Jacque and I are planning a trip to Colorado from Louisiana via Santa Fe. I'd like to do some sightseeing north of Santa Fe to Fort Collins but am not sure if I should get off I-25 north. I am looking at leaving Santa Fe on US 285 to Alamosa then US 160 to I-25.
We have a F350 7.3 with a 6 speed and will be pulling about 10,000 of camper. I would like to see some country but not fight these little roads in the mountains. What you think, stay at home? No we're going but some input would be nice.
Highpockets,
I just made the same trip back in October 2007. We were out in Taos to pick up my daughter and 2 grandsons to bring them back to Virginia. At the start of the trip we had to go down to Santa Fe for some paper work. Part of the plan was to stop in Toledo to visit with their Aunty Allie, so I70 was the best cross county choice. Other wise I would have come back east on I 40.
We/I drove on I25 from SF to Colorado Springs. My recommendation is if you have the time, don't go up 25. Instead, take 285 north out of SF to Espanola, take 68 to Taos, pick up US 64 east at Taos and take it all the way to I25 over at Raton. US 64 between Taos and Eagle Nest is part of the Enchanted Circle in New Mexico. It is absolutely beautiful. I love it every time we go thru there. As a matter of fact, back in May 2007 we stayed up in Red River (on the north part of the circle) and just loved it. And one other item of note; The Philmont Boy Scout Ranch is located in Cimarron, located just east of Eagle Nest. Make sure to watch the snow forecast as the passes thru the mountains are a little high.
I 25 between Raton, NM and Trinidad is real nice. Be careful on some of the turns on I25 as they can be right sharp at times.
Bruce
Thanks for the advise. Last year we experienced some pretty shape curves going from Hagerstown, Ma to Morgantown, W.V. I could not gt much speed with the camper as the bottom of the hills had a curve.
I don't know when you are planning this trip so I might be to late.
But if it was me I would go from Santa Fe to Taos, then in Taos you can go west for about 10 miles and you will be overlooking the box canyon which will take your breath away. When you get done looking at that back peddle a bit to Taos and then go north up to Ft. Garland Co. and then you can turn right on 160 and that will take you up over La Vetta pass to I 25. You can also go left at Ft. Garland on 160 till you get to Monte Vista, and go north on 285 from there. Truth be told when you get up in that part of the contry it don't matter to much which way you go it will take your breath away as long as your heart is still beating.
I grew up in Monte Vista so I might be a bit partial to that part of the world.
Well I know this is an old thread but we did not get to make the trip last year. This June we plan to try again. The difference is I am going to New Castle, Wy first to shoot prairie dogs. Then to Fort Collins to visit friends.
I keep looking at taking U.S. Hwy 285 from Denver to Salida. Maybe staying there a few days and making a (less camper) trip over to Montrose and Uray. Then leaving Salida and heading to Taos or Santa Fe. Is this (285) a pretty decent highway to tow the camper?
HP,
I have driven US 285 from Alamosa to Santa Fe twice. The first time it was great. The second time we hit a bunch of construction in Alamosa. But, that was 17 months ago. Hopefully the construction is done. Other than this construction, the drive was great.
Bruce
Certainly the 6 speed should help in keeping your brakes cool. I would keep your trailer adjusters in tolerence (whether w/ a screw driver or with the self adjusters). So many cool roads, so little time.
Ironwood
Thanks Guys,
I think U.S. 285 out of Denver to Santa Fe is the route we'll probably take. We may go east on 160 at Alamosa then south at Ft. Garland to Taos. There is so much I want to see.
Amen, I love road trips.
Ironwood
Why not unhook your trailer at Ft. Collins and spend a couple of days visiting some really pretty country. Grandad had some sawmills up Pouder Canyon in the 1950's. You could go up Pouder Canyon till you could get back south and they come back through some fantastic scenery ending up at Rocky Mtn. Park or Denver. Better yet, you could take the interstate from Denver to the Georgetown/Silverthorn area and unhook the trailer and sightsee.
At the intersection of 160 and 159 there was a small Mom and Pop store that we use to stop at all the time before going on south to Questa. Be careful going south out of Questa, the cops love the area.
Bruce
Yea, we may make the Rocky Mountain Nat Park Circle while we are in Fort Collin. We are going to Ft Collins to visit some Russian friends that I knew in Moscow.
