Does anyone have any fun things to do on the way from Amarillo to Colorado Springs? We will have plenty of time for that part of the trip and looking for things to see (if there are any).

A couple of things we were going to stop at was the Capulin Volcano and then eat lunch at the Ice House in Raton.

A little detour, but the Great Sand Dunes National Park is pretty cool

Don't know how much time you'll spend in the Amarillo Area, but I can recommend eating at Coyote Bluff, Blue Sky, Tacos Garcia and Sayakomarn's (Canyon) or El Camino in Tulia. Stop at the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum, Palo Duro Canyon, Goodight Home (Goodnight) and Caprock Canyons. Drive highway 207 from Silverton to Claude. Don't waste your time on the Cadillac Ranch or Big Texan. English Field aviation museum at AMA airport is not bad.

Leave Amarillo by exiting I-40 at Soncy, north to FM 1061/Boys Ranch Road/Tascosa Road. Joins with 385 northbound to Dalhart. Stop at Boys Ranch, tour the old Oldham County Courthouse (museum) and Boot Hill. Tascosa was the western town you see in all the movies. Bat Masterson, Billy the Kid, etc. etc. Don't be surprised if one of the residents offers to take you on a more extensive tour of Boys Ranch.

If you go north out of Amarillo, crossing the Canadian river is scenic, and if you don't mind back roads, take highway 354 across from US87 to Channing as opposed to going through Dumas.

At Channing, stop and look at the original business office of the XIT Ranch. Location

Dalhart has lots of fast food and gas stop on the highway.

At Clayton, NM, pay close attention to the speed limits. They are rigidly enforced and extend way out of town. While there, visit or eat at the old Eklund Hotel. Or do fast food. The Dairy Queen features photos of the Black Jack Ketchum hanging, go figure. The Rabbit Ears formation NW of town was a landmark on the Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail.

I've been told Clayton Lake is scenic, and there are Dinosaur tracks there. But it's a bit of a hike to the traks, so investigate that.

The Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail crosses the highway to Raton, somewhere near Mt. Dora, but I've never been able to see ruts myself. If you want to divert several miles north of Clayton, there are numerous Santa Fe Trail swales and in around the McNees Crossing area. There are several sites in the area where you can see swales. A swale is a wash-out where the trail used to be.

If you're really adventurous, and have a vehicle that can take dirt/gravel roads, continue north of McNees Crossing and join 456 along the Dry Cimmaron and head west to Folsom.

Now we come to the interesting part of the drive. You can stay on 87/64 to Raton, and it's not too bad for scenery. If you've been that way, you may have noticed the mesa to the north. That would be Johnson Mesa, more about it later.

Just before you get to Des Moines, there's a good rest stop here. The whole area is volcanic, be watching for lava flows, etc. Capulin is a cinder cone, the massive Sierra Grande just west of the rest stop is a shield volcano. There are several other lava and cinder vents in the area, if you know what you're looking for.

Now we always exit just on the west side of Des Moines, and take 325 toward Folsom and Johnson Mesa. It goes past a spot where cinders are being mined, and where the railroad twists quite a bit. That's the spot where Ketchum was robbing trains and was eventually caught. You can continue on from there to the near ghost town of Folsom.

You said you were going to hit Capulin, an excellent idea. So stay on 87/64 a little longer and you can exit at the town of Capulin on 325 to the monument. You can drive 90% of the way to the top, and there is a hiking trail that goes around the very top. It's well over 8000 feet on the rim, so you might want a jacket.


[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 8/12/2014 12:48p).]

Okay, you've done Capulin, you can go back to 87/64 and continue on to Raton. But I say go north and east to Folsom. Before you go, read up a little on the Folsom Man discovery and the great Folsom Flood. As I said before, it's a near ghost town. There is a little museum, but we've never caught it open.

In Folsom, go north on 456. In just a few hundred feet, you can turn left onto highway 72 and head across Johnson Mesa, one of our favorite places. But if you head up 456 a little ways, there are some neat sights. One is Folsom Falls. Continuing past there, you get to the scenic Dry Cimmaron. You can keep going north on 551/CO389 to Tollgate Canyon and the little town of Branson, Colorado. It's an interesting little town, but not much to see. And the drive up 389 to US160 and west into Trinidad...redefines desolate. A few interesting sights, but desolate.

So backtrack to Folsom and head on 72 across Johnson Mesa. The road is a little skinny and twisty, so be alert. You can overlook the Folsom Man discovery site but it's on private land and not accessible. Once you top out on the Mesa, you can see Colorado off the north side and New Mexico to the south. Apparently the soil won't hold corner posts, so look for the rock cairns where the fences are anchored. Blue birds love to perch on them.

There is an 1890s church here. It is usually unlocked and there are port-a-potties on site if you're desperate.

