New Mexico Travel Forum

We have 9 days for a road trip starting in El Paso and heading North thru New Mexico! We are flying out of Albuquerque and want to see as much of NM as possible, including Taos. We cannot wait to experience New Mexico!

We'd love suggestions on a route, and what to see along the way. We want to experience small towns, local cafes, fun places to stay (not too expensive), art galleries/local artists, festivals/celebrations, amazing scenery (Petroglyphs) and hikes...

Any suggestions/tips are welcome!
Thank you so much! :)

Well, if you are interested in art, a stop in Santa Fe is a must as it is one of the largest art centers in the US. Canyon road is lined with about a mile of galleries of all kinds, including locl arts and crafts. As for a drive through the mountains of Norther NM, the Enchanted Circle is wonderful and I would say on that don't miss the Taos Pueblo and the Rio Grande Gorge. Here is a link to that route: http://www.onroute.com/drives/drives_enchantedcir.html

You may want to take a look at my two New Mexico general tips. They are tips generated in response to similar questions in this forum. Just reverse the direction. I also have four trips out of Albuquerque in my Albuquerque travelogues that cover areas to the north, south and west. My New Mexico off-the-beaten path tips may help too.

I have a few roadtrips out of Albuquerque written down on my Albuquerque page's Off the Beaten Path section:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/6c5c4/cbc88/6/

One of those tips inlcudes a back way and a front way from El Paso and some stops along the way.

I hope this helps!

Hello. There is so much to see here and it is easy to get side tracked. If you don't mind some of the back roads here are some suggesstions in the Southern part of the state as you work your way north.
Alamogordo - White Sands - very surreal - few hours.
Carlsbad Caverns - if you like caves this is one not to miss.
Town of Lincoln - most authentic old west town in the US and the site of the Lincoln County War with Billy the Kid. As you head north from Lincoln stop in Capitan (Home of Smokey Bear) and have lunch at the old funky diner - Smokey Bear Cafe. If you need an over night stop - Ruidoso is nearby and a cute little town.

Santa Fe - 2- 3 days. You may want to google and see if you can catch any Native American Feast Days while you are in the northern area of the state.
On the way to Taos you can either take the high road or the low road and stop and all the funky little towns on the way. If you take the low road once you are out of Espanola and you get along the river there are 2 cool places to stop but are often overlooked. You wil see Embudo Station on your left and immediately on your right is Sugars BBQ. Just a plain old blue shake with fabulous burgers, burritos etc. They were recently written up in Gourmet Mag. A very short drive after Sugars you will see a bunch of old gas pumps, signs, etc. Stop in here and check out the little museum and meet a character named Johnnie. A good flash back in time.

Taos 2 days.

Have a great trip