Jump to content

Menu

Vacation suggestions for Albuquerque and NM


Recommended Posts

Hi,

 

We will be flying into Albuquerque in a few weeks. We have six days to see Albuquerque and any other areas we want to visit. We probably won't make it back to this area of the U.S. in the near future. I think I have two weeks of activities planned, so I need suggestions on what is the best of the best.

 

This vacation is for the kids, ranging from 5 to 14, so we don't need shopping or fine dining. We will rent a car.

 

Two things I have looked at that are messing up my plans are whitewater rafting and/or the Cumbres Toltec train ride. Both of these are in the northern portion of the state. I also had wanted to go to the southern part of the state to see White Sands National Park. Would you suggest going north or south from Albq.

 

Thanks for your help in getting my vacation to fit in our timeline.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

We will be flying into Albuquerque in a few weeks. We have six days to see Albuquerque and any other areas we want to visit. We probably won't make it back to this area of the U.S. in the near future. I think I have two weeks of activities planned, so I need suggestions on what is the best of the best.

 

This vacation is for the kids, ranging from 5 to 14, so we don't need shopping or fine dining. We will rent a car.

 

Two things I have looked at that are messing up my plans are whitewater rafting and/or the Cumbres Toltec train ride. Both of these are in the northern portion of the state. I also had wanted to go to the southern part of the state to see White Sands National Park. Would you suggest going north or south from Albq.

 

Thanks for your help in getting my vacation to fit in our timeline.

 

If you wanted to go north, you could go a bit norther (:001_smile:) and see the Great Sand Dunes in Alamosa, CO. According to Mapquest, it's about 2.5 hours from Santa Fe, 3.5 from Albuquerque. It's not white sand, but they are cool nonetheless.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had heard that kids thought sledding on dunes at White Sands was cool. Can you do that at Great Sands Dunes? They have seen white sand before, but they've never seen big sand dunes.

 

 

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Before heading to the sand dunes, check the weather! It can be horribly, horribly hot there! It is fun, though. Santa Fe is so awesome and yes, it can be done in a day if you start early. Make sure you see La Posada. :) We're here right now and hopefully heading to Santa Fe next week. If you want to go a bit further you can see Los Alamos - especially nice if you have studied WWII. There are a couple museums (Fuller Lodge is a must-see). Bandelier is also by Los Alamos and is a great day trip - bring good walking/hiking shoes! The Valle Grande is now open for visitors and is truly awesome to see. Too bad you aren't coming in the next 2 weeks or I could give you a personalized tour from one who grew up here! ;)

 

In Albuquerque the Tram is very, very neat if you can handle heights. I think it is the highest/longest tram?? Can't remember as it has been a long time since I went on it. The zoo and aquarium are surprisingly well done and there is an Explora that is out of this world!

 

Personally, I wouldn't go south of Albuquerque (sorry, those who live there!). I just find the northern parts of NM so much prettier and more interesting. I went to White Sands once and while it was neat to see it was also hot and bright and after about 10 minutes I'd had enough.

 

You can PM me if you decide to head north of Alb. and have specific questions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

We will be flying into Albuquerque in a few weeks. We have six days to see Albuquerque and any other areas we want to visit. We probably won't make it back to this area of the U.S. in the near future. I think I have two weeks of activities planned, so I need suggestions on what is the best of the best.

 

This vacation is for the kids, ranging from 5 to 14, so we don't need shopping or fine dining. We will rent a car.

 

Two things I have looked at that are messing up my plans are whitewater rafting and/or the Cumbres Toltec train ride. Both of these are in the northern portion of the state. I also had wanted to go to the southern part of the state to see White Sands National Park. Would you suggest going north or south from Albq.

 

Thanks for your help in getting my vacation to fit in our timeline.

 

 

Welcome to Albuquerque! Here is a link to a post I wrote to someone else who was coming to our wonderful city some time back:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?p=117818#poststop

 

 

As for your dilemma about White Sands and Cumbres & Toltec. I've been both places in the past month. We were at White Sands on May 11th and it was already very, very hot! I really wouldn't recommend it this time of year, unless there's a full moon. They have special night time tours on full moon nights. Or, you would want to go early in the morning, and plan to leave by about 11:00. Problem is, there isn't a whole lot else going on in Alamogordo/Las Cruces. There's a Space Museum in Alamogordo. Las Cruces is a college town. I really don't know what goes on there. :)

 

We rode the Cumbres & Toltec on Memorial Day. It was absolutely beautiful up there. There are a wide variety of ride options. It's kind of confusing, but I'll explain it if you'd like. It's only a couple hours from Santa Fe to Chama. If you go, make sure you stop at the Natural Amphitheater (aka Echo Canyon) on the Hwy 84. It's a quick walk back to the echo wall, and the kids love it. There's a clean bathroom (chemical) there. We found it difficult and expensive to eat in Chama, but there some nice hotel/cabin/lodges there. It might be better to drive to Antonito (the Colorado end of the railroad). It seemed to be a larger town, and they may have more restaurants. I don't know. But, as the other poster mentioned, there are some large sand dunes in southern Colorado that would be fun to explore (they're just not white).

