What to see in AZ and NM? I'll be there soon.

jackbombay

We left eastern Idaho 2 days ago, its was zero degrees Fahrenheit, we're now in Austin Texas for south by southwest, mid 70s with a breeze, quite nice Cool

We're leaving here on Saturday and due to arrive in San diego on thursday the 20th. We were going to check out one of the observatories (kit or sacremento, IIRC) in NM or AZ on our way to Cali. Any other suggestions for places to sleep/camp or the like? We'll be driving pretty far south, through tuscon to visit some friends.

Anyone been to big bend national park in Texas? Hows that? What about Bisbee in Az?
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Raynor Shine · Samba Member Joined: November 07, 2005 Posts: 552

No doubt you'll stop by Imperial dunes on your way to AZ. Tuscon is beautiful this time of year, you could try MT Lemmon, cool camping there also Katchner Caverns is wicked. Bisbee is a nice hippie town & you could also check out Tombstone, but it reminds me of a Universal Studio set.
Enjoy your trip. Drop a line if you're headed to PHX

mtac · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:13 pm Post subject:

jackbombay,
i am in tucson now
the pima air museum is outstanding
the b-17 exhibit is great as are the guys who actually flew some of the missions
the sonora desert museum is a must see, world class
then there is always baseball - 80 and sunny at todays game!
have fun
_________________
1987 Syncro Westy
"Bad roads bring GOOD people... Good roads bring all kinds of people!"

Van-go108 · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:32 pm Post subject:

The City of Rocks state park is not that far outside of Deming, New Mexico. Off I-10 north
http://www.desertusa.com/ctsrocks/cityrock.html

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Google images. Wink

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1973 Thing
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deprivation · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:33 pm Post subject:

Hey! My wife works at SXSW! Where are you staying? There are a ton of Westies here in Austin?
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deprivation · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:35 pm Post subject:

Hey! My wife works at SXSW! Where are you staying? There are a ton of Westies here in Austin.
_________________
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MootPoint · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:44 pm Post subject:

Well, you can always come by the ol' homestead (20 miles east of ABQ) and admire the air shocks that you built that are now installed in my 84 Westy. Pet the cats, too. But if you are staying to the south...

...head for Guadelupe Mountains National Park in W. Texas, 110 mi east of El Paso (http://www.nps.gov/gumo/index.htm). No observatory per se - at least not the mechanical/optical kind - but there should some great light-pollution-free star gazing if the weather's good (and it's been great the last few days). Could still be cool this time of year but it's well worth the trip. There's a campground at Pine Springs, just inside the park.

Safe travels!
_________________
1984 Westy with tencentlife power!

msinabottle · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:52 pm Post subject: The Famous Ones...

The Petrified Forest, Meteor Crater, and the Grand Canyon in AZ ARE all that and a bag of chips... Particularly the Meteor Crater, THAT is something you don't see every day.

In NM, I have a fondness for the Plaza in Santa Fe, the Los Alamos museum, and a particular little piece of heaven called the Bandolier National Monument, which has ruins and absolutely stunning scenery... Then there's Carlsbad Caverns...

Haven't been to any of 'em in years. So much I HAVEN'T seen... I should buy a camper, or something...

Shocked

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

invisible · Samba Member Joined: July 03, 2006 Posts: 40

i agree with bandalier, and los alamos area. its very pretty, but my favorite time is late summer when you can set your watch by the thunderstorms rolling in mid afternoon! im pretty partial though, i worked there for short time!

if you drive hwy 40 west there's always the little stop of weirdness right on the AZ NM border, i dont need to explain it, it's more fun to "discover" Wink

captainpartytime · Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:53 pm Post subject:

Flagstaff is amazing! Tons of hiking. Take Oak Creek Canyon down to Sedona from Flagstaff, its an amazing drive!

P.S. If you need anything when down in southern California (full garage with tools and a whole lot of vanagon parts) let me know.
_________________
-Kerry

1982 turbo diesel Westfalia

jackbombay · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:21 am Post subject:

Thanks for the tips, city of rocks looks like it will be a good place to stop. I'd love to check out the meteor crater, I had already looked in to that, but it's to far out of our way :-/

While here in Austin we're staying at a friends place towards the north end of town, about 5 miles from 6th ave, quiet, shady driveway, nice spot, supposed to get hot here the next couple days though, 80 tomorrow, 92 the next day Shocked

And to think I was riding my skateboard in a spillway while wearing wool pants next to a frozen lake in Wyoming just 2 days ago.
_________________

Gas struts to pop your top easily!
Pop Top strut kits now available for late Bay window Westies Smile

Samba ad here.

DIY artificial rain gutters (ARGs)

One by One · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:39 am Post subject:

Stop at the High Desert Brewery in Las Cruces for the best chile quesadillas on the planet. The beer is also awesome and if that's not your thing the homemade root beer is some of the best.

There is some good camping north of Silver City in the Gila NF and the cliff dwellings are well worth the hike.
_________________
'91 Carat

Van-go108 · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:15 am Post subject:

Van-go108 · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:46 am Post subject:

It's too bad our new skate park is not built yet.
We have a lame one now (wood) but the plan for the "New Concrete Park" looks awesome.
Ex-skater but now have skater kids. Cool

_________________
"Okay, so there's 6 beers and 5 of us. You know what this means don't you? 4 of you are going to have to leave."

1973 Thing
1957 Continental Mark II Click to view image

TopBud · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:41 am Post subject:

In AZ there is Tuscon, Bisbee. Sedona Flagstaff Grand Canyon etc. TOns of great sites and good camping. Flagstaff is supposeed to be getting a god sized storm on Sunday to Monday. In AZ, do not take I10 or I17, there are tons of other little roads that follow the highway, great for westy's with tone on National Forest surrounding them. The superstitions are great. Everything in AZ is great, if you have problems or need anything in FLagstaff or the surrounding area pm me. I live downtown.
_________________
86 bostig SYNCRO
66 convertible Karmann Ghia

Van-go108 · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:45 am Post subject:

TopBud · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:58 am Post subject:

the waether is really nice right now, high to low 50's but a storm is supposed to be rolling through. The GC is in the north, Arizona snowbowl, great ski area if you have your skiis, maybe will be a powder day again
_________________
86 bostig SYNCRO
66 convertible Karmann Ghia

jackbombay · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:02 pm Post subject:

City of Rocks is so rad!!!!!!!!

We're in tucson now, went to the "bicas" bike co-op today. If I lived here I would have so many freaky custom bikes made from parts obtained there, as it is I have to settle for scrounging bikes from the dump in Idaho.

We also checked out the McDonald observatory in texas, the clouds cleared just in time so we could see Saturn, several star clusters and the moon. we also got some cool long exposere shoots at the city of rocks under the nearly full moon.

Off to Imperial dunes tomorrow and then surfing on friday in san diego.

We should have taken another 2 weeks for this trip, and damn is diesel EXPENSIVE, I her $4.50 in the bay area, D'oh!!!!!!!
_________________

Gas struts to pop your top easily!
Pop Top strut kits now available for late Bay window Westies Smile

Samba ad here.

DIY artificial rain gutters (ARGs)

Van-go108 · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:34 am Post subject:

Did you roll through Silver City? I saw a beige Westy with bikes and stuff all over it passin by.
_________________
"Okay, so there's 6 beers and 5 of us. You know what this means don't you? 4 of you are going to have to leave."

1973 Thing
1957 Continental Mark II Click to view image

jackbombay · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:21 am Post subject:


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