RoadTrip America Arizona & New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips
384
RoadTrip America Arizona & New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips
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Overview
Enjoy all the Southwest has to offer instead of zipping on by. In a few hours or a day, each one of these 25 scenic alternative routes makes it easy to discover the enchanting history, jaw-dropping natural wonders, unique roadside attractions, and best-kept local secrets that lie just off the Interstates. Stunning photography, detailed maps, and easy-to-follow narrative guide the way through breathtaking landscapes and iconic western towns. Each route begins and ends at an Interstate, making it easy to add a few hours of scenic moseying to a cross-country run or to enjoy a picturesque day trip from Tucson, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Albuquerque, or Santa Fe. Check out a real, ready-for action spaceport Shop for unique treasure at century old Wild West trading posts Meet the treat-seeking burros of Oatman on old Route 66 Rest at an ancient healing sanctuary on the high road to Taos Explore the ancestral home of the Hopituh Shi-nu-mu in Arizona's north country Experience the rush of ten thousand cranes and snow geese as they rise above Bosque del Apache Look for extraterrestrials in Roswell Take a selfie while "standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona" Visit "The Wickedest Town in the West" Drive to the bottom of the Grand Canyon!
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781945501050 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Imbrifex Books |
| Publication date: | 04/03/2018 |
| Series: | Scenic Side Trips , #1 |
| Pages: | 384 |
| Sales rank: | 1,086,403 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d) |
| Age Range: | 15 - 18 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
SCENIC SIDE TRIP 2
Las Cruces to Lordsburg via Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument and Silver City
251 miles, 7 hours 11 minutes
From the ancient past to outer space and back, on the Trail of the Mountain Spirits
This scenic detour will add 130 miles and most of a day to your journey between Las Cruces and Lordsburg. What would have been a rather monotonous 2 hours on a flat, straight freeway becomes an expedition over magnificent mountain highways and a fascinating journey through time, with some very hot chiles thrown in.
LAS CRUCES AND HATCH
Leave Interstate 10 at Exit 140 in Las Cruces, on the Avenida de Mesilla. While you're in town, check out Las Cruces' Museum of Nature and Science. Among other exhibits, it has fossilized footprints of animals that predate the dinosaurs taken from nearby Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, which is possibly the world's richest source for this type of Permian Age fossil. Contact the BLM in Las Cruces if you'd like to tag along on a guided hike to the fossil beds, which contain tracks left by lizard-like critters, giant bugs, and sea creatures anywhere from 250 to 300 million years ago.
Otherwise, head north on Valley Drive, NM 185, which will lead you through the agricultural area north of town. The highway runs through the valley of the Rio Grande, the same Rio Grande that marks the 1,200-mile border between Texas and Mexico. At Radium Springs, pull off the road for the Fort Selden State Historic Site, the crumbling adobe remains of a 19th-century Army outpost, a relic of the days when marauding bands of Apaches preyed on pretty much everyone who came near their territory. After the last of the renegade Apache warriors were disarmed and herded onto reservations, small garrisons like Fort Selden were no longer needed; this post was decommissioned and abandoned in 1891.
Chile pepper lovers will have something to celebrate when they reach the little town of Hatch, the official Chile Capital of New Mexico and site of the annual Hatch Chile Festival. The spicy food and music extravaganza is held each year over Labor Day weekend, and draws as many as 30,000 visitors. There's no question that the farms in this area produce some of the finest, hottest peppers you would ever dare to eat, and local shops do a brisk business. You can get the chiles fresh when they're in season, from August through mid-September; the rest of the year they're available dried, frozen, and pickled, along with every conceivable chile-related food product and curio. Favorite souvenirs include beautiful decorative wreaths made entirely of dried chile peppers, and traditional ristras: strings of dried chiles, as much a staple of Southwestern décor as they are of Southwestern cooking.
