Between Albuquerque and GCNP, there's a lot of opportunities to see the artifacts of 1950s America along what remains of Route 66 (which roughly parallels I-40). Vintage architecture, themed diners, car museums, etc. Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site (40 mi north of Chambers, AZ, on US-191) makes for a unique side trip for genuine Navajo crafts. Petrified Forest National Monument is a great place to drive thru and explore the unique geology of the area. Flagstaff is a very dog-friendly city and a great place to overnight, eat, explore.
In Albuquerque I recommend Petroglyph National Monument. You walk around and can see all these carvings/drawings made by indigenous people thousands of years ago. It's not difficult to hike around at all, but the elevation of that area overall will definitely affect you if you aren't used to it (which you aren't if you're from Louisiana). One of my favorite places I've been on a road trip, so much that I'm planning to see more when we travel to Wyoming this summer.
Eta: Also dog friendly, which is one reason I chose it, I had my dog along on this trip
https://preview.redd.it/of5ylv7afykc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1fbcdbbda0dad9085a06d7a2a97eb2d063709fd
A
I also stayed in this very cute dog-friendly Airbnb while in Albuquerque, I highly recommend. It looks like the host has a few more now, all dog-friendly
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/26524137?source_impression_id=p3_1708964227_sFZNP7R516jc%2F6ip
Welcome to Albuquerque! For a romantic outing, I would recommend taking the Tramway up to the top of the mountains. There's a little bar /restaurant up at the top, you can go up hang out for a while and then ride back down. Go up in the late afternoon, the sunsets from up there are absolutely amazing.
You should be aware that we often have extremely intense winds in Albuquerque in March, it's just starting a little bit today, blowing about 20 and gusting to 40. This can affect driving on the interstate. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Depending on when you travel, the worst of the winds may already be passed. Actually, the time you're going to be passing through is one of my absolute favorite times of year around here, cool nights and warm days, and the trees will be starting to get their leaves, spring anywhere is always delightful isn't it?
Albuquerque has an growing collection of dog parks! We just opened I think it was six new ones last weekend. We also have the Bosque, AKA Rio Grande state park, which has walking and cycling trails through the whole thing and is very dog appropriate. (Please, of course, keep your dog on a leash no matter where you are, and clean up his poop.) We also have a large selection of dog friendly restaurants, usually in the form of a patio set up.
If you have time for a side trip and it's your kind of thing, I would recommend heading to Ojo Caliente which is north of Santa fe, or Truth or Consequences which is south of albuquerque, to check out the natural hot springs.
Santa Fe is only an hour away, and it's a really cool town that's very different from Albuquerque. I'm sure you could search this sub and find different discussions of the pros and cons of Santa Fe versus Albuquerque. Meow Wolf is a particularly fun way to spend a few hours.
General travel tips for this region - be aware that the towns all have edges, and there is nothing much in between them. This is going to be new and different for you compared to where you have traveled in the past. Stop for gas whenever you have the opportunity, and always have I would say at least four gallons of water in the car with you for the two of you and your large dog. We always take food in a cooler because our stomachs may not line up with when we pass through towns. Get AAA membership and pay the extra for the 100 mile towing rider, there are many places out here you could break down and not be within 30 miles of a town. If you're using gps, download maps when you're in town, don't rely on being able to use them online when you're in the rural spaces.. Ditto with music or podcasts etc for when you're on the road. Long stretches where no radio is really available unless you have Sirius.
If you let me know what your interests are, I would be happy to make more specific recommendations about places to eat or things to do.
Oh, and congrats on the upcoming nuptials! 🙂
I've lived here since the turn of the century. I like it more and more over time. 🙂 sure we've got problems, just like any other growing city, but I really don't understand the haters.
I’ve been 3 times in a span of 20 years and enjoyed it each time as well as the rest of the lan of enchantment. Is there crime and poverty; sure but tell me another city in the southwest or the country for that matter that does not
Omg! You are awesome! This is a lot of great information. My fiance will be over the moon about the possibility of visiting a hot spring. Do you have any recommendations for one of those?
