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Sunday, June 24, 2007
Make New Mexico Your Summer Vacation Destination
By Johanna King
For the Journal
For some baby boomers, hitting the open road is a rite of summer, recalling childhood vacations and a continuing love affair with the car.
Whether you plan to sneak away for just a night or a few days, AAA New Mexico recommends several vacation spots— all in our own backyard.
AAA spokeswoman Jeannie Chavez and travel supervisor Linda Kinney recently came up with a couple of New Mexico driving trips for grownups that are just a few hours away. They chose destinations that are inexpensive and pricey, leisurely and energetic with a goal of appealing to a wide range of tastes, expectations and desires. Here are some of their ideas.
For busy boomers looking for a quick getaway, Chavez suggests a "trip to Santa Fe that's not Santa Fe." Destination: Tesuque, a tiny town (population 909) about an hour and a half north of Albuquerque on U.S. 84/285.
Named by the Tewa-speaking people for the "village at the narrow place of the cottonwood trees," according to AAA literature, Tesuque rests in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The setting is both spiritual and inspirational, perfect for artisans. In fact, Tesuque is home to a couple of creative haunts that Chavez recommends visiting: the Shidoni Foundry and Tesuque Glass Works.
Shidoni is a bronze art foundry, sculpture garden and gallery situated on an eight-acre apple orchard. According to the foundry's Web site, visitors can watch 2,000-degree molten bronze being poured into ceramic shell molds. They also can stroll around the sculpture garden and visit the onsite gallery representing 100 sculptors from around the country.
The foundry is open to the public for self-guided tours from noon-1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays. Bronze pours occur every Saturday and are open to the public at no charge.
Next door to Shidoni is Tesuque Glass Works, where a group of artists specializing in hand-blown and cast glass demonstrate their craft from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.
Ranch resort
Chavez recommends spending the rest of the weekend at the Bishop's Lodge Ranch Resort and Spa minutes from the foundry. The historic ranch resort offers "gracious accommodations, revitalizing spa treatments, a variety of recreational activities and sumptuous fine dining," according to its literature.
Among its activities are horseback riding, a heated outdoor pool, hot tub, modern workout facility, tennis courts, hiking trails, a skeet and trap range, and the ShaNah Spa and Wellness Center, which is "steeped in Native American traditions and incorporating natural healing remedies, herbs and baths."
But travelers beware: A visit to the spa will set you back, with packages for two starting at $399 a night.
For an inexpensive extension to the trip, Chavez recommends driving back to Albuquerque via the Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway along N.M. 4. The road twists through contrasting terrains, including desert cliffs, pine forests and an immense volcanic caldera.
Points of interests in the area include the Ponderosa Valley Vineyards and Winery, artisan galleries, roadside stands selling fry bread, and green and red chile stew, Battleship Rock named for its similarities to the prow of a ship, and McCauley Hot Springs, where clothing is optional.
Southern loop
Looking to spend a few more days away from home? Kinney recommends heading south to San Antonio, Las Cruces and Alamogordo, with stops along the way at Bosque del Apache and the Very Large Array.
The VLA, one of the world's premier astronomical radio observatories, consists of 27 radio antennas in a Y-shaped configuration on the Plains of San Agustin 50 miles west of Socorro. Brochures are available at the visitor center for self-guided walking tours that take visitors to the base of one of the massive, 230-ton antennas.
From the VLA, vacationers can head back toward Socorro and then south about nine miles to San Antonio, where Kinney strongly recommends the green chile cheeseburgers at the original Owl Café Bar and Grille. After lunch, head to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Known as a refuge for wintering sandhill cranes and snow geese, the 57,000 acres of marsh, grasslands and desert uplands also is a critical habitat for a number of resident birds and wildlife. Cost is $3 per automobile.
Though San Antonio is the birthplace to famed hotelier Conrad Hilton— the ruins of the Hilton family mercantile boardinghouse and home are a mile south of U.S. 380, there aren't a whole lot of places to stay in the small southern New Mexico town, so the AAA spokeswomen suggest making the two-hour trek down I-25 to Las Cruces, where lodging options are plentiful.
