Subject is travel/food advice. You responded to a post from June 2021. I bumped for advice on Flagstaff. Lol. There is an Old Town Flagstaff.
OT: Travel & Food ideas, advice and discussions
- Thread starter pawrestlersintn
- Start date
If in Flagstaff, get a burger at Diablo Burger. It was excellent. Visited there in September 2021. Spent about 2 hours in Flagstaff, on the way back from the Grand Canyon while in Sedona.
I'm so confused. LOL.
We did hit Old Town a couple of times, including going up to The Presidio. We were stretched pretty thin for time, or we would have ventured around there a little more. So much to do in SD.
We did hit Old Town a couple of times, including going up to The Presidio. We were stretched pretty thin for time, or we would have ventured around there a little more. So much to do in SD.
Will have to dig up my notes when I get back on my laptop. But offhand, there was a good brewery across the main road from downtown.
We liked Flagstaff quite a bit. Nice planetarium on the edge of town, with plenty of dark sky northward. Highly recommended.
Here is a great resource for offroad and interesting sites.
azoffroad.net
AZOFFROAD.NET
Welcome. Our website features 100+ free trails, overland trip reports, and abandoned & historic sites throughout Arizona.
azoffroad.net
Downtown Flagstaff is split in half by Rt. 66. North of Rt 66 is like a proper downtown, with an old west feel. South of Rt. 66 feels like the residential part of a college downtown -- think State College below Beaver Ave. (Coincidentally, this is near Northern Arizona University.)
About a half-dozen breweries total on both sides of Rt. 66, all within easy stumbling distance of each other. We went to Beaver Street Brewery, got samplers and liked all the beers. A lot of pizzas on the menu, we liked them.
Downtown north of Rt. 66 has a lot more restaurants. If in doubt, I'd say park there and wander around. (Unfortunately I couldn't find the places we ate at, guessing they're no longer in business.) Also a number of places in East Flagstaff.
While in town, definitely do the planetarium, especially if there's an evening program. For great views, do the gondola rides at Arizona Snow Bowl (the nearby ski resort) -- the top is about 11k ft altitude. (Flagstaff is 7500 ft.) Sunset Crater is nearby and worth driving thru, lots of black lava formations from the volcano (though this could be on the way into or out of town).
Sedona is beautiful but the town is an overrun tourist trap. Good call not staying there, hotels are very expensive. Great vistas south of town, near the Chapel of the Holy Cross (which is worth a stop for the scenery). Lots of hiking and should be good offroading there -- 8 yrs ago they did Hummer rentals for desert drives.
Hope this helps.
I should've added: the Sedona area is very colorful, lots of red rocks. Flagstaff is much more high desert (and high altitude), pine forests and not as much color. We ran into a fairly thick blizzard in Flagstaff on our return drive to PHX. I wouldn't expect that in July, but it could get cold at night.
Anyway, fire away if you have other questions. I don't know much about offroading but still have most of my planning notes from various trips to AZ, southern UT, northern NM, etc.
Anyway, fire away if you have other questions. I don't know much about offroading but still have most of my planning notes from various trips to AZ, southern UT, northern NM, etc.
If you could post some of your planning notes for Southern Utah, NM etc much appreciated. I am interesting visiting Utah in 2023.
I visited Sedona and Grand Canyon last September, will provided info for anyone interested. We were there Labor Day weekend, crowded but manageable.
Southern Utah (breaking into multiple posts)
I drove to/from Vegas -- 3 hrs to Zion. Easy drive.
St. George: optional. Nice town, pretty area, but not much to do except hike and golf -- it would be a great golf destination with the scenery. Painted Pony downtown was good for lunch. Drove around the Red Hills Desert Garden area.
Zion: a must but need to plan around it. Was packed to the gills in mid May. Unless you're a serious hiker, you can do enough of it in 1 day. (I did 2 half days with the round-trip drive to Vegas.)