Also, thank you for the idea about the food, water, and AAA. It’s definitely going to be a new environment, so having these safeties will help.
Truth or Consequences New Mexico is about two and a half hours south of Albuquerque, it's a real easy trip to go down there for an overnight.
One of the most popular places in TorC is Riverbend Hot Springs, and if you're just going down to soak for a couple of hours I would recommend getting on their website and reserving one of the private tubs for an hour or two. They are Outdoors but in private areas with a beautiful view of the Rio Grande. If you're going to stay over, I would recommend either the Firewater Lodge (funky, incredibly laid back, private soaking tubs in most of the rooms), or the Blackwater ( more upscale / expensive, also private tubs in the rooms). My sweetie and I've been going down there for a romantic retreat once or twice a year for a long time now, it never fails to relax and rejuvenate us, so it's getting my recommendation. There's really nothing much to do except soak and walk around this awesome little town. Art galleries and that kind of thing on Main street, but it's tiny.
However, T or C is down in the flat desert part of the state, and if you'd like to see some gorgeous mountains up close and also go to a hot spring you could go to Jemez Springs, which is up in the mountains. Another awesome little town with nothing much to do but soak and walk around, a couple of little restaurants. The old Jemez bath house is really interesting, and still in use, but the Giggling Springs is the best, Outdoor Hot Springs experience extraordinaire on the banks of the river. Takes about an hour to get to out of Albuquerque, and it's a beautiful drive. Overnight accommodations are extremely limited.
Ojo Caliente spa is my least favorite, it is closest to Santa Fe and so it's very chi-chi and pricey and can be crowded.
Have fun planning!
Between Albuquerque and GCNP, there's a lot of opportunities to see the artifacts of 1950s America along what remains of Route 66 (which roughly parallels I-40). Vintage architecture, themed diners, car museums, etc. Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site (40 mi north of Chambers, AZ, on US-191) makes for a unique side trip for genuine Navajo crafts. Petrified Forest National Monument is a great place to drive thru and explore the unique geology of the area. Flagstaff is a very dog-friendly city and a great place to overnight, eat, explore.
In Albuquerque I recommend Petroglyph National Monument. You walk around and can see all these carvings/drawings made by indigenous people thousands of years ago. It's not difficult to hike around at all, but the elevation of that area overall will definitely affect you if you aren't used to it (which you aren't if you're from Louisiana). One of my favorite places I've been on a road trip, so much that I'm planning to see more when we travel to Wyoming this summer. Eta: Also dog friendly, which is one reason I chose it, I had my dog along on this trip https://preview.redd.it/of5ylv7afykc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1fbcdbbda0dad9085a06d7a2a97eb2d063709fd A
I also stayed in this very cute dog-friendly Airbnb while in Albuquerque, I highly recommend. It looks like the host has a few more now, all dog-friendly https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/26524137?source_impression_id=p3_1708964227_sFZNP7R516jc%2F6ip
https://preview.redd.it/d2auotpjfykc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=342d7f9eac75cc679447aa7d89609d0884834802
Thank you for the recommendation! We will definitely be checking it out!
