southwest trip
 

Taking a 7-10 trip in spring to new Mexico and Arizona. Need ideas.

How are you getting there (flying in and out of where, or driving?).What do you want to see/do (ie: sightseeing, hiking, camping, culture, etc?) What price range (Budget, middle of road, deluxe?) Need more info..

Next to the "Start a new topic" bar on the left is a pull-down menu that says "View by state". You can click on it to select Arizona and then repeat for New Mexico to get a lot of ideas.

New Mexico is a little windy in the spring, but if you can cope with that you'll enjoy yourself here.

What are your interests?

Lee Ann

In addition to the obvious, Grand Canyon and Santa Fe, consider Sedona and Petrified Forest Nat. Park in AZ and/or White Sand National Mon. and Calsbad Caverns Nat. Park in NM.

donnawho,
we are flying in from atlanta. we will be doing some outdoor activity, mostly sightseeing. We usually travel mid to highend. Thanks for all your help. We have never been to southwest and we would like to see the most we could without spending all the time in the car. We know very little about the region.
Thanks

I would schedule 10 days so you don't have to spend hours in the car each day.

Without knowing more about your interests, it's difficult to give specific suggestions. What makes you interested in New Mexico and Arizona? Do you want cultural activies? Natural beauty?

Lee Ann

There are a ton of things to do and see but you can't do or see all of them, so do your research, listen to the wise travelers on this site and plan ahead. Some people want the wilderness and the national parks while others prefer cities like Phoenix and Vegas. Still others, like me, loved the drive on the old Route 66 and the train ride to the Grand Canyon. YOu have a lot of options, but you need to set the trip to your specifications and areas of interest within the time frame you have.

When is the best time to go?

Hi ElendilPickle,
We were thinking about southwest because it's one of the places we haven't seen. Looking for natural beauty and quaint towns.

Have been to northern AZ and Santa Fe/Taos NM in mid to late Sept. in the past 2 years and weather was perfect each time...cool nights and clear crisp days. Also crowds and prices are a little lower after Labor Day.
The New York Times website has an excellent travel section. Just type in 'Santa Fe' or 'Grand Canyon' or whatever in the search box to get lots of ideas.

Fall is really lovely here. If you came in early October, you could see the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and some of northern New Mexico, then head off to Arizona if you like.

Lee Ann

Actually Sept and Oct are the busiest times of year here [NM], especially during Balloon Fiesta. Foliage and autum fetch some top $$ at hotels too. The crowds are different-- way fewer kids.