Highway 72 eventually links with I-25, you can either backtrack a little south to gas stations/fast food in Raton, or head north toward Trinidad. As you head to Trinidad, you can see some coal seams in the road cuts.

Watch carefully at around mile marker 3 in Colorado for the Ghost Town of Morely. There is a much-photographed church ruin on the west side of I-25 on a hillside across the valley from the Interstate.

At Trinidad, a favorite side drive is to take highway 12 around the Spanish Peaks, through Stonewall (narrow gap in sandstone) up to Cuchara, then on to La Veta. The volcanic dikes surrounding Spanish Peaks are amazing.

At La Veta, you can head west to the Sand Dunes mentioned before, or east back to Walsenburg and I-25.

For a REAL detour, continue past the Sand Dunes, to Alamosa, then Antonito to take the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic RR.

If you stay on I-25 from Trinidad to Walsenberg, you pass the Ludlow Massacre site. Not much to see, but interesting to read about.

Pueblo is an interesting place, seems to have lots of hot rods, Google to see if a car show is in town. Supposed to be a good airplane museum at the airport, never have stopped.

Another side trip is Royal Gorge. Head west from Pueblo to Canon City. The bridge area burned, Google to see if it's reopened. But you can go through the Gorge by helicopter, train or raft.

At Canon City, go to Skyline Drive. It's an amazing scenic drive along a narrow, narrow ridge. Some dinosaur tracks on the road, too.

On I-25 north of Pueblo are some nice rest areas with some good historical info posted.

Of course, Colorado Springs is full of activities. If the USAF Academy is open to visitors, go to the visitor center, and walk across the hill to the famous chapel. This time of year, the class of '18 is going through boot camp (basic cadet training) and you might spot some activity by watching from the Chapel wall. You can't go on to the main classroom/dorm area. There's also a plane display and airport watch area on the south end of the grounds.

Any details wanted, PM, email or post here. I'll check the watch list.


[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 8/12/2014 1:30p).]

A poster called Nixter said on another thread

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If you are going to Colorado, you should really, really, really take HWY 165 from Colorado City/Rye off of I-25 over to Westcliffe. Lake Isabel, Bishop's Castle, and the views of the Sangres into Westcliffe are outstanding.

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I concur.

Santa Fe Trail Swales, running L-R. Near McNees

[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/amQ6y9]Santa Fe Trail by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

Along the Dry Cimmaron

[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/amMdUH]Wedding Cake Butte by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/amQ3L5]Dry Cimmaron River by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

Johnson Mesa

[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/amMbKk]Johnson Mesa by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/amM9Hk]Johnson Mesa by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

great stuff, thanks

You're welcome. Report back if you see anything new or interesting.

Going OKC to Pagosa Springs next weekend, any suggestions for that drive?

So Google Maps tells me that I-40 to Clines Corners then up through Santa Fe, is the same distance as OKC-Raton-Walsenberg-Pagosa. So maybe go up one direction and back the other, just to break things up. Got to say that the stretch between Walsenberg and Monte Vista is pretty desolate, but then you cross the spectacular Wolf Creek Pass on over to Pagosa, so there is that.

Elk City-Pampa-Borger-Hartley is not exactly amazing, but there are some interesting things. A military museum in Pampa, the oilfields and caprock/rolling plains, etc. Read up on the Red River Wars, as you pass some of the battle sites. A diversion to cross the dam at Lake Meredith and visit the Alibates Flint Quarry might be good.

You can stop at Old Mobeetie, one of the first towns in the Panhandle. There's a museum in the old jail. Bat Masterson and Pat Garrett were some of the Old West characters that came through there. Ft. Elliot was nearby, but I don't believe there are any remnants.



Not a whole lot between Amarillo and Clines. If you're a Route 66 fan, there are some alignments of the old road just off of I-40 in Amarillo, Vega, Adrian and the ghost town of Glenrio. Tucumcari was not bypassed totally by I-40 until 1981. So the Route 66 alignment through there is one of the best-preserved you'll see.

Just across the NM border is Endee, named for the N-D ranch. There is a marvelous truck stop there: Russell's. Huge store, restaurant, and a free car museum of some really neat stuff from the 50s to today, pics at link. They do request a donation to feed the hungry, so drop a few bucks in.



Another good Route 66 city is Santa Rosa. Some Grapes of Wrath filming locales, some surviving restaurants. Definitely take 30 minutes and look at The Blue Hole

[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/o1ZCNX]002 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

There is an antique car museum in the city that I've not taken the time for (yet) but is rated highly. I have taken the 12 mile scenic drive to Puerto De Luna, though I missed the Grzelachowski house, where Billy the Kid had his last Christmas dinner.

[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/oqptEm]006 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

As you climb out of Santa Rosa, note the many sinkholes. It is on top of the same formation as Carlsbad Caverns.

There are five ways you can go from Santa Rosa to Santa Fe. First is to ABQ and up I-25.

