Magpies

We will be flying from LA to Alberqueque ( apologies for spelling ) on the 25th or 26th December and will be spending some time there before driving to Santa Fe and then on to Dallas. ( We are leaving Australia on the 23rd of December )
We need to leave Dallas for Fort Lauderdale on the 5th Jan as the cruise we are doing departs on the 6th Jan.
How much time do you suggest in each place and what are your recommendations for things to see and do.
( We have been to the US many times before but have not been to New Mexico before so that is why we are looking at this area. )
We have been to San Antonio , Austin and Houston before in Texas but not Dallas and they have a direct flight to Fort Lauderdale so that is why we are flying out of there.
Thanks in advance for your help

emalloy

I'll hope that the weather does not interfere with your plans as it can be snowy in northern NM in December. If the weather sends you south, visit Carlsbad Caverns.

If you are interested in Native American sites, Bandeleir NM is about an hour west of Santa Fe..

tomfuller

Are you flying out of Albuquerque to Dallas? I'm hoping that you are not driving across west Texas to get to Dallas. Are there other airports that have a flight to Ft. Lauderdale (Atlanta?) that you can fly to from Albuquerque? Miami is not too far from Ft. Lauderdale so you might consider a flight there with a taxi or Lyft to a motel near the cruise port.
It is possible to get from Los Angeles to ABQ by train (Southwest Chief) if you didn't want to fly.

MmePerdu

Like emalloy, I thought first of the possibility of snow. It's unclear how you plan to move from one city to another, but if you're driving distances in winter do have back-up plans and stay tuned to the weather station. I'd also plan to arrive in Florida a day earlier (2 before your cruise) in case of weather-related flight delays. An extra day's cushion would be wise that time of year.

Magpies

Thanks everyone for your replies and suggestions. As we have limited time in this area we would prefer to fly to save time from LA to Albuquerque and I think the flight we are considering is an early one which we prefer. ( Thnaks for the train suggestion though )
We were in Sedona and Flagstaff the same time of year a couple of years ago and thought the weather might be similar. ( It did snow but did not impact our travel )
In regards to the flight to Florida we would make sure we left a couple of days earlier just in case there were any issues.
We were planning to drive to Dallas from Santa Fe / Albuquerque area but if there are going to be big problems may have to consider flying.
We thought being so close to Dallas it would be a shame to miss it ( In the past have been to Houston, San Antonio and Austin and loved them, so would like to see Dallas )
It will just be my husband and I and we enjoy driving, seeing the sights, shopping, learning about the local area and enjoying the views.
My husband is interested in Route 66 highlights and I am wanting to visit and learn more about the Native areas.
Any other must sees, places to stay and helpful suggestions would be appreciated.

Magpies

Thanks everyone for your replies and suggestions. As we have limited time in this area we would prefer to fly to save time from LA to Albuquerque and I think the flight we are considering is an early one which we prefer. ( Thnaks for the train suggestion though )
We were in Sedona and Flagstaff the same time of year a couple of years ago and thought the weather might be similar. ( It did snow but did not impact our travel )
In regards to the flight to Florida we would make sure we left a couple of days earlier just in case there were any issues.
We were planning to drive to Dallas from Santa Fe / Albuquerque area but if there are going to be big problems may have to consider flying.
We thought being so close to Dallas it would be a shame to miss it ( In the past have been to Houston, San Antonio and Austin and loved them, so would like to see Dallas )
It will just be my husband and I and we enjoy driving, seeing the sights, shopping, learning about the local area and enjoying the views.
My husband is interested in Route 66 highlights and I am wanting to visit and learn more about the Native areas.
Any other must sees, places to stay and helpful suggestions would be appreciated.

tomfuller

My advice is still to return the car in Albuquerque and fly somewhere to the east of Texas. Driving from New Mexico across west Texas to get to Dallas/Fort Worth is one of my least favorite drives in any season of the year. If you could get a flight from Albuquerque to New Orleans I'm pretty sure you would enjoy it more than Dallas.
If you wanted to see more of the old Rt. 66, go west on Central Avenue in Albuquerque until it joins back to the interstate and go west on I-40 at least as far as Winslow Arizona to see the statue of Glen Frey "Standing on the Corner". On the way back to ABQ you can stop to see the Petrified Forest if there is no snow.

MmePerdu

The most interesting thing by far west of Albuquerque, especially given your interest in Native American culture, is Acoma Pueblo. About an hour via I-40 & a turn to the south, the pueblo sits on a plateau with views around the countryside and the people are the most welcoming I've experienced in my time spent in the southwest. The village is fascinating, you park below at the cultural center and are taken up by van and around with a guide. If I had one thing I could do with a day in Albuquerque it would be that. History of Acoma Pueblo

Regarding weather, yes, not unlike Flagstaff which means sometimes there's no snow and sometimes you're snowed in for a day, like most places where winter weather can mean snow.. So the advice to have a plan B is for the latter situation.

Patty

You could break up the drive in Amarillo and maybe see Palo Duro Canyon. That said driving across west TX is incredibly boring no matter which route you take. I'd far prefer to drive from LA to NM than from NM through TX.

