New Mexico / Colorado

[Snobdds]

Don't worry, wouldn't want to move to Wyoming due to the winters now at my age LOL.

Fantastic.

Tell all your friends.

 

[Sigarms]

What show are you going to? Red Rocks for a concert is on my bucket list but I'll never get there. LOL

News flash... it won't be myself or any of my friends, but they're coming, hopefully not in your lifetime, but they're coming...

 

[jyoutz]

News flash... it won't be myself or any of my friends, but they're coming, hopefully not in your lifetime, but they're coming...

Until they experience a few months of wind.

 

[Oaktree]

That said, I'm a meat & potatoes guy and all the Mexican dishes confuse me. Generally stick with a taco or enchilada because I stick with what I know (I know, bad American). Like any happy married man, worst case I'll always ask my wife what she thinks I would like because she knows me so well LOL

In NM try the chile rellanos and the carne adovada. For dessert try a flan and sopapilla with honey. Anything smothered in red or green chile is good. Locals often order “Christmas” meaning both red and green. If you get to Santa Fe, go to Tomasitas. In Taos go to Anthony’s.

Aren't a lot of those dishes rather spicy? Not a problem for me, but not to everyone's taste (my wife for example).

Some very beautiful country in that area...almost can't go wrong no matter where you go.

 

[jyoutz]

Aren't a lot of those dishes rather spicy? Not a problem for me, but not to everyone's taste (my wife for example).

Some very beautiful country in that area...almost can't go wrong no matter where you go.

Chile comes at different heat levels. Whether it’s red (fully ripe) or green is irrelevant to heat levels. Most restaurants use mild chile for their sauces or other dishes, and will state if one of the sauces is spicy. Flavor is typically the focus rather than heat.

 

[caver]

You mention trains. Pikes Peak Cog Railway was enjoyable many years ago. The two narrow gauge RR's mentioned. I preferred the Durango/Silverton for the scenery. Cumbres and Toltec stops in the mountains so the trains can pass and they provide lunch. Pretty bland food from what I remember. There is some nice boondock camping close to where the RR comes through. There's also a canyon train out of Canon City. I've always liked Ouray but like many places I got burnt out on subsequent trips or the crowds got to be too much to enjoy the place.

 

[Hughman]

The drive to the top of Pikes Peak is fun.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

If you are a rider, you can rent a MC and drive through the Rockies. Its a beautiful, especially in the Durango/Silverton area.

Wife and I liked stopping at some reservations along the way.

I have always wanted to get outside of towns and gaze up into the night sky to see if it looks as pretty and clear as in pictures.

 

[WM75Guy]

Thanks for the info!

Thinking about perhaps staying in Pogosa springs Colorado for 4 or 5 days, then do Red River NM for another 4 or 5 days. Thinking this will give us different directions to explore different areas of both states "in a general area" if that makes sense.

Don't see the logic in staying up north in Colorado if we want to check out NM. Also will give us an option to hit Utah just to revisit the area which we'll probably do (our wedding pic was us standing at the needles overlook LOL).

We stayed in Pagosa Springs for our honeymoon in June 1993. Temps were 80°F-90°F. Shorts and a tee-shirt weather. Decide to drive over Wolf Creek Pass. Was a raging snowstorm going on, several feet of snow on the ground, so we stopped to have a snowball fight. Driving up to the ski resorts were amazing views, especially noting the changes in the trees as you get higher in elevation.

 

[Sigarms]

We stayed in Pagosa Springs for our honeymoon in June 1993. Temps were 80°F-90°F. Shorts and a tee-shirt weather. Decide to drive over Wolf Creek Pass. Was a raging snowstorm going on, several feet of snow on the ground, so we stopped to have a snowball fight. Driving up to the ski resorts were amazing views, especially noting the changes in the trees as you get higher in elevation.

What month was that?

 

[caver]

Near Pagosa Springs is Chimney Rock. I took a tour there maybe 8 years ago and enjoyed it. Archaeological Sites at Chimney Rock National Monument

 

[WM75Guy]

What month was that?

June.

 

[5030]

I'm no help except to say I've hunted in both states and taken game in both states as well. We always drive as it's too big of a hassle transporting firearms on aircraft and we usually book hunts with lodge accomodations as well.

 

[jyoutz]

What month was that?