My stay in that area was brief and it was around Colorado Springs. It was a business trip and I stayed at the Broadmoor. The company had rented each of us (10 or 12) a room plus the the entire upper floor Penthouse. I was impressed with the way the plains ran right up to the shear vertical walls of the mountains. There are sights to be seen everywhere you turn. We were supposed to go on a suspension bridge that is some unGodly number of feet in the air, but didn't get to do it. We did ride and walk through the Garden of the gods and also drove up Pike's Peak. The Air Force Academy is in the edge of the mountains there too.
Just west of Colorado Springs is the town of Manitou Springs. From there you can catch a Cog train up to pikes peak, It's a wonderful train ride and the guides tell stories about the local area during the ride, it breaks out of the tree line and if you are lucky, as we were, you may see a herd or bighorn sheep. It stops at the top of pikes peak long enough for you to snap pix, get a hot dog and coco and peruse the junk shop then back down to Manitou.
While in Manitou Springs I highly reccomend a restaurant called The Loop. It's Texmex well prepared and served.
Jon
Well we made our trip having left Louisiana on May 31st and getting home June 23rd. Talk about fortunate, after I got the camper home and unhooked, I decided to drive down to the next town and get some plumbing supplies. Would you believe that an idler broke, ruined the fan belt and fan blade. 34 miles after we had pulled just finished a 4,100 mile trip. Lucky or blessed.
My wife's request was to see Mt Rushmore and Santa Fe. So I had planned to shoot prairie dogs in Newcastle, WY. Since our son in law was to fly into Rapid City, SD and drive to Newcastle to shoot with me, we had to make the trip of 1,400 miles in three days. Now in my planning, I had debated on putting new tires on the camper. They were bought in 2004 and had only one trip to Pennsylvania on them. I knew better than to gamble but sometimes we do stupid things. So I figured if we had any trouble, I'd just replace the tires. Well on our first day out we had planned to make (570 miles) it so South Haven, KS. We had been going and things looked good for the first 550 miles. I looked in the mirror and noticed some ??? made vibration on the left side. Sure enough at 560 miles we blew the first tire. I changed it and made the camp ground. The next morning I started looking for tires. Before I could get to the tire dealer, (35 miles north) we blew the second one. We limped in and got four new 10 ply tires mounted. We made Newcastle on the third day as planned.
We shot prairie dogs for two days and moved to Mt. Rushmore for about three days. From there we went to Fort Collins and visited with our friends for about four days. When we arrived in Fort Collins, we stopped by the visitors center and pocked up some info. While we were there I asked this nice old lady about Wolf Creek Pass. She assured me that it was now four lane all the way from Alamosa to Durango and no problem. Well let me tell you it ain't. For a flatlander, that is some hills. I was proud of the manual 6 speed coming down. Still we had the brakes smelling.
I thought I'd seen something until I took the dually up to Silverton, Co. I was amazed that there is still places on this road with no guard rails. Jacque said it was beautiful. Me, I'm watching the road.
Anyway, we had a wonderful time, saw some beautiful country and felt blessed to have made the trip safely.
I flew into Denver a couple of weeks ago and rented a car from Dollar for a weeks vacation in Colorado Springs with family. Denver airport is big but not hard to get around in. It is east of town quite a ways and takes a fair bit of time to get to. Dollar rent a car was a disappointment as the first car I got (Dodge Charger) had a bad wheel bearing and the customer service was very poor. Got a different Charger the next day and it was a great car. Colorado Springs is a good vacation spot as it has everything from the Air Force Academy, Pikes Peak, lots of other places to visit, and good assortment of lodging. I used Priceline.com to get a hotel and got a good deal. I stayed at the Crown Plaza in a $130 a night room for $56 a night room on the second floor around the indoor pool; it was a great location and very nice room/place. Drove all around the state from there and the roads were good, the beauty of the land was impressive, and the number of places to visit was enough to make me want to return.
We just returned to Illinois from a trip to Yellowstone.Beautiful country
, I have never been farther west than Kansas. For those of you going to Colorado Springs we detoured there to visit some family. They were new to the area. Went out to eat and searched the GPS for a pizza place. We ended up at Fargo Pizza Co. One of the neatest places I have ever ate at. Food was pretty good too! :D Unexpected bonus on our trip.
I really miss High Pockets, as he was a man of many talents, and teaching me over the phone or thru emails and texts seemed to be a calling that he enjoyed.
That Old Blue truck he took on this trip with the 6 speed is parked out front, a constant reminder of a good friend gone to greener pastures. He is missed by many!
David from jax