While in Las Cruces, Chavez recommends a tour of Stahlmann Farms, a 3,850-acre pecan orchard, one of the largest in the world.
Other agricultural stops could include the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, which presents changing exhibits on the archaeology, history and culture of southern New Mexico and northern Mexico, and the Chile Pepper Institute Center for Chile Education. Both are on the main New Mexico State University campus.
Famed plaza
A great place for shopping and dining in the area is the famed Old Mesilla Plaza, restored to its 19th-century appearance. One good choice for dinner: the historical Double Eagle Restaurant, the oldest building on the plaza.
The plaza itself has hosted many historical events, including the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War; negotiations and confirmation of the Gadsen Purchase; Confederate Army occupation during the Civil War; and the incarceration and trial of Billy the Kid.
The AAA spokeswomen recommend heading to Alamogordo for day three of the southern New Mexico tour, with a stop, of course, at White Sands National Monument. But that's not all there is to do in Alamogordo, about 70 miles east of Las Cruces.
The tour guides also suggest checking out the New Mexico Museum of Space History, which honors pioneers from many nations and includes a special display chronicling the X Prize competition that awarded $10 million for the first civilian spaceflight. Admission is $3.
Also, Chavez says set aside time for a stop at the toy train depot featuring hundreds of models and toy train displays, as well as a narrow-gauge train ride that runs outdoors through the neighboring Alameda Park. Admission is $4.
Not in a hurry to get home? Take the Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway. The 85-mile route takes you through the mountainous resort town of Ruidoso, as well as Capitan, home of Smokey Bear; the artistic community of Hondo; and then to Lincoln and the infamous courthouse where Billy the Kid shot two deputies in his escape from jail.
For information on the route, go to the state tourism department's Web site at http://nmtourism.org/go/loc/favorites/page/attractions-scenicbywaysmap.html.
Summer travel tips from AAA New Mexico:
If your vehicle has been serviced according to the manufacturer's recommendations, it should be in good shape and nearly ready to travel. If not— or you don't know the service history of the vehicle you plan to drive— schedule a preventive maintenance check-up with your mechanic now.
Stop every two to three hours while on the road. Walk around, stretch your legs or play with children or pets. Breaks help you maintain a reasonable level of comfort and alertness over the length of the trip. Fatigue is a real danger on the road.
Change your driving position occasionally and keep the vehicle well ventilated. If you feel tired, stop in a safe place and take a nap.
Save as much driving as possible for morning and evening, when temperatures are less oppressive, as long as you don't drive when drowsy.
Protect yourself from the sun. Arms propped in an open window can suffer sunburn while you're cruising along the highway.
Carry high-energy food and water. Keep a gallon or two of fresh water in the car with some snacks such as fruits and nuts. Be sure to carry extra water if you are traveling with pets.
Always buckle up.
Don't over pack. An overloaded car tends to steer erratically, fishtail in strong crosswinds and bottom out when passing over dips in the road. Extra baggage shouldn't replace the auto tool kit and safety equipment in the trunk.
Don't run the air conditioner more than is needed.
Check tire pressure in the morning. As the temperature rises you may get inaccurate readings because road heat and rolling resistance will increase the temperature of the air in the tires.
Don't overfill the gas tank. Temperatures that climb to 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more affect your car's fluids. The heat causes gasoline to expand and spill. Because gas caps aren't airtight, you simply waste fuel and money.
Share your travel plans. That way, if something happens, there'll be a way to track you down.
Emergency roadside kit
Even a well-maintained vehicle can break down, so it's advisable to put together an emergency roadside kit.
Cell phone (charged and in vehicle) and/or change for pay phone
First-aid kit
Maps and compass
Flashlight with extra batteries
Flares, warning triangles or reflectors
Jumper cables
Jack (and ground mat) for changing a tire
Work gloves and a change of clothes
Basic repair tools and some duct tape
Tire pressure gauge
A jug of water and paper towels for cleaning up
Nonperishable food, drinking water and medicines
Extra windshield washer fluid
Quart of oil and coolant (specific to your vehicle)
Fire extinguisher
Reflective sun shade
Fully inflated spare tire
From AAA New Mexico