At a minimum, stop at Zion Lodge and hike to the Lower Emerald Pool and back; and take the last shuttle stop to the Riverside Walk and walk to the beginning of The Narrows (but don't do more than dip a toe in the water). Those are "easy" hikes but a little hilly and at 4500 ft, bring water and allow extra time.
Some nice views along Rt 9 near and beyond the tunnel, that justify stretching legs if there's a place to park.
With more time and energy, do the full loop at Zion Lodge (Lower Emerald Pool to Upper Emerald Pool to the Grotto to the Lodge), and stop at stations 7 and 8 just to look around.
The Narrows is only for serious, committed hikers and will take an extra day. Chest high cold water, flash flood prone area between rock formations. You'll need to rent equipment and stay on top of flood warnings/closures. It's supposed to be worth it, but I'll never know.
Angels Landing is a difficult hike to a peak with steep, narrow sections. Last section will need to hold onto a chain. It's not for everyone. It will also require an extra 4-6 hrs.
Zion logistics: Rt 9 goes thru the edge of the park. Narrow tunnel when exiting the park eastbound -- if taking a camper, check size restrictions and consider downsizing -- circling back to I-15 is far out of the way.
Rt 9 is technically inside the park but is really just a pass thru along the edge. Cars not allowed into the meat of the park without Lodge overnight stay. Will need park shuttle.
Zion has 2 shuttles, both originate from the park visitor center. One goes into the park, other goes to town for hotels and parking. One you must take, other you hope to not need.
Parking is extremely limited. Visitor center lot is the best bet but fills early. Metered parking for miles outside town, may have a healthy walk to the shuttle. Might get lucky with a make-your-own-spot along Rt 9 in the park but don't count on it.
Springdale has nothing but mega expensive hotels/food. Nearest affordable hotels in Hurricane (45 min west) or well east of the park.
I can't vouch for area food -- I ate leftovers or snacks in the car. The best choices in Springdale appeared to be Bit & Spur Saloon, Kings Landing, Zion Canyon Brewey, and Spotted Dog. My restaurant notes are littered with "meh" and "expensive" FWIW.
I drove to/from Vegas -- 3 hrs to Zion. Easy drive.
St. George: optional. Nice town, pretty area, but not much to do except hike and golf -- it would be a great golf destination with the scenery. Painted Pony downtown was good for lunch. Drove around the Red Hills Desert Garden area.
Zion: a must but need to plan around it. Was packed to the gills in mid May. Unless you're a serious hiker, you can do enough of it in 1 day. (I did 2 half days with the round-trip drive to Vegas.)
At a minimum, stop at Zion Lodge and hike to the Lower Emerald Pool and back; and take the last shuttle stop to the Riverside Walk and walk to the beginning of The Narrows (but don't do more than dip a toe in the water). Those are "easy" hikes but a little hilly and at 4500 ft, bring water and allow extra time.
Some nice views along Rt 9 near and beyond the tunnel, that justify stretching legs if there's a place to park.
With more time and energy, do the full loop at Zion Lodge (Lower Emerald Pool to Upper Emerald Pool to the Grotto to the Lodge), and stop at stations 7 and 8 just to look around.
The Narrows is only for serious, committed hikers and will take an extra day. Chest high cold water, flash flood prone area between rock formations. You'll need to rent equipment and stay on top of flood warnings/closures. It's supposed to be worth it, but I'll never know.
Angels Landing is a difficult hike to a peak with steep, narrow sections. Last section will need to hold onto a chain. It's not for everyone. It will also require an extra 4-6 hrs.
Zion logistics: Rt 9 goes thru the edge of the park. Narrow tunnel when exiting the park eastbound -- if taking a camper, check size restrictions and consider downsizing -- circling back to I-15 is far out of the way.
Rt 9 is technically inside the park but is really just a pass thru along the edge. Cars not allowed into the meat of the park without Lodge overnight stay. Will need park shuttle.
Zion has 2 shuttles, both originate from the park visitor center. One goes into the park, other goes to town for hotels and parking. One you must take, other you hope to not need.