Next is the Turquoise Trail in NM 14, turning at Tijeras and going through Madrid. Interesting, great side trip to Sandia Peak, Madrid is where they filmed Wild Hogs and nearby is Galestio, film locale for Young Guns II.

Fastest is probably 285 from Clines Corners to I-25. The most interesting thing on that route is Lamy, the small town so important to the Manhattan Project. The still-intact railroad station was the stop for all the scientists going to Los Alamos during WWII. Was a railroad car diner there a year or two back, have no idea if they are still in business.

The worst road, but scenic, is NM3 up through Villaneuva State Park.

US84 to I-25 is a good road, doesn't add a ton of miles. On any trip that involves I-25, a must stop is the Pecos Monument and the 1625 Mission Church ruin and adjacent pueblo ruins. You can also drive by the Civil War Glorieta Battlefield, but most of the field is not accessible.

[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 8/17/2014 3:03p).]

In Trinidad try the chili burgers at Bob & Earls, or Lee's bbq.

So I've got you to Santa Fe, lots of other threads on that, and the Plaza/end of the Santa Fe Trail is a bucket-list item. La Fonda hotel (also a Manhattan Project site) used to have a good restaurant, it's still a good place to visit. We always recommend Gabriel's on 285/84 north of Santa Fe and having your guacamole made table side. Buffalo Thunder is a good motel near there.

You could take a few days at Los Alamos.

The Black Hole

Los Alamos History Museum

Bradbury Science Museum

Valles Caldera Oh my, Valles.

[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/acdtg7]Valles Caldera, elk grazing by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/acds2h]Untitled by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/6LDv5c]IMG_9167 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

Also in the Los Alamos area are Jemez Falls, the Soda Dam, Gilman Tunnels, Bandelier National Monument.

Heading out on 285, I've been told that Espanola has gone pretty badly to gangs, so be alert. The drive on up there to Chama is interesting. Kids like the Ghost Ranch Museum which can take you on Georgia O'Keefe Home tours, and the nearby natural amphitheater is cool.

Chama is a great stop. We've stayed at the Corkins Lodge near there. Very old and rustic, but clean, isolated and beautiful.



In the town of Chama, stop and look at the Cumbres and Toltec railroad yard. Lots of fascinating old rolling stock. And a trip on the train is another bucket list item. Train one way, bus for the return.

[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/axPrtw]IMG_1964 by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

Flickr gets a little wacky on photos, so let me know if some are not showing.


[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 8/17/2014 3:32p).]

Canyon great stuff man. We will have our almost 4 year old daughter with us. The trip up we are caravaning with our friends who are going as well, and they are gonna wanna do the express trip to get to Pagosa (we are staying at his parents vacation home there). We are leaving early on Wednesday without them so we will have freedom on the way back. Looks like the only real options for spending a night is Santa Fe (doesn't get us far) or Amarillo.

Well that was weird. Was typing a reply that disappeared.

It's always been right at 4 hours for us from AMA to OKC, and the same from AMA to Santa Fe. Then about 3 hours more up to Pagosa. If you want to stay the I-40 route, Tucumcari and Santa Rosa both have decent hotels, gets you further than Santa Fe.

Play around with Google Maps. If you haven't explored northern New Mexico, there are lots of ways back. As said above, you can go to Walsenberg on 160, maybe get as far back as Trinidad to spend the night.

Or come back down 84 through Chama to Tierra Amarilla. Then take 64 over the mountains, quite a pretty drive for a while. Then some desert plains that take you into Taos over the spectacular high bridge over the Rio Grande.



From there, you can go south on a pretty drive by Sipapu Ski Area and on to Mora and Las Vegas. Or go Taos/Angel Fire/Cimmaron.

I've got info on both of those routes if you care. Sipapu has places to stay. Last we were there the rooms were old, but clean.

Google Maps does a pretty decent job of estimating travel time. It says from Pagosa to Amarillo via I-40 takes 6:47 to go 432 miles. Going to Taos/Angel Fire/Cimmaron adds only 8 miles, but another hour and 30 minutes for a total of 8:14. Taos/Mora/Las Vegas adds 18 more miles, but supposedly takes 8:09.

All estimates seem pretty likely to me.

If you want to divert by Taos, I'd suggest turning at Tierra Amarilla and taking 64 over the mountains to Taos. The first part is spectacular mountains (watch for the Brazos Cliffs) and the last part is spectacularly desolate. It is a rift valley, after all.

For this stretch, the last services before Taos are in Chama, so gas up and bathroom.

NM64 takes you by the "earthships" northwest of Taos, and you cross the high bridge. There's a roadside park on the west side with some amazing views and you can walk the bridge.

You can also drive about 3 miles of dirt road and get to the low bridge over the Rio, just upstream.

