Mesa Verde, CO to Hot Springs, AR
Traveling from Mesa Verde to Hot Springs as part of our western U.S. loop trip and don't see any must see sites along this stretch, but I'm sure there are. Also see potential mountain range to naviga...
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RetiredTom2 wrote:
Traveling from Mesa Verde to Hot Springs as part of our western U.S. loop trip and don't see any must see sites along this stretch, but I'm sure there are. Also see potential mountain range to navigate. Any suggestions on routes or places to see would be much appreciated. We are retired and travel in a Class C pulling a toad. We will be in this area in October giving ourselves about 10 days for this stretch. Again, thanks in advance for your suggestions.
While you're in the Mesa Verde area, there's lots to see and do in Cortez and Durango...just walking around in both towns can be fun. There's the Silverton-Durango railroad that's been mentioned, that's an awesome trip unto itself.
If you've got the time, head down into NM to Aztec, there's some ruins down there that's worth the trip.
Wolf Creek Pass, while steep on the west side, is well travelled with a variety of RVs/Trailers, so it's very doable. The east side, IIRC, has finally gotten the construction done, so should be much easier than in the past. Once you're over it, there's the San Luis Valley and there's LOTS to see and do there.
In addition to the Great Sand Dunes NP, there's also, in that same area, an...alligator farm! Yup, alligators in the high desert! You can head south from Alamosa to Antonito and do the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad, which crosses the CO/NM state line multiple times, has awesome scenery, and is well worth the day that it takes to do. There's several options as to where to start, I'd suggest on the Antonito side, with it gradual climb across the high desert to the mountains, and then revel in the drop down in to Chama, NM. Chama is tiny but there's a rustic charm about it. You then take a bus back to Antonito as part of the round trip experience. There's a lot more to see and do in the San Luis Valley, it's worth spending some time there.
La Veta Pass is easy, just a gentle drive up and over compared to others in Colorado. If you decide to go I-25 up and over Raton, the drive down through Clayton NM down to Dalhart and on to Amarillo is a flat easy drive. There used to be a nice KOA in Clayton, but some of the reviews say it's a bit run down now. We stayed there years ago and it was a nice basic overnight location. The Capulin Volcano NM is in the area and definitely worth a stop.