Welcome to Albuquerque! For a romantic outing, I would recommend taking the Tramway up to the top of the mountains. There's a little bar /restaurant up at the top, you can go up hang out for a while and then ride back down. Go up in the late afternoon, the sunsets from up there are absolutely amazing. You should be aware that we often have extremely intense winds in Albuquerque in March, it's just starting a little bit today, blowing about 20 and gusting to 40. This can affect driving on the interstate. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Depending on when you travel, the worst of the winds may already be passed. Actually, the time you're going to be passing through is one of my absolute favorite times of year around here, cool nights and warm days, and the trees will be starting to get their leaves, spring anywhere is always delightful isn't it? Albuquerque has an growing collection of dog parks! We just opened I think it was six new ones last weekend. We also have the Bosque, AKA Rio Grande state park, which has walking and cycling trails through the whole thing and is very dog appropriate. (Please, of course, keep your dog on a leash no matter where you are, and clean up his poop.) We also have a large selection of dog friendly restaurants, usually in the form of a patio set up. If you have time for a side trip and it's your kind of thing, I would recommend heading to Ojo Caliente which is north of Santa fe, or Truth or Consequences which is south of albuquerque, to check out the natural hot springs. Santa Fe is only an hour away, and it's a really cool town that's very different from Albuquerque. I'm sure you could search this sub and find different discussions of the pros and cons of Santa Fe versus Albuquerque. Meow Wolf is a particularly fun way to spend a few hours. General travel tips for this region - be aware that the towns all have edges, and there is nothing much in between them. This is going to be new and different for you compared to where you have traveled in the past. Stop for gas whenever you have the opportunity, and always have I would say at least four gallons of water in the car with you for the two of you and your large dog. We always take food in a cooler because our stomachs may not line up with when we pass through towns. Get AAA membership and pay the extra for the 100 mile towing rider, there are many places out here you could break down and not be within 30 miles of a town. If you're using gps, download maps when you're in town, don't rely on being able to use them online when you're in the rural spaces.. Ditto with music or podcasts etc for when you're on the road. Long stretches where no radio is really available unless you have Sirius. If you let me know what your interests are, I would be happy to make more specific recommendations about places to eat or things to do. Oh, and congrats on the upcoming nuptials! 🙂
Love your positivity for ABQ. I’m so used to hearing negative comments about it.
I've lived here since the turn of the century. I like it more and more over time. 🙂 sure we've got problems, just like any other growing city, but I really don't understand the haters.
I’ve been 3 times in a span of 20 years and enjoyed it each time as well as the rest of the lan of enchantment. Is there crime and poverty; sure but tell me another city in the southwest or the country for that matter that does not
Omg! You are awesome! This is a lot of great information. My fiance will be over the moon about the possibility of visiting a hot spring. Do you have any recommendations for one of those? Also, thank you for the idea about the food, water, and AAA. It’s definitely going to be a new environment, so having these safeties will help.
Truth or Consequences New Mexico is about two and a half hours south of Albuquerque, it's a real easy trip to go down there for an overnight. One of the most popular places in TorC is Riverbend Hot Springs, and if you're just going down to soak for a couple of hours I would recommend getting on their website and reserving one of the private tubs for an hour or two. They are Outdoors but in private areas with a beautiful view of the Rio Grande. If you're going to stay over, I would recommend either the Firewater Lodge (funky, incredibly laid back, private soaking tubs in most of the rooms), or the Blackwater ( more upscale / expensive, also private tubs in the rooms). My sweetie and I've been going down there for a romantic retreat once or twice a year for a long time now, it never fails to relax and rejuvenate us, so it's getting my recommendation. There's really nothing much to do except soak and walk around this awesome little town. Art galleries and that kind of thing on Main street, but it's tiny. However, T or C is down in the flat desert part of the state, and if you'd like to see some gorgeous mountains up close and also go to a hot spring you could go to Jemez Springs, which is up in the mountains. Another awesome little town with nothing much to do but soak and walk around, a couple of little restaurants. The old Jemez bath house is really interesting, and still in use, but the Giggling Springs is the best, Outdoor Hot Springs experience extraordinaire on the banks of the river. Takes about an hour to get to out of Albuquerque, and it's a beautiful drive. Overnight accommodations are extremely limited. Ojo Caliente spa is my least favorite, it is closest to Santa Fe and so it's very chi-chi and pricey and can be crowded. Have fun planning!
Ps, I forgot to mention, the fire water lodge in T or C allows pets, no weight limit. Must be clean and brushed.
Don't get below half a tank before refueling. Take a,paper map. Don't drive at night to/from The Grand Canyon unless it's to Tusayan.
We’d really like to see the stars in the Grand Canyon at night and we are staying in the village by the entrance, is there a way to safely do that?
Dive slowly. Elk wander and they'll walk across,the road.
Santa Fe is a lot nicer than Albuquerque
You aren’t the first person to recommend Santa Fe over Albuquerque.
The Pueblo Cultural Center is worth seeing there!