Parking is extremely limited. Visitor center lot is the best bet but fills early. Metered parking for miles outside town, may have a healthy walk to the shuttle. Might get lucky with a make-your-own-spot along Rt 9 in the park but don't count on it.
Springdale has nothing but mega expensive hotels/food. Nearest affordable hotels in Hurricane (45 min west) or well east of the park.
I can't vouch for area food -- I ate leftovers or snacks in the car. The best choices in Springdale appeared to be Bit & Spur Saloon, Kings Landing, Zion Canyon Brewey, and Spotted Dog. My restaurant notes are littered with "meh" and "expensive" FWIW.
Will you be visiting the National Parks in southern Utah? We just recently returned from a trip that included the southern 3 of the Mighty 5. Be happy to share.
A note for the Zion area. If you like scenic drives take the road to Kolob Reservoir. Fantastic scenery. Elevation 8117. We pushed on past the reservoir and ended up in Cedar City. Breathtaking high altitude overlooks.
Bryce Canyon:. Bryce is also a must, spectacular due the hoodoos (vertical rock columns). Was not as crowded as Zion. It's about 90 min from Zion, so you can stay at one and day trip to the other depending on the full trip itinerary.
Took me about 4 hrs to drive thru the entire park, walk around Bryce Amphitheater (the main park area near the visitor center), and stretch my legs at the various stops along the full park drive length. Didn't hike at all, and didn't find it necessary at Bryce.
If time crunched you could stick to the Amphitheater, if so get up earlier.
Park shuttle only does the Amphitheater. Don't bother unless it's really crowded that day. Parking wasn't terrible in the Amphitheater, and was easy in the rest of the park.
Bryce starts at 7k ft at the gate and is over 10k ft at the back end. Amphitheater was much cooler than Zion, and the back end was cold.
Bryce lodging is the opposite of Zion -- scarce and dumpy roadside motels. I stayed at the Red Brick Inn B&B in Panguitch, 30 min away. Highly recommended if it survived the last 2 yrs. Owner was wonderful. Also a nice drive to the park.
Panguitch is your bed and not much else. Rise and Shine Bakery makes good empanadas -- that was my lunch for 2 days -- but they sell out early.
Between Zion and Bryce are a German bakery and the Outlaw Saloon where you cook your own steak. I missed both for time constraints but would go on a return trip.
Took me about 4 hrs to drive thru the entire park, walk around Bryce Amphitheater (the main park area near the visitor center), and stretch my legs at the various stops along the full park drive length. Didn't hike at all, and didn't find it necessary at Bryce.
If time crunched you could stick to the Amphitheater, if so get up earlier.
Park shuttle only does the Amphitheater. Don't bother unless it's really crowded that day. Parking wasn't terrible in the Amphitheater, and was easy in the rest of the park.
Bryce starts at 7k ft at the gate and is over 10k ft at the back end. Amphitheater was much cooler than Zion, and the back end was cold.
Bryce lodging is the opposite of Zion -- scarce and dumpy roadside motels. I stayed at the Red Brick Inn B&B in Panguitch, 30 min away. Highly recommended if it survived the last 2 yrs. Owner was wonderful. Also a nice drive to the park.
Panguitch is your bed and not much else. Rise and Shine Bakery makes good empanadas -- that was my lunch for 2 days -- but they sell out early.
Between Zion and Bryce are a German bakery and the Outlaw Saloon where you cook your own steak. I missed both for time constraints but would go on a return trip.
Roar, that is the plan, national parks in southern Utah. There is so much to see, looks like you cannot do it in a week. Then you have Grand Canyon and Monument Valley too.
Any info appreciated.
Scenic Rt 12 lives up to the moniker. Drive as much of itvas you can.
Grand Staircase Escalante Natl Monument: SKIP (do not stray from Rt 12). It's all unpaved desert roads, and the "sights" aren't. Worse, miss an unmarked turn and you'll be on a 3-hr bumpy detour all the way to Arizona, with no turn-arounds, gas, or cell service. But you'll see live cattle drives.
