July 2015: A Quick Stop in New Mexico Before Exploring Utah in Depth (page 5 of 15)

I lean in relation to the surface to avoid plunging. 🤪 🤪 🤪

No, I was talking about the feeling you get when you're inside it.

Hi Peggy

Darn, I missed the whole beginning of the travel journal!! Okay, now I'm on it, and I'll catch up tomorrow when I'm well-rested.

See you soon, Laure

Hi Peggy

All done, I’ve read everything 🙂. Chiricahua was really nice—great job on the hike! Though those snakes All in all, this beginning was great. I loved White Sands, of course, the pretty Mexican churches, and the typical architecture. It must be quite a change of scenery. See you soon, Laure

J7 Monday, July 13



No early wake-up call this morning—we needed some sleep. Still, after having breakfast in our room, it was only 9:00 AM when we stopped by Albertsons to grab a few things for lunch. We didn’t linger too long.

Then, after a half-hour drive, we arrived in White Rock, where we took the shuttle up to Bandelier NM. (You can either park your car at the Visitor Center and take the shuttle from there or drive up to Juniper Campground and take the shuttle from there. Either way, during the summer months, car access to Bandelier NM is banned starting at 9:00 AM. Based on what we saw today, we concluded it’s better to take the shuttle right from the Visitor Center.)

No luck for us—a shuttle was just leaving as we arrived… So we parked calmly, packed our backpacks with drinks and lunch, and took the time to check out the Visitor Center, which was really nice!

The next shuttle arrived at 10:30 AM. It was packed—50 people got on, and it only holds 55. So when we reached Juniper Campground, only 5 more people could board, and many others had to wait for the next shuttle.

At 11:00 AM, the shuttle dropped us off in front of the Visitor Center.

We were greeted by a very elderly Ranger Volunteer who spoke slowly and clearly during his little park speech. As a result, we understood everything! Two lines formed: one on the right to pay the entrance fee and one on the left for those who already had a pass. It went quickly for us. We grabbed the little explanatory brochure offered for $1.

Off we went on the Main Loop Trail.

We passed by the great kiva,

then the village,

and finally the cliff dwellings.

At the fork, we continued toward Alcove House. The ladders looked impressive from below but were actually pretty easy to climb. The view from the top:

After climbing back down, we had a picnic in the shade, then headed to the shuttle stop. It arrived right on time at 2:00 PM, but there were more than 55 people waiting… We were lucky and managed to board. When we reached Juniper Campground, only 2 people got off the shuttle, while more than 5 were waiting to get on… As mentioned earlier, it’s apparently better to avoid getting on or off at this stop.

At 2:30 PM, we arrived back at the car in White Rock, and by 3:00 PM, we were back at the hotel. We took a quick dip in the pool (the coldest of the trip) before getting ready to leave again.

At 5:30 PM, we took the hotel shuttle to downtown Santa Fe. It dropped us off right in front of the Eldorado Hotel, which gave us another chance to kick ourselves for not taking their offer the night before… 😕

We strolled around downtown Santa Fe: we passed by Santa Fe Plaza,

the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts,

the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi,

and admired the architecture of a parking lot (in the background of the photo)

before continuing to Loretto Chapel,

the San Miguel Chapel (the oldest church in the U.S.),

and finally the oldest house.

Along the way, we couldn’t resist checking out a few souvenir shops (but no New Mexico license plates to be found). By 7:00 PM, hunger got the best of us, so we went into a restaurant (San Francisco Street Bar & Grill). The place was pretty loud and felt a bit like a cafeteria… and the service was so slow we were starting to lose hope! But despite the vibe, the food was actually really good!

We were back outside by 8:15 PM, just as the shuttle was leaving the Eldorado for the Lodge at Santa Fe. We hurried to get there but missed it by a few minutes. An employee offered to call the shuttle back for us, but we decided to walk instead—it’d help us digest! The Lodge at Santa Fe was about a 25-minute walk away. Once back, we checked the internet briefly and then hit the hay!

Hotel: The Lodge at Santa Fe in Santa Fe 83.55 € Day’s summary: Bandelier NM is worth visiting, but having to take the shuttle is time-consuming. To avoid that hassle, we’d have had to get up much earlier and pass through the gate before 9:00 AM… But despite the time lost in transit and waiting, it was still worth it.

Next part here!

Hi Peggy,

I didn’t know about the shuttle trick, but in May, we were able to drive all the way to the tiny parking lot with the car.

Nice, Bandelier, isn’t it? 🙂 🙂 🙂

Hi Thibaud, So glad to see you on my travel journal! 🙂 We loved Chiricahua too, and White Sands is definitely a place we’ll have to revisit someday—hopefully with better weather next time...

Hi Laure, Nice to see you on my travel journal!

Chiricahua was really cool, and congrats on the hike! Though the snakes 🤪

Yeah, snakes are pretty scary, honestly... but at the same time, we were happy to have seen them because it was the first time in 3 trips. But not every day—once is enough! ;)

All in all, this beginning was really nice. I loved White Sands, of course, the pretty Mexican churches, and the typical architecture. It must be quite a change of scenery.