[/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/azA3nn]Low Bridge on Rio Grande, Taos by CHS Girls Soccer, on Flickr

Taos is hippy Indian wonderland, I don't have any advice you can't get on Trip Advisor. We did stay at the old hotel they recommend, the El Pueblo Lodge. Old, but clean and quiet. And everyone should visit the Taos Pueblo once.

From Taos, you can take a pretty drive toward Angel Fire. Visit the Vietnam Memorial. You probably won't have time to go to Red River, but it's about the most family friendly fun town in New Mexico.

The drive from Eagle Nest to Cimmaron down the Cimmaron Canyon is gorgeous. Stop in Cimmaron and see the St. James Hotel. Amazing survivor on the Santa Fe Trail. Intact bar, gunshot holes in the ceiling, ghosts in the rooms. Food was good there two years ago, so-so a year ago. Cimmaron is the last good gas stop before Clayton (or Tucumcari, depending on options)

If you like back roads, go south on I-25 a little, then cut east on 120 toward Roy, NM. Crossing the Canadian River on the way there is spectacular.

Then south on 39 toward Logan and Ute Lake. We ate at The Annex Bar and Grill in Logan and liked it. Had a big screen TV if there's a game on. Then head on south to rejoin I-40.


An alternate way from Taos would be to go south on 518 to Mora. Pretty little valley, takes you by the Sipapu Ski Area. The cabins are open in the summer. It's also not far from Sipapu to the Picirus Pueblo. Picirus has a trout fishing pond that's accessible to kids and elderly, and you DO NOT have to have a NM fishing license to fish.

Between Sipapu and Mora is Cleveland. There is an historic old roller mill there. I think they try to run it every Labor Day weekend.

At La Cueva, go a few yards north on 442 to the Salman Ranch Store. It's in an amazing historic mill. I see from their web site that they've added a lot since we were there, including a U-Pick raspberry field.

Then you can head on south into Las Vegas, NM. There's a historic plaza, an old hotel on the plaza, a bunch of Victorian era homes, and the amazing building housing "United World College- USA"



Sadly, no tours of the former monastery.

From Las Vegas, you can head south to 84 and on to I-40. Or again, if you want to do a back road, take 104 east from Las Vegas and slip into Tucumcari the back way. The road is good and fairly desolate, with the exception of this spot, where the drop from the caprock into the valley is amazing.

And if you're a history nut like me, remember that Ft. Union National Monument is not far from either of the two above routes.

[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 8/18/2014 10:43p).]

[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 8/19/2014 5:41a).]

So we got to take the Endee-Logan-Roy run ourselves a few days ago and have some updates.

The Annex in Logan is only open Thursday through Sunday. The Subway in town is adequate, just like all Subways.

The road from Endee to Roy is not in great shape. No potholes, but not smooth. The speed limit is also 55, which we ignored by at least 20 mph. Almost got caught by the city Cop in Roy, but got lucky. So the road at 55mph is probably not too bad, but at 20 over, it was pretty bouncy.

I had forgotten that there is a pretty spectacular climb up the Caprock just east of Mosquero on this route. Lots of exposed volcanic ash in the lower layers.

I also did not know that Bob Wills got his start in Roy.

At La Queva and the Salman Ranch, the u-pick raspberry field won't be open until possibly Labor Day weekend. The same weekend, nearby Mora is having Millfest to celebrate the roller mill I mentioned earlier that is in adjacent Cleveland NM. The mill is also open weekends now. Last time we went through it was only Memorial Day and Labor Day

Farmers market in Los Alamos is really great this time of year.

Post with any more NM questions.


[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 8/21/2014 10:13a).]

Recently hit the Clayton area and have a few updates.

First and most disappointing, Folsom Falls is now closed. It is on private land, and irresponsible, trash dumping visitors drove the closure. Also a rumor that some idiot did cliff diving, got hurt, and sued the landowners. Perhaps the state of NM will step in and get it open again.

Next, we did go through the Folsom museum. Worth a stop. It is full of stuff. A lot interesting and a lot that ought to be in a garage sale. Obviously amateur run, but they are doing their best.

We went to Clayton Lake for the dinosaur tracks. Definitely worth it. It's about 10 miles outside Clayton on a poor paved road. Pretty drive through some volcanic features. A couple of dollar entrance fee, and an easy hike across the dam to the tracks. Lots of tracks. We also hiked a trail through a pretty area on the west end of the lake.

Spent the night in the historic Eklund Hotel. It was fun, good breakfast included, and the restaurant was pretty good for dinner. It was clean and fairly comfortable. The biggest problem was the noise from the nearby railroad. And the rooms were obviously old, the floors weren't quite level, etc. Not a 5 star place, obviously, but a fun adventure.

Canyon, you missed your calling as a travel consultant.

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Canyon, you missed your calling as a travel consultant.

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Hey old friend. It probably pays as well as farming.