We often take US 54, not from El Paso, but from Las Cruces. Using US 70, then US 54, then NM 5 to get to US 285 at Clines's Corner to I-25 when we want to go to Santa Fe.
But when going on to Colorado, we take US 54 well past Vaughn & take NM 219 to I-40 where it becomes US 84 on to I-25 just south of Las Vegas.
Some sections of US 54 does not room to pull over if needing to stop along the side of the road. Less now than a few years ago, they have been upgrading the highway. NM219 might have siding as well.
Valley of Fires BLM Campground is very nice, has water, electric & free showers in a nice bathhouse.
Santa Fe. A neat town with lots of arts to see. Not only the O'Keefe Museum will have her work, some of the NM State Museums do as well.
http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/As for Indian Art & Culture, The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology is located on Museum Hill, which has The Wheelwright Museum.
https://wheelwright.org/Lot of Indian Vendors on Sidewalk in front of the
Palace of the Governors most of the time. As well of other vendors along many of the streets around the plaza & to it. Not to mention all the galleries & shops.
Hyde Memorial State Park above Santa Fe (most of the state parks have free showers, but none here).
Find a Park Map. NM State Parks: $10 no hookup, $4 for electric, not entry fee on top of camping fee.
Cochiti COE Campground & Tent Rocks Nat'l Park in Northern New Mexico Off I-25:
Near Santa Fe - Very Neat Area. We were there in June last year & it was very pleasant weather wise.
In ABQ, the
Indian Pueblo Museum should be of interest to you as well.
Santa Fe & Bandelier Nat'l Mon't area of New Mexico -A Trip Report 2012. This was in August.
Los Alamos is a very neat small city in itself. Free bus system with very neat buses. Very pretty setting up in the high country. Somewhat of a gated community as well. We only drove through & stopped at a SuperMarket. A nice town.
http://www.visit.losalamos.com/http://www.losalamosnm.us/transit/Pages/default.aspx Between Santa Fe & Taos as well.
More on the Santa Fe Area Expanded & ABQ.
Just minutes north of Albuquerque (off of I-25, exit 242) in Bernalillo, is Coronado State Monument where Francisco Vásquez de Coronado—with 300 soldiers and 800 Indian allies from New Spain—entered the valley while looking for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold. Next to it: There is a Bernalillo city campground (used to be a state park) at the entrance to the State Monument. Wasn't a bad site some years ago, haven't been there in some time.
Coronado CampgroundMore on Santa Fe (Eating):
We had very good Asian from
Jinja Bar & Bistro in Santa Fe. Just stumbled onto it in a thunder/rain storm in 2012. We did carry out, but it was a very nice restaurant. June 2014, we ate there again inside. Very good food.
Someone at the AAA office recommended
Tortilla Flats in Santa Fe; it prove to be very good as well.
Normally, we would eat on the Plaza, from Cart Vendors, such as Roque's Carnitas.
Cart Cuisine, but they were not there that week-end. Due to the 'Santa Fe Indian Market', "a 91-year-old Native art market", we didn't find the normal street food venders on the Plaza. We did eat once at one of the 'Indian' vendors, but the lines were extremely long. Also at a roasted corn vendor. This was in August 2012.
If you happen to get to Las Cruces: n case you are in mood for some real Southern New Mexico Food and/or a place to overnight:
Las Cruces Area & Southern NM Mexican Food plus camping and attractions in the area. At least try a Green Chile Cheese Burger.
VideoTaste of NM Pecans:
Stahmanns or
Salopek In Las Cruces: Hacienda RV Resort and Siesta RV Park are the easiest to get to, just of I-10 exit 140. Las Cruces KOA and Sunny Acres RV Park off I-10 exit 135. KOA on the mesa over looking the Mesilla Valley, Sunny Acres in the Valley.
Park Reviews Siesta RV has gravel roads & pads, Hacienda RV has paved roads, maybe concrete pads. Sunny Acres more into town, maybe cramped???
Leasburg Dam State Park is about 17 miles N of Las Cruces on I-25. With
Fort Selden State Mon't near by. A young Douglas Mac Arthur called the fort home while his father was post commander in the late 1880s.
If you chose to used I-25: Around the T or C area, three state parks, Elephant Butte SP and Caballo SP with Caballo being closest to the interstate as well as Percha Dam State Park a nice place on Rio Grande, near Caballo Lake.
Elephant Butte Lake State Park headquarters are 5 miles north of Truth or Consequences via I-25 exit 83. Caballo Lake State Park is 16 miles south of Truth or Consequences via I-25 exit 59 and NM 187. Percha Dam State Park is 21 miles south of Truth or Consequences via I-25, exit 59.
Off I-25 by San Antonio, the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.
Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park Never stayed there, but have read about others staying there to see the Bosque.
One of the most talked about green chile cheese burgers for years, is in San Antonio, NM at the Owl Bar.
I have now been hearing about another green chile cheeseburger in San Antonio. The Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio. I believe the chef at Buckhorn beat Bobby Flay on a Throwdown with him.
San Antonio, New Mexico was the birth place & boyhood home of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotels.