Nelson

We drove through West Texas over Christmas-New Years, 2014-2015, on our way to Fort Worth and San Antonio for a family reunion. There was a huge ice storm that covered the entire west half of the state. Our reservations at Big Bend were cancelled at the last minute as we were leaving San Antonio to head there. Power was out all over the state. Two days later when we were in Alpine there was still 1/2 inch of solid ice sheeting on north facing areas in town.

Mentioning this as a possibility of what can happen. Keep an eye on the weather! We were able to dodge some storms on the way down by tracking forecasts.

Still, we had a fantastic time and are in the very small minority of people who actually enjoy driving through West Texas, (provided you avoid the Midland-Odessa area). The secret is to get off the Interstate and hit the smaller roads. Writer Kent Haruf said, “You have to know how to look at this country. You have to slow down. It isn’t pretty, but it’s beautiful.”

Patty's suggestion of Palo Duro Canyon is excellent and there are more little gems scattered about. The Panhandle Plains museum in Canyon is really worth a stop.
Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum

odie1

I agree with Route 66 in Winslow and Holbrook but that is a long drive. Tucumcari is closer and if you decide to drive to Texas, would get off the highway and drive down the Route 66 portion for all the murals and kitschy motor motels.
Also strongly agree with the Acoma reservation-unbelievably fascinating. El Morro National Monument has some interesting pueblo ruins-but you do not want to attempt this drive in the snow as it is not very well maintained and there are few to no services. Chaco Canyon is a three hour drive each way-long but may be worth it.

Magpies

Thanks everyone for all of your fantastic suggestions for what to see and do!
We will take your advice and can the driving from New Mexico to Dallas and look in to other alternatives
( we looked at Dallas originally as direct flights to Fort Lauderdale from Dallas ) Maybe we will fly to Dallas, rethink our plans altogether or perhaps drive to Phoenix and fly from there. ) We did enjoy driving the drive from Phoenix to Grand Canyon, Sedona, Flagstaff etc.
We are open to suggestions and just picked New Mexico as we so enjoyed Sedona / Tucson etc. and thought this might be similar and have not been there.
We have been to New Orleans before so would prefer somewhere different.
I am writing down all of your suggestions for things to see and do in New Mexico and it sounds like it will be very enjoyable.

odie1

Magpies, Is there some reason you don't just take a one way connecting flight on Southwest from ABQ to FLL, they can usually be had for under $200 a piece?
I would definitely plan on going to Taos as well as Santa Fe. Also, drive the Turquoise Trail from Albuquerque there, stopping for lunch in Madrid-a cool funky mining town turned artist enclave.
Petroglyph National Monument has petroglyphs (of course)-the ancient pictographs of Native Americans.
Do not miss the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. It is owned and operated by the 19 Puebloan tribes.
The View from the top of Sandia Peak is meant to be indrecidble, but as it will be winter, it will be very cold up there.
An interesting place to see for the "views" if it strikes your fancy, is the Very Large Array about 2 hours outside of Albuquerque-really wild when one drives through the trees and pops out seeing that.

Magpies

Odie1 when my husband was checking for flights from ABQ to Fort Lauderdale they did not go direct and had one stop so that what was why we were looking for a direct flight from somewhere close by. We may end up having to do this though if things don't pan out.
The Turquoise Trail, Cultural Centre and Peak sound like must sees!
Thanks for your input.

BigRuss

Direct flights to Dallas are easy to get - just look them up on Southwest.com. Southwest Airlines won't come up on your Orbitz or Expedia searches, but the flights are quick and direct.

Magpies

Hi everyone,
just a quick update on our plans. Thanks so much to everyone for their suggestions.
We will be flying into Albq on the 26th Jan from LA and flying out of Albq to Dallas on the 2nd Jan, Flying out of Dallas at 12.40 on the 5th to Fort Lauderdale. ( The cruise leaves at 4.00pm on the 6th Jan and its first day is in Key West so if the weather works against us we can still meet the ship. Hoping that does not happen!!)
Obviously we will be keeping an eye on the weather while we are away and if necessary would change plans.

Now I just need some help with the time in New Mexico. and how many days needed in Albq and Santa Fe?
We fly into Albq on the 26th and out on the 2nd Jan - so have 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, and 1st. ( 7 nights )
I know that there are some attractions best seen from Albq and some best seen from Santa Fe so we are not back tracking.
Please advise and we would also love suggestions for bars and restaurants, especially steak places.
Thanks again
Donna
Australia

Magpies

Any suggestions for amount of time in each place??????

Magpies

Any suggestions for amount of time in each place?????

HappyTrvlr

I would spend at least three nights in Santa Fe with a day trip to Taos. Snow is a strong possibility as this area is at a high altitude, over 7000 ft.. There is a ski area, Angel Fire, nearby.
I would give Albuquerque less rime.

emalloy

From Albuquerque you could drive about an hour west on I-40 to Acoma Pueblo. It is similar to Taos Pueblo and a little less likely have snow, but that could happen too.

If you pull down the search for view by state to New Mexico you will find several threads with ideas about things to do in Albuquerque.