Get Out To The Desert

[yakers]

A few weeks ago my wife & I went to Death Valley in our VW camper. What a wonderful place, the flowers were just starting. This is the wettest winter in 100 years. This weekend we went to the Anza-Borrego desert, its a riot of color, more than in recorded history. Just amazing to see the deserts green and full of flowers. All you folks who live in the southwest,and the other ERd folks with time, make sure you get out and see the color show.
I have pictures but you can just google the sites and get plenty of information and local pictures.

[cfcf]

Desert blooms can be awesome!

Seeking advice on Santa Fe and Taos, as wife and I are heading there in May for a couple of weeks.

Have done a fair amount of homework and have the Lonely Planet guide, but sure would appreciate any personal takes and advice on hike/bike/raft/hotsprings/nature/shop/tourist/eat/etc. !

Thanks,
cfcf

[brewer12345]

Can't offer any advice right now, but when I get back in mid-April, I will let you know. We are renting a house between Santa Fe and Taos.

[cfcf]

B12345,

Awesome - thanks much. Have a great trip!

[eridanus]

Stay at an earthship! www.earthship.org

There are some funky hotels in Taos also.

Skip that recommended Mexican food place in Santa Fe - Tomatito's or something? Overrated.

Pecos Wilderness campgrounds are insanely crowded on the weekends. The backcountry is also fairly crowded if you're within a day's hike of the trailhead.

[Traveler]

Best show of wildflowers I've ever seen was in Big Bend National Park in Texas. Absolutely spectacular. This was back in 2001 and the locals said that it was only a so-so year. If west Texas has received the kind of rainfall we've had this year in the far west, I bet the blooms are beautiful. Even if they're not, Big Bend is a wonderful place to visit and you can pretty much have the whole park to yourself.

[cfcf]

Eridanus,

We we going to do the tenting/camping thing on this trip, but then decided to splurge for once and sleep in a real bed.

We've decided to stay at a couple of different casitas (guest houses). They both look pretty sweet (especially the Taos one), and cost just a little more than an el-drabo hotel room.

Taos http://casagallina.net/gallina_casagallina.htm
Santa Fe http://www.vrbo.com/8552

[Sheryl]

Thanks for posting the link - that place in Taos does look sweet. I want to get down to the SW this September - let us know how you like it.

[brewer12345]

Desert blooms can be awesome! *

Seeking advice on Santa Fe and Taos, as wife and I are heading there in May for a couple of weeks.

Have done a fair amount of homework and have the Lonely Planet guide, but sure would appreciate any personal takes and advice on hike/bike/raft/hotsprings/nature/shop/tourist/eat/etc. !

Thanks,
cfcf

Heh, I'm back. After 2 feet of snow in Denver on the day we were supposed to leave, I wasn't so sure that would be the case. Contonental can eat my ass with a spoon the next time I am anywhere near a snowstorm and booked on one of their flights. The damn airport was closed yet the morons at their Houston telecenter kept insisting that the flight would leave on time and I'd better be there when it did.

Anyway, we had a great time. The place we stayed was amazing and a great bargain. Check it out at the link: http://www.vrbo.com/37663 We well be doing the house rental thing again when we travel with kids. MUCH easier when you have a kitchen and washer/dryer at your disposal.

In Taos: don't miss the Millicent Rodgers museum. Blew away every other museum we hit in NM. Definately go see the Taos pueblo. Other than that, the people-watching is great, since its still full of old hippies and, um, unique characters. Oh, and spend a few minutes checking out the Taos gorge bridge.

In Santa Fe: Go see the cathedral. The Loretto chapel was neat, but tackily commercialized. The Palace of Governors is worthwhile, as is the Museum of Fine Arts. Don't bother with the Georgia O'Keefe musem. In general, the galleries have better art than the museums, sadly. We found Santa Fe to be overrun by wealthy tourists and generally full of hype and marketing.

In the area: Take a ride along the "High Road" to Taos. Amazing sights and nifty historical places. You also pass through some national forest with good hiking. I am still having problems with one knee, so we didn't get to do much hiking.

[cfcf]

B12345,
Thanks for your first-hand experiences and advice on New Mexico travel.

Countdown to blastoff has begun: NM or bust in 2 more weeks!