"Land of Varied Scenery" Top 5 Page for this destination New Mexico by Bwana_Brown

New Mexico Travel Guide: 4,044 reviews and 9,776 photos

Upper Rio Grande River at Pilar - New Mexico

In mid-July I had a business trip to Albuquerque for 3 days of meetings, so I went a couple of days early to take advantage of much cheaper airfares. This gave me some free time, so I rented a car and spent two days driving in a 420-mile Figure-8 pattern north of the city. I started out on the flat and dusty plains at Albuquerque, swung west a bit an ascended up the Jemez River valley to Los Alamos before spending the first night at Espanola (the centre of my Figure-8). From there I went into alpine valley country to the east as I drove through the mountains to Mora, before swinging north to Taos on a backroad via Angel Fire. Then it was back down the Rio Grande River canyon to Espanola and Santa Fe for the night. The next morning I returned to Albuquerque by the Rte. 14 Turquoise Trail through Madrid. It was very interesting driving - the scenery changed with the elevation and it seemed that there was a very different and striking rock formation or scene around almost every turn! Temperatures were about 36 C in Albuquerque but dropped to around 30 C in the mountains around Taos.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Amazing Scenery in the North
Cons:Hot and Dry
In a nutshell:Lots to see and do - but it can be hot!

Last visit to New Mexico: Jul 2003
Intro Updated Jul 25, 2003
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Reviews (18)

Cottonwood Trees in the Dry Scrub near Chimayo - New Mexico

Leaving the Desert Behind Things to Do (6)

As I headed northeast in the morning, leaving Espanola for the Sangre de Cristo mountains via Rte. 76, the road began to... more travel advice

I Have Tamed the Rio Grande! - New Mexico

More to New Mexico Than I Thought ! Favorites (1)

I really enjoyed the changing scenery as I drove around New Mexico's upper regions. After winding my way up the Jemez... more travel advice

Rio Grande Rapids Sports & Outdoors (1)

About midway between Taos and Santa Fe, the highway meets the Rio Grande River gorge at a little place called Pilar.... more travel advice

South American Beat Shopping (1)

When I had finished my lunchtime meal in Taos, I descended to the lower level to return to my car. However, there I... more travel advice

Restaurants (4)
See All What About the Toast?
Hotels (2)
See All Sunday Night in Santa Fe
Local Customs (1)
Alpaca Farms

Transportation (1)
Rental Car Freedom
Off The Beaten Path (1)
Hippie Hangout
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Comments (18)

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toonsarah Aug 29, 2011 at 2:00 AM

Can't wait to see some of these places for myself! Love the red sandstone country especially. And thanks for the warning about the speed traps :-)
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SteveOSF Feb 10, 2010 at 12:14 AM

Very nice page. Looks like you did a lot of driving in a short period of time.
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richiecdisc May 28, 2009 at 3:14 AM

Eggs with no toast is not good. Sorry to hear you missed the brewpubs and that Taos was so packed but great shots of the open road. Soda Falls looks great, we missed that.
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janiebaxter Nov 2, 2008 at 4:15 AM

Hi, Interesting pages - I'm sure I'd like the desert here, if not the snow capped mountains!
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Stephen-KarenConn Jan 28, 2008 at 8:26 AM

Enchanting views of the Land of Enchantment. You saw some of the best parts of this beautiful state.
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traveldave Jan 9, 2008 at 3:28 PM

New Mexico is one of my favorite states. I love the endless desert vistas. I definitely have to get back there one of these days.
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HORSCHECK Dec 11, 2007 at 1:35 PM

Glenn, gorgeous page with interesting tips. I have never heard of Fat Tire beer. :-)
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kyoub Oct 21, 2007 at 2:22 PM

Nice that you had a good reason to be in New Mexico and the time to do some exploring. Interesting page.
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mad4travel Aug 5, 2005 at 10:31 AM

Nice New Mexico pages. Haven't been there for a while, brought back some good memories :-)
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JLBG May 23, 2005 at 12:46 PM

I have not seen much of New Mexico. Thank you, Glenn to add a complement to my knowledge of that state !