de chelly, stay at thunderbird lodge and take day-long tour; monument valley, stay at gouldings and take day-long tour; of course grand canyon, stay at bright angel lodge; sedona if have time.<BR><BR>a good reference book is "southwest usa, the rough guide" by greg ward. also all tony hillerman books. it is truly wonderful country, full of history and beauty.

.....we went in Oct....weather was fine.<BR><BR>top of the list: carlsbad caverns and a primitive cave tour; <BR>hiking the lava tubes at el malpais nat. monument near grants n.m.; <BR><BR>2nd place: white sands nat. monument..at least for a couple of hours at sunset... w/ stealth bombers flying overhead every 60 seconds;<BR>bandalier nat. monument near los alamos.<BR><BR>3rd place: santa fe....OK if you like shopping/art galleries;<BR>el morro nat. monument....ancient inscriptions at the base of the rock were semi-interesting.<BR>

Thanks for your comments. We could take 10-14 days. Do you think we could drive the big loop and see the main aras of Tucson, Sedona, Santa Fe and down to White Sands. We could fly to whereever we get the best price and connection : Tucson, Phoenix, ABQ.and get back to same place , making a circle. We have been to grand Canyon years ago, and would be nice to return, but we'd rather visit other places if time too short. We are retirees, and not able or wanting to do streneous activities. We enjoy to see sights, appreciate beautiful scenery, like good food and attractive accommodations.<BR>Should we try to go to Santa Fe Opera ? Read about that somewhere...

santa fe opera is in the summer - aug. i think, when the crowds are the biggest. all the places i recommended are easy to get to and good fast roads. you should have plenty of time. you should send for the new mexico and arizona state tourist booklets. you can do it on the internet. it makes the trip so much more interesting to read up before you set out so you don't miss anything. <BR><BR>i am also retired and have toured northern az, nm and so. utah for the last three falls. when i plan my trip, i avoid day-long driving and instead stop off often along the way to spend more time at each stop. in my opinion, tucson, phoenix, albuquerque just big cities and that is not what i go west to see.

A few years back in six days we did the followoing loop out of Albuquerque: Santa Fe, Mesa Verde NP, Arches NP, Monument Valley, Acoma and back to Alb. Add another week and you could visit Canyon de chelly, Sedona and Tucson. You could save some driving time if you fly into Alb. and fly out of Phx.

It's simply great to get good helpful advice !<BR>We are thinking of staying at Hotel Plaza Real. I cannot walk great distances and that seems to be centrally located and near places we want to see.Anyone stayed there ? Comments? How's parking nr. Plaza in case we stay further out ?

I enjoyed Tucson's Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Saguaro National Monument and a visit to Colossal Cave.<BR>Sedona is great no matter what you do there - it's all different and beautiful. And that can include a side trip to the south rim of the Grand Canyon, about 2.5-3 hours drive.<BR>Santa Fe is also unique and very fun. I'd make sure to take the scenic High Road to Taos for one day trip, and visit the Taos Pueblo while you're up there. There is a lot of great river rafting and balooning in the area, too.

Hotel Plaza Real, I believe, has their own parking lot under the hotel. It's a good choice for a central location. The opera is in July and August and is a lovely experience. highly recommended. <BR><BR>I agree with RQf about flying into one city and out of another it will really cut down on some boring driving. <BR><BR>There are several public parking lots in Santa Fe and a lot of handicapped parking if you have the permit to hang on your mirror. That's if you stay out of town. <BR><BR>April is nice but it still could be quite chilly in the high areas of the Southwest. May, June, September are almost perfect but are unpredictable, too. Bring umbrellas, raincoats, and sweaters just in case. Have fun!

Ditto on the Hillerman books to get a feel for the area. The Indian Country map from the California Automobile Association is really good if you're going to read those books, and will help on the road as well. Journey to the High Southewst is a book about travel to the four corners states. It's full of oddball, interesting things to do and is just a fun read.<BR><BR>Late April would probably be a good time to visit. You'll need clothing layers ranging from shorts to sweaters.