August in the southern Rockies in northern NM and Southern Colorado will be in the 80s with clear warm mornings and afternoon thunderstorms likely. My favorite time of year here (July-September). Green and lots of wildflowers.

 

[jyoutz]

Near Pagosa Springs is Chimney Rock. I took a tour there maybe 8 years ago and enjoyed it. Archaeological Sites at Chimney Rock National Monument

The whole four corners area has a lot of Native American archeological sites. Bandelier National Monument near Los Alamos and Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez are two of the most impressive.

Bandelier National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)

Bandelier National Monument protects over 33,000 acres of ruggedly beautiful canyon and mesa country. Petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls pay tribute to the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities.

www.nps.gov

Mesa Verde National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

For over 700 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesas and in the cliffs of Mesa Verde. Today, the park protects the rich cultural heritage of 27 Pueblos and Tribes and offers visitors a spectacular window into the past. This World Heritage Site and International...

www.nps.gov

 

[ericm979]

California mexican food is often good for sure. But my first exposure to mexican food was in Arizona and I learned to like chiles. A lot. California tends to be more varied with a lot of fresh vegetables while the southwest is more into chiles.

 

[jyoutz]

California mexican food is often good for sure. But my first exposure to mexican food was in Arizona and I learned to like chiles. A lot. California tends to be more varied with a lot of fresh vegetables while the southwest is more into chiles.

In NM even fast food restaurants like McDonald's have green chile cheeseburgers. We are indeed addicted to chile peppers.

 

[Sigarms]

August in the southern Rockies in northern NM and Southern Colorado will be in the 80s with clear warm mornings and afternoon thunderstorms likely. My favorite time of year here (July-September). Green and lots of wildflowers.

Good to know. Will take one pair of "warm" clothes though.

When I was single and spent a lot of time in Idaho, my "local buddies" out there taught me to come out always before memorial day to beat the inevitable Memorial day crowds and summer crowds afterwards. When I started going to Utah hiking on my own, kept the same philosophy to beat the crowds.

Always remember taking my girlfriend (at the time) and my dad on a trip in early May to Utah (first time they met). Dad was 70 at the time, and what my mom used to call "cold blooded" when he slept. Me and my girlfriend in one tent, my dad in the other tent. My girlfriend (now wife) told me she could hear my dad shivering in the tent next to us (I've always called her Jamie Summers because she has bionic hearing IMO). Long story short, we got him in the car to warm him up, and my girlfriend told me "no more tent sleeping, we're staying in hotels from here on out" (the downside to going in early May with an "old guy" who gets cold really easy). Dad didn't have a problem after that LOL

For some time, always kayaked on January 1st for our annual "new years day boat trip". West Virginia and New York gets downright cold on January 1st. When we'd get off the river, we'd have to hop in the trucks with the heaters going full blast just to thaw out our dry tops to be able to unzipper up because the zipper was frozen and you couldn't get the dry top off.

A very long story to come around to the fact that now that I'm pushing 60 myself, I'm more like my dad every day and prefer warm over cold. I can keep the basement at 65F though and don't have a problem. Always had to keep it at least at 70F for my dad though.

 

[Sigarms]

The whole four corners area has a lot of Native American archeological sites. Bandelier National Monument near Los Alamos and Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez are two of the most impressive.

Bandelier National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)

Bandelier National Monument protects over 33,000 acres of ruggedly beautiful canyon and mesa country. Petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls pay tribute to the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities.

www.nps.gov

Mesa Verde National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

For over 700 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesas and in the cliffs of Mesa Verde. Today, the park protects the rich cultural heritage of 27 Pueblos and Tribes and offers visitors a spectacular window into the past. This World Heritage Site and International...

www.nps.gov

Mesea Verde National Park I have mentioned to my wife as a stop. I went there myself when I'd go out to Utah one time, but that was one place I didn't take her and my dad when we went out there.

No doubt I'll probably be shocked to see how much Moab has changed over 20 years ago if we get there this year.

 

[jyoutz]

Mesea Verde National Park I have mentioned to my wife as a stop. I went there myself when I'd go out to Utah one time, but that was one place I didn't take her and my dad when we went out there.

No doubt I'll probably be shocked to see how much Moab has changed over 20 years ago if we get there this year.

Moab has never excited me. Just my perspective because I know it’s a destination for many people. Too barren for me.