From Hatch, drive 30 miles north on NM 187 to the intersection of NM 152, near Caballo Lake, a large reservoir on the Rio Grande that offers all the usual boating, fishing, camping, and picnicking opportunities. The route heads west from here, but you might consider an optional side trip: 15 miles north is the town of Truth or Consequences, the official gateway to Spaceport America, the world's first "purpose-built, FAA-certified commercial spaceport." It's not an amusement park, and it's not a movie set. It's an actual spaceport, owned and operated by the State of New Mexico, with a 12,000-foot runway, launch pads for rockets, hangars for spacecraft, and a passenger terminal that boosters compare to the Sydney Opera House. When trips into outer space become available to paying passengers, this is where they'll fly from.
There's not a lot going on out at the Spaceport just yet, but if you'd like to take a look at the staging area for what could well become the Next Big Thing, you can take a tour, the "Spaceport America Experience"; it lasts about 4 hours, counting travel time. All tours leave from, and return to, the Spaceport America Visitors Center in downtown Truth or Consequences, and advance reservations are required. If you stay overnight in the area, take advantage of the natural hot springs for which Truth or Consequences has long been famous. Several of the local hotels, including Riverbend Hot Springs and La Paloma Hot Springs, have private thermal pools right on their properties.
LAS CRUCES AND HATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Las Cruces Museum of Nature and Science
411 N. Main St., Las Cruces, NM 88001
(575) 522-3120
Prehistoric Trackways National Monument
BLM Las Cruces District Office
1800 Marquess St., Las Cruces, NM 88005
(575) 525-4300
Table of Contents
Foreword xi
Introduction xiii
Part 1 Scenic Alternatives to Interstate 10 21
1 Van Horn, Texas, to Las Cruces, New Mexico 23
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Roswell UFO Museum
Lincoln Historic Site
Billy the Kid Scenic Byway
Sierra Blanca Mountains
White Sands National Monument
White Sands Missile Range Museum
2 Las Cruces to Lordsburg 37
Las Cruces Museum of Nature and Science
Hatch (Chile Capital of the World)
Spaceport America
Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway
Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway
Gila Hot Springs
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Pinos Altos
Historic Silver City
City of Rocks State Park
Chino Copper Mine
3 Lordsburg to Willcox, Arizona 50
Silver City
Catwalk National Recreation Trail
Mogollon Ghost Town
White Mountains of Eastern Arizona
Coronado Trail Scenic Byway
Blue Range Primitive Area
Morenci Mine
Clifton Townsite Historic District
Rex Allen Museum
4 Lordsburg to Phoenix 63
Duncan
Safford and Mount Graham
Globe/Miami
Superior and the Boyce Thompson Arboretum
Phoenix Mountain Parks
Arizona State Capitol Museum
Heard Museum
Desert Botanical Garden
Pueblo Grande
5 Wiilcox to Benson 75
Fort Bowie National Historic Site
Chiricahua National Monument
Douglas and Agua Prieta
Bisbee and the Copper Queen Mine
Tombstone
O.K. Corral and Boot Hill
St. David
Benson
6 Benson to Tucson 89
Kartchner Caverns State Park
Ramsey Canyon Preserve
Coronado National Memorial
Montezuma Pass
Parker Canyon Lake
Sonoita
Patagonia
Nogales
Tumacacori National ITistorical Park
Tubac Presidio
Titan Missile Museum
7 A Tucson Circuit 101
Sabino Canyon
Mount Lemmon
Saguaro National Park East
AMARG Boneyard
Pima Air & Space Museum
Mission San Xavier del Bac
Old Tucson
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Saguaro National Park West
Gates Pass
8 Tucson to Phoenix 117
Biosphere 2
Pinal Pioneer Parkway
Tom Mix Memorial
Historic Florence
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
LDS Mesa Temple
Tempe Town Lake
Old Town Scottsdale
Western Spirit Museum
Part 2 Scenic Alternatives to Interstate 17 129
9 Phoenix to Flagstaff, West Route 131