I didn't get as far east as Capitol Reef, Canyonland, or Arches. Will have to be a future trip.
One more note: the eastern exit of Zion is about 90 min from Page AZ. Page is worth 2-3 days for the Lake Powell boat to Rainbow Bridge (7 hrs + a mild hike), Antelope Canyon (gorgeous slot canyon), Horseshoe Bend, and Vermilion Cliffs Natl Monument. Recommend Canyon King Pizzeria, located inside a former paddlewheel steamboat.
Grand Staircase Escalante Natl Monument: SKIP (do not stray from Rt 12). It's all unpaved desert roads, and the "sights" aren't. Worse, miss an unmarked turn and you'll be on a 3-hr bumpy detour all the way to Arizona, with no turn-arounds, gas, or cell service. But you'll see live cattle drives.
I didn't get as far east as Capitol Reef, Canyonland, or Arches. Will have to be a future trip.
One more note: the eastern exit of Zion is about 90 min from Page AZ. Page is worth 2-3 days for the Lake Powell boat to Rainbow Bridge (7 hrs + a mild hike), Antelope Canyon (gorgeous slot canyon), Horseshoe Bend, and Vermilion Cliffs Natl Monument. Recommend Canyon King Pizzeria, located inside a former paddlewheel steamboat.
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Decided to post anyway, since others may be interested.
-- Flew into Las Vegas, easiest place to rent a car. Could have done Salt Lake City, but we did not want to do Canyonlands or Arches on this trip.
-- We drove 5 hrs on day 1, to Torrey, UT. Wanted to get our longest drive out of the way on the first day. Torrey is real close to Capitol Reef, and I STRONGLY recommend the Torrey Schoolhouse BnB. It was fabulous, and only 10 minutes from Capitol Reef NP.
-- Capital Reef NP was plenty nice, we recommend 1 full day there.
-- When departing the Capital Reef area, take Route 12. It's a bit longer by half an hour to get near Bryce Canyon NP, but well worth it. The views are amazing and the Aspens are beautiful too. You'll be driving mostly through Dixie National Forest. Watch out for the free-range cows!! Rte. 12 is called "Scenic Byway" and "All-American Highway".
-- We recommend, if you have the time, 2 days at Bryce and 2 at Zion. Both are must sees if you're in the area. We stayed in Hatch (just south of Panguitch), so we could keep a home base for 4 nights and not repack. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS. We were half an hour from Bryce and an hour from Zion. If doing it again, we'd stay closer to each park.
-- Bryce is a drive-your-own-car or use-a-shuttle park. We recommend using both. Parking at Sunset Point fills quickly and is the largest lot aside from a huge satellite area at the visitors center. To get to the southern end of the park you must drive as the shuttle does not go past Inspiration Point.
-- At Bryce, if you are mobile, be sure to hike Queen's Garden and the Navajo Trails. The Navajo has a portion called Wall Street that is an unbelievable hike. Both are listed as "moderate", but we found Wall Street challenging.
-- Zion was unbelievable, though 3 shuttle stops were closed. One permanently so due to a rock slide. There's still unstable rock overhead. E-J's parking advice is crucial. It makes for a far easier day if you can get to the Visitor's Center early and park there vs going into Springdale. Plus it's free. I'd get there before 8am.
-- Zion is shuttle-only heading north until November I believe, unless you stay at the Zion Lodge. We tried, but it was booked solid. Shuttles run every ten minutes, but the lines can get long, especially at the Visitor's Center and the last stop (Temple of Sinewava).
-- Do "The Narrows" at the end of Riverside Walk. First, get water shoes and a pole at an outfitter in Springdale (several rent them) the day before. "The Narrows" are among the 10 consensus must-do's among all the National Parks. Mrs Roar surprised me and took the dip!
-- We recommend the Whiptail Grill in Springdale. Excellent Mexican food, so good we ate there twice.