Yes, it doesn’t look like anything we’d seen before, and it’s a state we really loved. We’ll be back!

Hi Gilles,

Nice, Bandelier, isn’t it? 🙂 🙂 🙂

Yes, really nice! 🙂 The shuttle was mandatory from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM during the summer season, from May 23 to October 27, 2015. www.nps.gov/band/visitsum15.htm

EDIT: I just reread your travel journal for the Bandelier section and saw you were there on May 22, the day before the shuttle became mandatory! 😉

True, for Bandelier, the shuttle is mandatory during the summer months starting at 9 a.m. Knowing that, I did everything I could to arrive early and be able to return with my car. Result: only two or three other cars in the parking lot and a peaceful visit to the ruins with no one around 🙂. The early bird gets the worm 😎 😏

See you soon 🙂

I'm also in Santa Fe for my travel journal. New Mexico really is the "Land of Enchantment."

The future belongs to those who rise early 😎 😏

I totally agree with you, but with a husband who loves to sleep and two kids who are no different, it’s not always easy...[;]

J8 Tuesday, July 14

Like the day before, we’re at Albertsons around 9:00 AM to buy ready-made sandwiches for lunch. This store is really great—too bad it’ll be the only one from this chain we’ll come across on our route.

Then we head to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks NM. After about an hour’s drive, we’re at the start of Canyon Trail.

It starts with an initial 800-meter walk that’s almost flat,

then we tackle the real deal: 1,600 meters that first take us through a stunning canyon

before hitting a pretty tough climb.

There are quite a few people. Among them, a group of youngsters who keep passing us like gazelles, only to take long breaks and block almost the entire path. It’s a bit annoying… The view from the top is gorgeous.

Then we have to go back down. Even though it’s downhill, it’s still tough! The last 1.1 km is almost flat again, and suddenly it feels like a breeze!

Hi Peggy,

It really is so much prettier with the sun out! 🙂 🙂

Thanks for your photos!

Continuing from Day 8, Tuesday, July 14

The loop takes us past a cavity in the rock.

When we arrive, we can enjoy our snack comfortably in the shade at one of the many tables. We really earned our meal—we’d told the kids it’d be an easy 2-hour hike, but it ended up taking 2 hours and 30 minutes for barely 5 km. It wasn’t *that* easy!

After that, we’ve got over 3 hours of driving to reach our hotel in Aztec. The road can feel long when it’s all in one stretch like this, but we pass through some truly stunning spots—the drive is gorgeous!

We pass close to Chaco Culture NP, but it wasn’t part of our original plan. Between the time it takes to get there and the time needed to visit, it’s not worth heading there today. We’ll add it to the list for next time.

We arrive at our hotel in Aztec a little after 5:00 PM. What a great surprise this Microtel is! It’s really nice and almost brand new!

The surroundings aren’t anything special—it’s located outside the city—but that’s fine. We’re exhausted from the drive, so some relaxation by the pool and in the gym does us good.

For dinner, I’d thought about grabbing something from a fast-food place and taking it to Aztec Ruins NM for a quick visit. But I hadn’t noticed the park closes at 6:00 PM and you’re not allowed in after that… Oh well, so we take our Subway out to the hotel terrace, where we can enjoy a little fire pit. It’s lovely! Off to bed at 10:00 PM because we’ve got to get up early tomorrow!

Hotel: Microtel Inn & Suites in Aztec, 79.85 € including breakfast Day’s summary: Kasha-Katuwe was *so* worth it! It’s totally worth burning a few calories on the climb to see such a beautiful sight.

Next part here!

Wow! Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks really looks amazing!

Thanks so much for all these beautiful photos.

See you soon!

Hello Peggy,

It’s true—Tent Rocks is a really nice little park. The best view isn’t necessarily at the summit, by the way, because you can just turn around during the climb to see it. Info for future visitors: You did it in the morning like we did, except we’d planned to go the evening before—but watch out, the park closes early, and they mean it! I’d even say they tend to close earlier than scheduled. The night before, we were the last ones leaving the park, and a ranger made us turn back during the hike, then followed us to the parking lot. From there, he followed our car all the way to the park exit, which closed a good 20 minutes before the official closing time. 🤪 That’s why we tried again the next morning...

Hi Jean-Philippe,

I hadn’t realized the park was closing. Usually, natural parks don’t close (except for the Monument Valley road outside of summer), and you can stay until sunset.

Thanks for the info.

See you,

Hi Christine,

Yeah, it’s pretty unusual. Since there’s no accommodation inside the park, it’s like in a museum—they politely walk you to the exit and lock up behind you 🙂

So, I just took a look at the park's official website and read this: Spring/Summer (March 11 to October 31) 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Gates close at 6:00 p.m.

From what’s stated, the ranger shouldn’t have made you leave the park before 7 p.m.

Later,

Hi Christine,

I hadn't thought that the park would close. Usually, natural parks don't close

I didn’t think parks closed either... That’s exactly why we got caught out at Aztec Ruins! As I wrote in my travel journal, that one closed at 6 PM. For Kasha-Katuwe, I didn’t know it closed either, but I’d already read on Jean-Philippe’s blog that they’d been kindly escorted to the exit...