Hello,

I'm looking for input on our Denver to Albuquerque itinerary which is seeming at the moment way more ambitious than I had first thought. I would appreciate any input that anyone might have!

Day 1: Arrive in Denver early morning; travel to Estes Park; spend day at Rocky Mountain National Park ("RMNP"); spend night in Estes Park.

Day 2: Spend day in RMNP; spend night in Estes Park.

Day 3: Travel in morning to Boulder; tour Boulder until mid-afternoon; travel to Vail; tour Vail; spend night in Vail.

Day 4: Travel from Vail to Ouray; spend night in Ouray.

Day 5: Spend morning touring Ouray area; travel in afternoon to Mesa Verde; take late afternoon tour of Mesa Verde; spend night at Mesa Verde.

Day 6: Spend morning touring Mesa Verde; travel in afternoon to Durango; tour Durango area in evening; spend night in Durango.

Day 7: Tour Durango area; spend night in Durango.

Day 8: Travel to Los Alamos first thing in the morning; tour Bradbury Museum; travel to Santa Fe; spend night in Santa Fe.

Day 9: Tour Santa Fe area; spend night in Santa fe.

Day 10: Travel to Albuquerque to catch flight home.

Besides my general question of whether this itinerary seems doable and/or wise, I have a few specific questions:

(1) The drive from Estes Park to Boulder and then to Vail seems fairly short, but the drive the next day to Ouray is longer. Is there a better stopping point than Vail that would also be a nice place to visit?

(2) Is it worth spending Day 7 traveling from Durango to Silverton on the train?

(3) Is Durango the best place on the way to Santa Fe to spend two nights? I've read some messages from people who don't recommend staying that long in the Durango area...

(4) Our must see places are: RMNP, Santa Fe, and Mesa Verde. Is there a route that would be better than the one we've chosen with respect to time and sights?

I've done a lot of research but am really having difficulty conceptualizing whether this will really work since I've never been to most of these places.

I would really appreciate any insights!

Best regards!

I think the CO portion of your itinerary sounds great. Instead of spending the night at Vail, I would suggest going to Leadville (south of I-70 via Hwy. 24 or Hwy. 91). It is a beautiful old mining town, and it's also the highest elevation of any incorporated city in the continental US (over 10,000 ft. above sea level). Much less touristy than Vail. Take a short drive to Turquoise Lake if you have the chance, it is magnificent. You will also get to see the Collegiate Mountains area as you head south out of Leadville, where more than a dozen 14'ers are clustered together.

Regarding the train from Durango to Silverton - it would be a great way to spend day 7. IMO, if you have already seen the Million Dollar Hwy and Mesa Verde, that's the next most significant thing to do in Durango.

I think the route you have chosen thru CO is great - I can't comment on NM. Have fun!

Beckers,

Thank you so much for your input. I went ahead and made reservations at the Delaware Hotel in Leadville. Hope we don't have any altitude issues...

Thanks again!

Michelle

I have one other question! RMNP is on our must-see list because a friend said we shouldn't miss it. Would we really see scenery in RMNP that we wouldn't see on our journey south? If not, I'm thinking of cutting out that part of the trip so we can have more time in the places we're thinking of visiting on the way to Santa Fe. Again, any comments are greatly appreciated.

Michelle, let me first say that everything you have outlined is doable. i spend two weeks every end of summer in that area escaping the heat in New Orleans. Keep Estes in your plans. I would consider overnighting in Steamboat Springs the first night. The next day you could have an easy and scenic ride south and overnight in Aspen...either from the east over independence pass or via Glenwood Springs south. From Aspen you could head back thru Carbondale, have lunch in Redstone and then head into Ouray. From there the ride south on 145 is awesome...stop in Teluride for lunch and a walk thru this cool mountain town.
I would visit Mesa Verde and overight in Durango. If you feel you needed more time to sightsee in the park you could easily go back in the morning. From Durango, head east toward Pagosa Springs, south to Chama and southeast to Taos. i would spend at least one night in this special N.M. town. From Taos, just a short hop to Santa Fe...take the "high road" and enjoy all the art and history in this wonderful town. just my thoughts...BTW...I think hwy 149 from gunnison south to south fork is the prettiest stretch of road in Colorado...if time permits, you won't regret.

I would disagree completely about Mesa Verde - it isn't worth doing if you only go for a few hours. Get tickets for a late evening tour and for the first one the next morning, so you can avoid the heat. The ruins at MV are all very different, and there are so many interesting things to learn there. Plus, you absolutely cannot beat the solituide or the sunset views.

I think you would also be missing a lot if you just visit RMNP for a few hours one day. There are several gorgeous hiking trails, and the park is so big you just can't see everything in one day. I don't care for Steamboat Springs - it is not as scenic imo as Estes Park.

IMO, Gunnison to South Fork isn't nearly as beautiful or striking as the Million Dollar Hwy. from Ouray to Durango.

Thanks Beckers and Geezer!

I think we'll stick with the original plan but will replace the second day in Durango with a day and night in Taos. Then we'll head on to Santa Fe. I'm thinking this will create less travel fatigue towards the end of the trip.

Again, I really appreciate all of your comments and suggestions!

I have to say that itinerary sounds like way too much driving and not enough enjoying. People can underestimate travel time by looking at maps, forgetting that mountain driving is much slower, plus you might want to stop for photos or hike a trail you see unexpectedly. I'd cut out Vail for one. Definitely see Taos, if it makes sense in the grand plan. RMNP is beautiful, especially if you can do Trail Ridge Road, but otherwise I am not sure it's worth going out of your way to Estes, since the mountains near Ouray and Telluride are beautiful, too. And I can't see how overnighting in Steamboat the first night would make sense, as it's out of the way and is about a 3.5 - 4 hour drive from Denver. Then Steamboat to Aspen is doable, but is it fun to drive so much and pack and unpack so often? Not to me. Enjoy the mountains by breathing the air and relaxing, not by driving and polluting every day.

Hi,

So many opinions--which is why this board is so much fun to read. Here's mine!!

We are not Estes Park/RMNP fans. I would rather spend my time in the southwest part of the state enjoying the stunning scenery on the Million Dollar Highway area. Like Silverton, Durango, Pagosa Springs, Ouray, Mesa Verde, Telluride. Great scenery, pleasant towns, nice folks.

The train ride is beautiful, but very long. Consider the one-way train, one-way bus option--I assume that is still available.

The ride from Durango to Taos area is very scenic, but very different from the mountains you will have just traveled.

Have a good trip.

Thanks everyone! I think our itinerary is much improved now. We are going to plan to do RMNP on another visit so that we can

so that we can have more time in the Southwestern part of the state. I really appreciate everyone's comments!

There are other mountain areas as beautiful as RMNP, but I don't think you can beat Estes Park.

Sue

I think you will be more than happy touring the southwestern part of Colorado. RMNP is beautiful, but you can't do it all and you will see plenty with what you're now planning. Maybe less crowded, too.

Next time, do Denver, Boulder, RMNP, Grand Lake, Steamboat, etc.