-- If you are staying south, take at least one trek out the East Entrance, turn around then go back to the park. The beauty of the Zio-Mt. Carmel Highway (Rte. 9) is amazing and the 1-mile tunnel is interesting. See E-J's comments about RV's, trucks, etc. as it's a narrow tunnel.
-- There is a buffalo farm if you depart the East Entrance and head east, then take 89 North. Guessing it's 15-20 miles from the park.
-- For us, this was a 7-day trip. One travel day to Las Vegas and ultimately to Torrey, UT, 1 day at Capital Reef, 2 days as Bryce, 2 days at Zion, and 1 travel day back to PA. We hiked A LOT, so didn't want to add Canyonlands and Arches (we thought it would be too much at our age). We're glad we did. Soon (maybe this year) we'll head to SLC and take in the other 2 Utah National Parks.
-- Flew into Las Vegas, easiest place to rent a car. Could have done Salt Lake City, but we did not want to do Canyonlands or Arches on this trip.
-- We drove 5 hrs on day 1, to Torrey, UT. Wanted to get our longest drive out of the way on the first day. Torrey is real close to Capitol Reef, and I STRONGLY recommend the Torrey Schoolhouse BnB. It was fabulous, and only 10 minutes from Capitol Reef NP.
-- Capital Reef NP was plenty nice, we recommend 1 full day there.
-- When departing the Capital Reef area, take Route 12. It's a bit longer by half an hour to get near Bryce Canyon NP, but well worth it. The views are amazing and the Aspens are beautiful too. You'll be driving mostly through Dixie National Forest. Watch out for the free-range cows!! Rte. 12 is called "Scenic Byway" and "All-American Highway".
-- We recommend, if you have the time, 2 days at Bryce and 2 at Zion. Both are must sees if you're in the area. We stayed in Hatch (just south of Panguitch), so we could keep a home base for 4 nights and not repack. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS. We were half an hour from Bryce and an hour from Zion. If doing it again, we'd stay closer to each park.
-- Bryce is a drive-your-own-car or use-a-shuttle park. We recommend using both. Parking at Sunset Point fills quickly and is the largest lot aside from a huge satellite area at the visitors center. To get to the southern end of the park you must drive as the shuttle does not go past Inspiration Point.
-- At Bryce, if you are mobile, be sure to hike Queen's Garden and the Navajo Trails. The Navajo has a portion called Wall Street that is an unbelievable hike. Both are listed as "moderate", but we found Wall Street challenging.
-- Zion was unbelievable, though 3 shuttle stops were closed. One permanently so due to a rock slide. There's still unstable rock overhead. E-J's parking advice is crucial. It makes for a far easier day if you can get to the Visitor's Center early and park there vs going into Springdale. Plus it's free. I'd get there before 8am.
-- Zion is shuttle-only heading north until November I believe, unless you stay at the Zion Lodge. We tried, but it was booked solid. Shuttles run every ten minutes, but the lines can get long, especially at the Visitor's Center and the last stop (Temple of Sinewava).
-- Do "The Narrows" at the end of Riverside Walk. First, get water shoes and a pole at an outfitter in Springdale (several rent them) the day before. "The Narrows" are among the 10 consensus must-do's among all the National Parks. Mrs Roar surprised me and took the dip!
-- We recommend the Whiptail Grill in Springdale. Excellent Mexican food, so good we ate there twice.
-- If you are staying south, take at least one trek out the East Entrance, turn around then go back to the park. The beauty of the Zio-Mt. Carmel Highway (Rte. 9) is amazing and the 1-mile tunnel is interesting. See E-J's comments about RV's, trucks, etc. as it's a narrow tunnel.
-- There is a buffalo farm if you depart the East Entrance and head east, then take 89 North. Guessing it's 15-20 miles from the park.
-- For us, this was a 7-day trip. One travel day to Las Vegas and ultimately to Torrey, UT, 1 day at Capital Reef, 2 days as Bryce, 2 days at Zion, and 1 travel day back to PA. We hiked A LOT, so didn't want to add Canyonlands and Arches (we thought it would be too much at our age). We're glad we did. Soon (maybe this year) we'll head to SLC and take in the other 2 Utah National Parks.
