quote:

Originally posted by bill voss

How is it you are coming in on I 10 and heading north? We nosy ones want to know where else you’re going that you’d take a month to get from NY to LA. I like coming into NM from Colorado into Taos and Santa Fe, then booking west. I’m with Frank.
BT, I ‘ll agree on that I 10 assessment. I liked taking US666 to Az260 or Az 87 through Payson to get back to Scottsdale when we lived there. Coming down I 17, you can head through Sedona to Jerome and miss Phoenix entirely. Just a thought.
http://www.azjerome.com/

Missing Phoenix is not only recommended, but easy. There are several ways. My own is to get off I-10 onto I-8 at Casa Grande, then take AZ 85 at Gila Bend up to Buckeye where you hit I-10 again to continue west.

Luna Mansion is the place I was trying to remember in Los Lunas, maybe the website below will help, it covers the whole state.

http://www.newmexico.org/food/index.php

How is it you are coming in on I 10 and heading north? We nosy ones want to know where else you’re going that you’d take a month to get from NY to LA. I like coming into NM from Colorado into Taos and Santa Fe, then booking west. I’m with Frank.
BT, I ‘ll agree on that I 10 assessment. I liked taking US666 to Az260 or Az 87 through Payson to get back to Scottsdale when we lived there. Coming down I 17, you can head through Sedona to Jerome and miss Phoenix entirely. Just a thought.
http://www.azjerome.com/

Hey, Frank: I-10 is pretty ugly almost anywhere west of Louisiana. You pretty much see the uglier side of my own Tucson through from that roadway also (and the contruction!! From El Paso to west of Tucson it’s a mess). On the other hand, I’ll agree that what you see in AZ from I-40 is a whole lot nicer than in New Mexico, especially around Flagstaff and even Kingman (if you can ignore all the strip malls and roadside schlock).

New Mexico…………

My advice to you dear traveler is if your driving through New Mexico on I-40 or I-10 keep on trucking for you’ll soon be in Arizona……….
http://gallery.wilwheaton.net/eastboundnewmexico?page=1

While in Alamogordo (White Sands), make sure and stop by the Hi-De-Ho Drive In for one of the best green chile burgers and milkshakes anywhere.

If you get into Red River in northern NM near Angel Fire, there is a wonderful steak house called Texas Red’s there.

Seemms to me there is a place in Las Lunas south of Albuquerque, a restaurant in an old mansion. It’s been 15 years since I have been there but I think I saw an ad for it when I was in Santa Fe in June.

Sorry, no help. I’ve been in N.M. once and ate at chope’s in la mesa.

Unocal: There’s a few interesting posts under "Albuquerque/marydennis/August 1 that cover a lot of central New Mexico. A good food stopoff in Southern NM is La Mesilla, the "old town" next to Las Cruces. Enjoy the trip: NM is one big state.

quote:

Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen

I enjoy desert living so the scenery to me was great. My wife doesn’t care much for the desert (after living there in SoCal) so she want to find trees to watch!!

Memo to Mayor: The Sonoran Desert (in the US, found mostly in southern Arizona) has plenty of trees. It has several species of mesquite and paloverde and, in the washes, sometimes cottonwood. Also, of course, the mountains are wooded with conifers. Perhaps you and your wife could BOTH live happily there.

I’ll let others give you the I-25 data. If you are going from ABQ Northwest to Farmington 550 is a good road, if somewhat empty and also rather devoid of many food stops. I have taken it as recently as last year (the reverse direction) We left Lake Powell/Page area and came east to Shiprock and then 550 to ABQ. I was suprised to see a multilane divided hiway out there in the boonies. I enjoy desert living so the scenery to me was great. My wife doesn’t care much for the desert (after living there in SoCal) so she want to find trees to watch!!

BTW, looking at your itinerary, I’m guessing that you are taking six months to get from LA to NY. [:D]

On the drive out to Grants from ABQ, stop at Acoma Sky City, the Indian pueblo (not the casino and truck stop) about 15 miles S. of I-40 and take the guided tour. Buy a tamale from the old Indian woman. I could never find Laguna Pueblo Kitchen… I need to talk to Mr. Stern about that!

There is a great visitor center in Grants with lots of information about day trips, etc.

If you are going to Quemodo from Grants the drive through El Malpais is very neat with the sandstone bluffs, La Ventana arch, and McCarthys lava flow. The second half of that drive is absolute desolation. Once you get down to US60 be sure to stop at The Daily Pie in Pie Town for, you know, pie. On the way back to Socorro on 60, be sure and stop at VLA, the Very Large Array Radio Astronomy Observatory. You can’t miss it as you drive right through it.