Wickenburg
Yarneil Hill
Prescott and Whiskey Row
Mingus Mountain and Jerome
Tuzigoot National Monument and the Verde Valley
Sedona and the Red Rocks
Oak Creek Canyon
Flagstaff
10 Phoenix to Flagstaff, East Route 143
Taliesin West
Fountain Hills
Payson and the Zane Gray Cabin
Mogollon Rim
Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
Pine and Strawberry
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Arcosanti
Schnebly Hill
Sedona
Oak Creek Canyon
11 Phoenix to Holbrook 157
Superstition Wilderness
Apache Trail Historic Road
Salt River Lakes (Canyon, Apache, and Roosevelt)
Tonto National Monument
Globe
Salt River Canyon
Show Low
Petrified Forest National Park
Painted Desert
Holbrook
Part 3 Scenic Alternatives to Interstate 40 171
12 Kingman to Flagstaff 173
Historic Route 66
Oatman
Peach Springs and the Hualapai Reservation
Diamond Creek Road
The Colorado River
Grand Canyon Caverns
Seligman
Williams
Grand Canyon Railroad
Flagstaff
13 St. George, Utah, to Flagstaff 189
Zion National Park
North Rim of the Grand Canyon
Lee's Ferry
Lake Powell
Antelope Canyon
Horseshoe Bend
Flagstaff
14 Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon Loop 207
Cameron Trading Post
Grand Canyon National Park
Red Mountain Crater
Hart Prairie Preserve
Snowbowl (San Francisco Peaks)
Museum of Northern Arizona
Flagstaff
15 Flagstaff to Holbrook 221
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments
Coal Mine Canyon
Hopi Mesas
Little Painted Desert
Winslow
Holbrook
16 Holbrook to Gallup, New Mexico 233
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Monument Valley
Navajo Route 13 and tbe Lukachukai Mountains
Shiprock
Gallup
17 Gallup to Grants 249
Gallup
Bisti Badlands
Aztec Ruins National Monument (Farmington)
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
18 Gallup to Albuquerque 261
Gallup Historic District
Zunr Pueblo
El Morro National Monument
Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano
El Malpais National Monument
The Sky City of Acoma
Laguna Pueblo
Los Lunas
Rio Grande
Albuquerque
19 Grants to Socorro 275
Grants
El Malpais National Monument
Pie Town
The VLA
Plains of San Agustin
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Part 4 Scenic Alternatives to Interstate 25 287
20 Socorro to Albuquerque 289
Historic Socorro
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument (Abo, Gran Quivira, and Quarai)
Salt Mission Trail Scenic Byway
Sandia Peak Tramway
21 Albuquerque Loop 301
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Petroglyph National Monument
Corrales
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
Turquoise Trail
Tinkertown Museum
Sandia Crest
22 Albuquerque to Santa Fe 313
Coronado Historic Site
Jemez Mountain Trail Scenic Byway
Jemez Historic Site
Valles Caldera National Preserve
Fenton Lake State Park
Abiquiu
Bandelier National Monument
Los Alamos
Bradbury Science Museum
Santa Fe
23 Santa Fe/Taos Loop, Part A 327
Santa Fe
Low Road to Taos
Old Spanish Trail
Puye Cliff Dwellings
Rio Grande del Norte National Monument
San Francisco de Asis Church
Taos
Taos Pueblo
24 Santa Fe/Taos Loop, Part B 339
Taos
Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway
Taos Ski Valley
Wild Rivers Backcountry Byway
Red River
Eagle Nest Lake
Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park
Angel Fire
High Road to Taos Scenic Byway
Las Trampas
Truchas
El Santuario de Chimayo
Santa Fe
25 Santa Fe to Raton 355
Santa Fe
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
Abiquiu
Georgia O'Keeffe Home and Studio
Ghost Ranch
Echo Amphitheater
Brazos Cliffs
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
Taos
Cimarron Canyon State Park
Cimarron
Raton
Acknowledgements 371
Index 372
What People are Saying About This
"Rick Quinn reveals the absolute best of Arizona and New Mexico, including hidden gems and overlooked treasures. This gorgeous guidebook helps you plan the ultimate road trip!” —James Kaiser, author of Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide."