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Thank you very much!
No issues getting there early. One benefit of going east to west for vacation is that physically you are still on east coast time for the early portion of the trip. That makes it real easy to be somewhere at 8 AM when you body thinks it is 11 AM. We did a hot air balloon in Sedona the second day we were there for that reason.
Monument Valley is stunning but would be my lowest priority among the big attractions in that region of the country. I'm very glad I went but won't return.
It's 2+ hrs from anywhere and those roads starred in Unsolved Mysteries. (Unlike me, stick to daylight hrs.) Add in exorbitant hotel rates and it becomes a very, very long day trip.
Monument Valley itself is on tribal lands. National Parks pass not honored. You can self drive or get a jeep ride. The guide takes you on the self drive loop, plus another 15 min further, and charges $75/person. Drive yourself.
Park "road" is unpaved and about 3 lanes wide (two-way for most of it). You'll be glad there are no marked lanes, because you'll use the entire width to avoid giant rocks and potholes. (You'll be less glad for the smell of the pothole filler -- think Lancaster County.)
You won't get above 10-15 mph due to road conditions. That does enable the driver to see a lot of the landscape. Allow 1.5-2 hrs for the loop with some vistas. No hiking.
The gift shop is basically a truck stop without the trucks or charm. Stop for the bathroom and then get out. If the gift shop is any indicator of the attached hotel, then it's a Motel 6 charging Four Seasons rates.
The nearby town Kayenta AZ is the most depressed place I've ever seen. And everything is insanely overpriced. (Hampton Inn was $150/night more than in Page.)
But do stop at the Burger King, which doubles as a museum for the WW2 Navajo Code Talkers. Best BK ever.
It probably sounds like I'm running down Monument Valley and maybe I am, but I do want to emphasize that it's stunning and I'm glad I went. Once.
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Mesa is an eastern suburb of PHX, 3+ hrs south of Flagstaff, 5 hrs from the Grand Canyon.
Make it a point to go to Organ Stop Pizza. Live performances on a full pipe organ. The pizza was decent, nothing special, but the environment is unique and well worth going.
Mesa is fine and has a lot of other places, but most visitors would prefer Old Town Scottsdale.
Roar is a very smart man. This is a great use of 7d.
For comparison, I was limited to 3d due to work constraints (I was actually on a business trip to Phoenix). So my itinerary was:
- Day 1: early morning flight PHX to LAS, lunch in St. George, half day in Zion, night in Panguitch
-Day 2: morning in Bryce, drive Rt 12, get lost in the desert, night in Panguitch
- Day 3: half day in Zion, drive to Vegas
I wouldn't recommend this itinerary unless you're time crunched like I was, in which case it's far better than not going. Well, except for the get lost in the desert part, I'd skip that either way.
That said, I didn't feel rushed at any point in the trip, except trying to get back to the Panguitch B&B from the unplanned AZ detour before the host went to bed. Oops. She was very nice about it.
Agree with Roar deferring the other 3 parks until a future flight to SLC. They're closer to SLC than Vegas but could be reasonably added to Zion/Bryce with another 5-7d, or even combined with western CO parks for a 2 wk trip.
With 2-3d extra, I'd add Page AZ. It would be possible to stay in-between at Kanab UT, which is a pleasant small town, but with Roar's caution above -- Kanab is an hour from both Page and from Zion, so that's not for everybody.
I admire you guys that take these long driving vacations. My wife and I would kill each other. Driving is the only time we bicker. We are way too similar. Both control freaks.
Ever consider going solo?
Speaking of that gif: the only car fight we've had, in suburban PHL when my wife saw some dude on my side of the road, reached across my eyes to point at him and yelled "MULLET!"
Fight was my fault, for needing to see while driving.
