July 2006

My Top 5 Favorite New Mexico Roads

   Nothing beats a great drive through the desert--except maybe a nice drive through rolling farmlands.  Oh, wait!  Maybe a thrilling journey around hairpin curves, up to the top of a mountain.  If you can't decide, you shouldn't have to.  A good road combines all different sorts of landscapes and elevations, and I found several roads in New Mexico that really deliver.  Here are my five favorites:

State Route 14, the Turquoise Trail, with a side trip into the Sandia Mountains.  The Turquoise Trail makes for a great short trip out of Albuquerque, or a longer journey all the way to Santa Fe.  The Trail begins east of Albuquerque along Interstate 40.  Turn north and you'll quickly head towards the backside of the stately Sandia Mountains.  The urban sprawl of Albuquerque is on the other side.  Within a few miles, you'll see a turnoff for the zig-zagging Sandia Crest Road.  Round one hairpin turn after another, and you'll find yourself at the Sandia Crest House, right next to all of Albuquerque's radio and TV transmitter towers.  A popular loop trail departs from the Crest House, which makes for a nice 30 minute hike (with one dramatic view of the city after another!)

     You can also access the famous Tramway from the Sandia Crest Road.  About halfway down, you'll see some ski chair lifts at the side of the road.  Hopping on one of these will take you to the upper terminus of the Tramway. 

     Once you're back down to Route 14, you can continue your journey up the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe.  There aren't many towns or businesses, but you won't be bored, thanks to the delightful and colorful terrain, that provides plenty of curves without being too curvy.  The only obstacle in your way might be motorcycle riders--this road is very popular with them, too.

US 180, from Silver City north, around the Gila Wilderness.  US 180 through western New Mexico earns its place on this list for what it drives past, instead of what it runs through.  The highway skirts the western edge of the Gila Wilderness and Mountains, a nearly untouched 3.3 million acres of National Forest.  For miles and miles, your eyes will be drawn away from the road ahead, as you gaze upon the foreboding, rocky peaks, just a few miles east of the road.  Curves are minimal, so you won't end up with a back seat full of carsick children.  There is one worthy side attraction: the Catwalk Trail (a sometimes steep trail that cuts through a narrow canyon, occasionally crossing the chasm by way of some narrow steel grates). 

     Eventually (assuming you're northbound), US 180 splits off and heads towards Arizona.  You can instead take New Mexico State Route 12, to US Route 60, which will take you past the Very Large Array and eventually to Socorro.  Unfortunately, by that final stretch, the diverse scenery turns into the monotony of the desert.

State Route 27, the Lake Valley Back Country Scenic Byway.  This one came as a complete surprise.  As I approached on Route 26 from Hatch, I was pretty bored with the surroundings.  Then, I made a right turn onto the byway, and everything changed instantly.  The pavement was different--darker, more rough, more narrow.  There were horses by the side of the road, and a long line of stately wooden power poles on a slightly perpendicular course to eventually intersect with the highway.  In the first five miles, I think I stopped five times for pictures. 

     As the highway continued, it made its way into some small hills.  Trees, dry washes, curves.  About halfway between Route 26 and Route 152 (which leads to Silver City and the lower end of the Gila Wilderness) I found another pleasant surprise: the old ghost town of Lake Valley.  Unfortunately, the gates were closed, but it was impressive nonetheless from the parking area.  Continuing on, and passing only a handful of other cars, the road touches the Gila Mountains, as it ends at the one-horse town of Hillsboro.

The High Road To Taos, from Santa Fe to Taos, New Mexico.  If you're traveling from Santa Fe to Taos, New Mexico, you have two choices of roads: the Low and the High.  Both are beautiful, and well deserving of your road tripping time, but the High Road is certainly the more adventurous route.  It's really several roads pieced together: New Mexico Routes 503, 76, 75, and 518.  Keep a map with you as you drive the route. 

     Near its southern end, the High Road to Taos passes a quintessential New Mexico chapel, the Santuario de Chimayo.  Stop in for some spiritually blessed dirt, that's believed by many to heal the sick.  From there, a couple of different routes take you through the town of Chimayo (one of them narrows to one lane for a few miles, through a particularly twisty and steep stretch of highway).  Both meet up with Route 76, for a relaxing drive through rolling, wooded back country.  During one particularly heart-pounding stretch, the road earns its "high" reputation by crossing a "hogback", a narrow ridge topped by the road, and very little shoulder room.  On either side there's a steep drop, and much of the time, no guardrail.  Look for dozens of small art galleries bringing life to the small, once-forgotten towns.

     The High Road to Taos ends somewhat unceremoniously, as you begin to hit the urban sprawl on the outskirts of town.  Continue through the modern portion of the city to the Taos Pueblo, where the local tribe will be happy to take your money (at a casino, or on a tour of the ancient buildings there).

US Highway 82, from Artesia to Alamogordo, New Mexico.  I saved this road for the top spot, because I found it to be so enjoyable.  The road has a little of everything, from desert flatlands to mountain farmlands, and forest-covered wilderness to small towns.  If you begin in Artesia, like I did, you'll start with what appears to be a monotonous drive through the desert.  But wait!  The road begins to peak and dip over rolling terrain, then curve gently as it negotiates the hills.  Before you know it, you're climbing into some "mild" mountains, with wide pastures filling the gaps in between.  Look for animals and crops at the side of the road, as well as an occasional fruit stand selling delicious cold cider (you can't go wrong with apple or cherry).  There are only a few small towns along the way, with the most captivating one near the end.  Cloudcroft is nestled high above nearby Alamogordo (the end of the scenic route), and offers a wild-west style downtown, complete with old saloons and unique shops. 

     Adding to my love of this road: as I traveled it, the sun was setting.  For what seemed like an hour or more as I drove west, I watched the sky change from one color to the next.  Several times I thought, "there isn't one color I can't see in the sky".  OK, maybe there wasn't any green, but you get the idea. 

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