 

There are many, many historical sites in the Alb. area that make great day trips. When we did New Mexico history, we made a day trip every week for two months and saw everything from ancient cliff dwellings (Bandelier Nat. Monument), to living pueblos (Acoma Pueblo), to the living ranchero that was the inspiration ranch in the Josefina books (http://www.golondrinas.org/), petroglyphs (Petroglyphs Nat. Park), to conquistador inscriptions/ancient pueblo ruins (El Morro Nat. Monument), and more. There are also several worthwhile museums in Albuquerque.

 

Feel free to ask me questions if you have any more. I grew up here in Albuquerque, and have been just about everywhere around here. Maybe we could even do something together while you're here!

Edited by Suzanne in ABQ
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A Few of the best things to do in New Mexico (imo!):

 

1. Carlsbad Caverns- stay for the bats!

 

http://www.nps.gov/cave/

 

2. White Sands

 

http://www.nps.gov/whsa/

 

3. The Petroglyph National Monument

 

http://www.nps.gov/petr/

 

4. Roswell Alien museum

(stop on your way if you go to Carlsbad, otherwise not worth it for a trip here only)

 

http://www.roswellufomuseum.com/

 

5. Georgia O'Keefe Museum in Santa Fe

 

http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/home.aspx

 

6. Trinity Site

(can be visited while heading to White Sands if you're there at the right time)

 

http://www.atomictourist.com/trinity.htm

 

7. Get lost between Albuquerque and Santa Fe- it's breathtakingly beautiful if you get lost in exactly the right valley. Wish I could give directions, but we were lost. (0;

 

8. Old Town Albuquerque and Santa Fe downtown- lots of Native American crafters sell their wares on the town squares/regular summer festivals and farmers markets

(lock your car!)

 

9. Dive in the Blue Hole (or go swimming!)

 

http://www.santarosanm.org/scubadiving.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I live in Albuquerque, and I have to tell you that we head North a lot more often than we head South. Like others have said, White Sands is going to be hot and unpleasant, and, well, a lot of people think it's really great, but it didn't impress me that much. You could do Great Sand Dunes instead, because the weather is milder there. Carlsbad Caverns is, IMO, much more worthy of a trip South.

 

You've gotten some great suggestions already, but I'll add my $0.02.

 

Definitely plan on a tram ride. (I live only a couple miles from the tram station, so you'll have to drop by! :D ) It's really fun, and the views are amazing. There is a restaurant at the top, but it's kind of overpriced for what you get. If you want to take the hike over to the peak (I think it's a mile and a half or two miles, very gentle) then there's a snack bar there. Another option is to pack a picnic lunch. Of course if you'll have a car then you can drive around the mountain and to the peak (takes about an hour) but the tram is much more fun!

 

If you're coming from a major metropolitan area, then you will not be impressed with Albuquerque's museums. But coming from a small town myself, I think they're pretty nice! Explora is a fun hands-on science museum for kids that is hugely popular around here. We also have a Natural History Museum, which has an IWERKS theater and a planetarium. Near the AFB there's also the brand new Museum of Nuclear History and Science. And of course, there's a zoo, aquarium and botanic gardens.

 

Avoid Gardunos (Abq) and Thomasita's (SF). :ack2: Monroe's and Bumble Bee's are good, affordable family restaurants with yummy New Mexican food. And you can get really delicious, cheap, fast food breakfast burritos at Golden Pride.

 

I don't think anyone else has mentioned Tent Rocks, and it is definitely worth spending a half-day there. Really neat rock formations that only exist a few places in the world. Take the hike to the mesa top, and you get some beautiful views.

 

Also, depending on how adventurous your family is, hot air balloon rides are popular here in Abq. Personally, not my thing (I'm too chicken!), but some people love it.

 

If you really enjoy camping and hiking, I HIGHLY recommend Chaco Canyon. It is in a remote location down a washboard road, so you have to be fairly serious about it, but it is absolutely amazing. If you prefer something not so far off the beaten track, then Bandelier is nice.

 

In Santa Fe, consider touring The Palace of the Governors, because it's a neat way to learn about some NM history, and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum if your family enjoys art. There's also the Loretto Chapel. And of course, lots of shopping and restaurants.

 

Please let me know if I can answer any other questions! Have fun!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am a bit biased - I'll state that up front. I grew up going to northern NM every summer and I love it. I love the square in Santa Fe, the crafts for sale along the Palace of the Governors is so fun to go and see. I also LOVE Bandalier. Love it. It's on the way to Los Alamos. Go see the Royal Gorge - there's the bridge right outside of Taos with a nice rest area. Not a TON to see there except this huge hole in the ground - you can (if you're brave) walk across the bridge. I always want to be brave, but then a huge truck comes across and the whole thing shakes and I back off.