My wife of 18yrs and 26 years together total and I cant drive to kids games/practices without her;I admire you guys that take these long driving vacations. My wife and I would kill each other. Driving is the only time we bicker. We are way too similar. Both control freaks.
- pumping an imaginary brake
- commenting on my radio selections
- commenting on my speed
- commenting on my amount of tickets from these stupid speed cameras everywhere in MD
- commenting that road rage is real and people are crazy and someday Ill be in for it
Im like;
- her tapping the break only serves to annoy me
- so I play 80s hard rock
- which makes me speed
- which causes me to get tickets
- so maybe some day giving a guy the finger may lead to an altercation
But after all these years....she still refuses to drive herself when we go places
so maybe she wants me hurt or a divorce???
Go figure
After Flagstaff we are headed to Loma, Co to check out the Moab area. Also the Colorado Monument and the Grand Mesa. Possibly the Dinosaur National Park. This is our third Trip to the Western National Parks. Lived in Aspen for six years so I have seen most of Colorado. In 2016 we bought a small Roadtrek RV and drove to Alaska. Hit Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone and Glacier before heading into Canada and the Alaskan Highway. Six weeks and 12,000 miles. Would require a thread of its own. 2020 went to Yellowstone, Teton, Bryce, Zion and North Rim of Grand Canyon. So this trip is Flagstaff including the South Rim. Found a way to drive to the bottom of the Grand Canyon on Diamond Creek Rd.Has anyone done this?
Northern NM: This was a 12d trip, with some vacation piled onto a business trip. Basic itinerary was: 1.5d in ABQ; 3 nights vacation in Santa Fe including a day trip around the region; 1 week of work in Santa Fe; then 1d into the desert west of ABQ before flying home. My wife joined me for the first few days, and flew home when my work started.
Northern NM has a wide variety of sights, outdoor activities, art, and especially food. Did I mention great food? The food is awesome.
I have not been south of ABQ. Southern NM is best entered from El Paso airport.
ABQ:
- Definitely see for 2d since already there, but it’s not a destination unto itself, needs to be part of a bigger trip. The city is just kinda there, unremarkable. The mountains are great but you can get that elsewhere.
- Petroglyph Natl Monument is worth 1-2 hrs. Recommended but be alert when walking on the rocks in rattlesnake country.
- Old Town/Plaza Vieja is good to walk around and get some lunch. Go into San Felipe de Neri Church. The Albuquerque Museum is supposedly good, but we skipped for time. The Rattlesnake Museum is supposedly good if that’s your thing.
- Don’t bother with downtown unless you want to say you were there. Skip UNM, it’s just another city campus and Central Ave takes forever, go out of the way to take I-40 instead.
- Nuclear Science Museum is in the east side of town – do this.
- Sandia Peak Tramway – another must. Peak is 10k ft (5k higher than town). Great views at the top, can walk around some. Overpriced restaurant but we ate there anyway because there’s not much at the bottom. It was OK.
West of ABQ: El Malpais and Bandera Volcano are similar sites near each other, about 1:15 from ABQ. Bandera is hiking up an inactive, cratered volcano (plus an on-site ice cave). El Malpais is more the badlands resulting from volcanic activity. These were both very good; if time crunched, choose Bandera. Can do both as a day trip from ABQ or even from Santa Fe. If time allows, also see the nearby ruins at El Morro Natl Monument.
Santa Fe:
- Great town to visit. A lot to see and do, and most of it is in the very compact, walkable, historic downtown area. Food destination.
- THE time to go is early Sept for Fiesta de Santa Fe, and especially the Burning of Zozobra. It’s a 50-ft marionette that represents evil spirits. Awesome ceremony, and also fun watching the crowd during the ceremony – they really get into it. This is a must. Good parade a few days earlier too.
- Things to see downtown: Santa Fe Plaza (the main square), Palace of the Governors, Basilica of St Francis, San Miguel Chapel, NM History Museum, NM Museum of Art, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe Farmers Market, Cross of the Martyrs. Away from downtown: Santa Fe Botanical Garden (plus the adjacent museums).