“Rick Quinn jumps off the interstate to guide travelers on 25 brilliantly conceived road trips. Stunning images of southwestern landscapes and landmarks nicely mix with his insights about historic attractions and roadside treasures along the way.” —Doug Kirby, RoadsideAmerica.com
“The book itself is absolutely beautiful. Stunning photographs are featured on every page. The photos, combined with detailed maps and highlights about each stop along the route, one could easily content themselves with being an armchair traveler."— Sheri Hoyte Readerviews.com
"Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips delights with more than 300 vibrant images and location tidbits that will keep the pages and your wheels turning."—Nancy Wiechec, Arizona Daily Sun
"Is a handy guide through the incredibly scenic side trips through Arizona and New Mexico.” —Rob Kinnan, Mustang Monthly
"The photographs draw you in, capturing the color and flavor of the American Southwest. And you’ll appreciate the detail and accuracy of the maps as you discover what is around the next bend in the road."—Craig and Suzanne Sheumaker, authors of America’s Living History – The Early Years
"For the road warrior, the weekend traveler, or the arm-chair voyager, Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips provides so much interesting, fun facts and photos it becomes the ultimate guidebook for the ultimate roadtrip to the road less traveled."—Janet Walker, haute-lifestyle.com
"Full-scale adventures through some of the Southwest’s most spectacular and historic places. For travelers who want their journey to be the adventure, this is a great guide to these two states."—Cindy Carlsson, Exploration Vacation.net
"Colorfully illustrated, this guide book by well-seasoned traveler Rick Quinn covers Arizona and New Mexico quite well. Enough detail is given about locations and drives to pique the interest and yet not spoil the surprise. As a bonus, the maps are concise but detailed enough to get you to the destination… Overall, I would highly recommend this book by Rick Quinn.”—Jim Hinckley, author of Route 66: America’s Longest Small Town
"This book is amazing, packed with so much information on so many towns and attractions. The directions are clear, the maps are helpful, the descriptions are concise yet engaging, and the photography consistently stunning."—Brian Butko, author of Greetings from the Lincoln Highway and Roadside Attractions
"For those who may be passing through Arizona or New Mexico on the way someplace else, it’s an inspirational guide to transforming what would otherwise be a simple A-to-B journey into something special – a road trip that takes you into the heart of the Desert Southwest”—Peter Thody, RoadTripAmerica.com
“Iconic only-in-America tourist destinations come alive in Rick Quinn’s guide to famed Arizona and New Mexico road trips. From Burma-Shave roadside signs, vortex sites, tree trunk sculptures, and the world’s smallest museum, to architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s former home, artist Georgia O’Keefe’s studio, and Biosphere 2, you’ll be amazed at the seductive pull these diverse, sometimes quirky attractions will have on your western itinerary.”—Jeff Blumenfeld, editor, ExpeditionNews.com
"It’s not a mirage, this wonderful book brings these legendary, mythical desert regions to life in the best of ways, with compelling stories, gorgeous images and useful information.”—Chris Epting, author of James Dean Died Here and Roadside Baseball
"Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips is a stunningly beautiful book with hundreds of color photos, easy-to-read route maps, and insider tips that only a well-traveled tour guide would know."—Carol White, author of Live Your Road Trip Dream.
"If there was ever a model for publishing the perfect road trip book, Quinn's book is the closest thing I've seen. It's a must-have companion if you are driving through the state and have a little extra time or sense of adventure."—Michael Dougherty, author of The Ultimate Montana Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia
“Rick Quinn’s Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips is pure joy for those who prefer the road less traveled. With more than two dozen maps, stunning photographs and practical advice, this is the indispensable guide to traveling the desert – and mountain – southwest.” —Aaron Reed, author of The Local Angler Fly Fishing Austin and Central Texas
“Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips is a must-have for travelers exploring the Southwest. Over 300 full-color photos capture the true beauty of these two states.”—Ellen Robson, author of Haunted Highway: The Spirit of Route 66
“As an experienced roadtripper, Quinn has gone beyond the usual in this travel guide, providing important information before you head out, such as when the road turns to dirt or when taking an RV is not advised. Reading this has shown me how many more fascinating and beautiful places I have yet to see. I can’t recommend this too highly. Now my only quandary—which roadtrip to do first! —Jaimie Bruzenak, RetireToAnRV.com