 

This is a neat website - it's fun just to browse and get ideas. Have a great trip!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We briefly lived in Albuqueque, before kids. We loved it, and hated having to leave.

 

We didn't live there long enough to see everything we would have wanted. But, Carlsbad Caverns are very cool. I'm clausraphobic, and didn't have a problem there. And Santa Fe is nice, too. Very artsy, with a southwestern flavor.

 

You have advice from those way more experienced than me. But we did like these two things, for sure. I really would have loved to have seen the hot air balloon festival in September.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. We are headed to Albq. tomorrow. We will ride the tramway on Wednesday evening. We will spend a couple of days there, and then we will head north since that is what the hive says.

 

We are going to go to the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, and we will take a ride on the railroad.

 

We also plan to see Tent Rocks and Bandalier.

 

I have some other things planned if they work out. Today is nuts, but I know we will have fun once we are there.

 

Thanks again for all of your help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I live in Albuquerque, and I have to tell you that we head North a lot more often than we head South. Like others have said, White Sands is going to be hot and unpleasant, and, well, a lot of people think it's really great, but it didn't impress me that much. You could do Great Sand Dunes instead, because the weather is milder there. Carlsbad Caverns is, IMO, much more worthy of a trip South.

 

You've gotten some great suggestions already, but I'll add my $0.02.

 

Definitely plan on a tram ride. (I live only a couple miles from the tram station, so you'll have to drop by! :D ) It's really fun, and the views are amazing. There is a restaurant at the top, but it's kind of overpriced for what you get. If you want to take the hike over to the peak (I think it's a mile and a half or two miles, very gentle) then there's a snack bar there. Another option is to pack a picnic lunch. Of course if you'll have a car then you can drive around the mountain and to the peak (takes about an hour) but the tram is much more fun!

 

If you're coming from a major metropolitan area, then you will not be impressed with Albuquerque's museums. But coming from a small town myself, I think they're pretty nice! Explora is a fun hands-on science museum for kids that is hugely popular around here. We also have a Natural History Museum, which has an IWERKS theater and a planetarium. Near the AFB there's also the brand new Museum of Nuclear History and Science. And of course, there's a zoo, aquarium and botanic gardens.

 

Avoid Gardunos (Abq) and Thomasita's (SF). :ack2: Monroe's and Bumble Bee's are good, affordable family restaurants with yummy New Mexican food. And you can get really delicious, cheap, fast food breakfast burritos at Golden Pride.

 

I don't think anyone else has mentioned Tent Rocks, and it is definitely worth spending a half-day there. Really neat rock formations that only exist a few places in the world. Take the hike to the mesa top, and you get some beautiful views.

 

Also, depending on how adventurous your family is, hot air balloon rides are popular here in Abq. Personally, not my thing (I'm too chicken!), but some people love it.

 

If you really enjoy camping and hiking, I HIGHLY recommend Chaco Canyon. It is in a remote location down a washboard road, so you have to be fairly serious about it, but it is absolutely amazing. If you prefer something not so far off the beaten track, then Bandelier is nice.

 

In Santa Fe, consider touring The Palace of the Governors, because it's a neat way to learn about some NM history, and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum if your family enjoys art. There's also the Loretto Chapel. And of course, lots of shopping and restaurants.

 

Please let me know if I can answer any other questions! Have fun!

 

 

Are Los Cuates and Double Rainbow still around? What about the Frontier?

 

I miss Albuquerque. It seems like a lifetime ago...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A Few of the best things to do in New Mexico (imo!):

 

1. Carlsbad Caverns- stay for the bats!

 

http://www.nps.gov/cave/

 

2. White Sands

 

http://www.nps.gov/whsa/

 

3. The Petroglyph National Monument

 

http://www.nps.gov/petr/

 

4. Roswell Alien museum

(stop on your way if you go to Carlsbad, otherwise not worth it for a trip here only)

 

http://www.roswellufomuseum.com/

 

5. Georgia O'Keefe Museum in Santa Fe

 

http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/home.aspx

 

6. Trinity Site

(can be visited while heading to White Sands if you're there at the right time)

 

http://www.atomictourist.com/trinity.htm

 

7. Get lost between Albuquerque and Santa Fe- it's breathtakingly beautiful if you get lost in exactly the right valley. Wish I could give directions, but we were lost. (0;8. Old Town Albuquerque and Santa Fe downtown- lots of Native American crafters sell their wares on the town squares/regular summer festivals and farmers markets

(lock your car!)

 

9. Dive in the Blue Hole (or go swimming!)

 

http://www.santarosanm.org/scubadiving.htm

 

 

Were you lost on the Turquoise Trail? Did you go through Madrid?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...