- State Capitol is very optional unless you’re really into that – it’s not grand like other states, more like The Forum re-decorated to look like a TV courtroom. Some really good art on the grounds and in the hallways, but no shortage of art in Santa Fe.
- Food: many high-end chefs move there. Plan to eat downtown a lot, eat well, and possibly spend a lot of money. (It is possible to eat less fancy, reasonably priced food downtown; also eating cheap is easy elsewhere in NM.) Stick to Southwestern/New Mexican. The most famous place is Coyote Café, and it is very good. Otherwise, wander around and eat what strikes you, it’ll be good.
- Hotels: Downtown is prohibitively expensive. I’d stay within a reasonable walk or Uber ride. We stayed at the Residence Inn, 2 mi each way but safe and not a difficult walk (at least before margaritas). That’s the furthest out I’d stay. The airport has cheaper hotels and food, but don’t do that. You go to Santa Fe to be downtown, so be downtown.
Day trip from Santa Fe to Rio Grande Gorge Bridge – 2 hrs + stops each way:
- Santuario de Chimayo – possibly the most important pilgrimage site in the US. People will bring containers to take home the holy dirt from the floor. Need about an hour to visit.
- Taos Pueblo – historic adobe complex still used as a tribal residence. Guided tours are about 30 min. Check ahead – this may be closed to visitors due to the virus. If you go, be aware of your surroundings, not everybody will be happy to see you there (it’s safe, but there may be some tension).
- Taos itself is a lot like Santa Fe, nice if you have time but a little redundant if you don’t. If the Pueblo is closed, then stroll around the town instead. Good place to stop for lunch.
- Rio Grande Gorge Bridge – great views. Park on one side, walk across. The bridge does sway a little, so some people may have to hold their breath while walking. Only 15 min from Taos, well worth the detour. Return drive to Santa Fe along the Rio Grande is very pretty, though it's more like the Rio Pequeno there.
With more time, wish we had done:
- Los Alamos – Manhattan Project National Historic Park, Bradbury Science Museum
- Bandelier Natl Monument – cliffside ruins, canyons, etc.
- Chaco Culture Natl Park – large ruins complex (though probably similar to others in the Southwest like El Morro, or the ruins near Flagstaff).
New Mexico food: Green chile stew (typically pork) and green chile cheeseburgers. Enchiladas with red or green chile sauce (both = “Christmas”). Carne adovada. Blue corn. Posole. Sopaipillas are like beignets but served with honey instead of powdered sugar; sometimes stuffed with meat as a meal. Mexican chocolate. There are a lot of fat New Mexicans, and you'll quickly understand why.
We do books on tape for that reason.I admire you guys that take these long driving vacations. My wife and I would kill each other. Driving is the only time we bicker. We are way too similar. Both control freaks.
One tourist sight in the SW US to skip: Four Corners AZ/UT/CO/NM.
It's extremely remote, far from anything else you're likely to want to visit -- 2 hrs from Monument Valley (which is already remote), 3 hrs from Canyonland and Arches, 4 hrs from ABQ and Gunnison CO, 5 hrs from Santa Fe, etc.
And the only thing there is a stupid marker denoting the 4-way border, as if anyone really cares.
It's extremely remote, far from anything else you're likely to want to visit -- 2 hrs from Monument Valley (which is already remote), 3 hrs from Canyonland and Arches, 4 hrs from ABQ and Gunnison CO, 5 hrs from Santa Fe, etc.
And the only thing there is a stupid marker denoting the 4-way border, as if anyone really cares.
Fly to Vegas, drive east hitting every NP in Utah, continue through Colorado doing whatever you feel. Fly home out of Denver. Thank me later.
You definitely need to go to Snooze AM for breakfast. It’s in Gilbert AZ, 10-15 minutes south of Mesa. There is also one in nearby Tempe. One of the best breakfast restaurants I have ever been to. https://www.snoozeeatery.com/
