New Mexico & Texas trip suggestions please

[grampscamper]

We're planning a trip to New Mexico from Toronto. We'll likely leave the end of April 2017. We'll travel to New Mexico through Missouri, Oklahoma & Texas. We're looking for suggestions of "must see" along the way. Most of our time will be spent in Texas and New Mexico. We'll likely travel through Colorado on our way home.
Any suggestions of campgrounds and places to visit would be appreciated.

[qtla9111]

vermilye wrote:
If you are near Deming, NM, I suggest spending a night or two at the City of Rocks State Park. I prefer the dry sites among the rocks, but there is a section with water & electric. The campground has bathrooms with showers.

This was the first official rv park we stayed in 2000 with our first rv. It was so windy we thought the rv would tip over, it hailed and we woke up to snow. Best trip I can remember.

[grampscamper]

Thanks again. Lots of great information!

[vermilye]

If you are near Deming, NM, I suggest spending a night or two at the City of Rocks State Park. I prefer the dry sites among the rocks, but there is a section with water & electric. The campground has bathrooms with showers.

[qtla9111]

From San Antonio take Hwy 83 through West Texas. See the Marfa lights (you can boondock there), Seminole Canyon SP (cave paintings), Lake Amistad (Del Rio $4 a night) spend a day in Alpine, Fort Stockton, Fort Davis SP and walk over the mountain from the park to the fort,great views from above, Balmorhea SP, head on over to Big Bend Natl Park, north again and west to Guadalupe NP, Hueco Tanks SP and Frankin SP above El Paso, Tx.

And yes, New Mexico has an excellent SP system. The annual non-resident pass is $225 but that is free campsite with water. Electric is another $4 a day. You can't beat it.

[grampscamper]

I can see you have spent some time there. Quite a list!
I'll check out the links.
Thanks very much for taking the time to post the list.
Bob

[trailertraveler]

We have spent a fair amount of time exploring New Mexico. Here are links to places that we have visited and enjoyed (in no particular order). Places that we have not visited are not included in this list.
Fort Union National Monument,
Pecos National Historic Site,
Bandelier National Monument,
Petroglyph National Monument,
El Malpais National Monument,
El Moro National Monument,
Aztec Ruins National Monument,
Salinas Pueblos National Monument,
White Sands National Monument,
Tent Rocks National Monument,
Acoma Sky City,
Pueblo Cultural Center,
Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano,
The Very Large Array,
The Blue Hole,
Cumbres & Toltec Railroad,
Salmon Ruins,
Vietnam Veterans Memorial,
Rio Grande River Gorge,
Kit Carson Home & Museum in Taos,
Mining Museum,
Tucumcari,
Christ in the Desert Monastery,
Carlsbad Caverns National Park,
Turquoise Trail,
High road to Taos,
Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway,
Museum Hill in Santa Fe,
Canyon Road Galleries in Santa Fe,
Ghost Ranch,
Chaco Cultural Historical Park,
Mimbres Museum,
Geronimo Springs Museum,
Old Mesilla,
Geronimo Trail,
Pinos Altos,
Valley of Fires,
Three Rivers Petroglyph Site,
Rockhound State Park,
City of Rocks State Park,
Poncho Villa State Park,
Smokey Bear Historic Park,
Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument,
Lincoln State Historic Site,
Chaco Culture National Historic Park,
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park,
New Mexico Museum of Space History,
Fort Stanton,
Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument

In my opinion, the New Mexico State Park system is excellent, If you will stay more than 23 days in their campgrounds, the non-resident annual pass will be worth buying.

[2112]

Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Garner State Park

[grampscamper]

Roy&Lynne wrote:
I would think that it all depends on what your interested in seeing and doing. We have a trip planned thru that area for this winter and our stops are going to be at birding sites, Native American towns and ruins and State and National Parks. If you haven't been to Carlsbad, its a must see but since we have been there, we will pass it by this time and instead we are going to Monument Valley, Chaco, Gallup, El Malpais, Santa Fe, Taos, Bosque del Apache and then to Texas to visit Big Bend.

We're not into birding sites but everything else you mentioned. We've been to Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. We've never been to Texas or New Mexico so were open to all options.
Thanks
Bob

[Roy_Lynne]

I would think that it all depends on what your interested in seeing and doing. We have a trip planned thru that area for this winter and our stops are going to be at birding sites, Native American towns and ruins and State and National Parks. If you haven't been to Carlsbad, its a must see but since we have been there, we will pass it by this time and instead we are going to Monument Valley, Chaco, Gallup, El Malpais, Santa Fe, Taos, Bosque del Apache and then to Texas to visit Big Bend.

[VoodooMedicineM]

Luckenbach

[grampscamper]

Wow! This is all great information.
Thanks everyone for your posts.

Bob

[tatest]

Sounds to me a lot like a Route 66 road trip. Get a Route 66 guide. Michael Wallis' Route 66 guidebook is good for finding out what is there that you might find interesting, Jerry McClanahan's "EZ66 Guide for Travelers" will fill in the mile by mile details and lead to the obscure things. There are also Route 66 websites with full information.

Jamie Jensen's "Road Trip USA" has travel and sightseeing details for Route 66, and for other corridors you might use, like US-50 across Utah and Colorado, or I-80 to get to the beginning of Route 66. I think "Road Trip USA" now also available as an online resource.

[micpib1]

We just did a Texas road trip and loved it... well except for the humidity in the middle of the summer, even then we loved Texas. We had stops in Williams AZ, rode the train to the Grand Canyon, etc. Went to the Monument Valley and Navaho Nation, loved Distant Drums RV Park/Casino, Montezuma's Castle, etc. We loved Austin and especially the Texas Hill Country. The Riverwalk and Alamo in San Antonio was worth seeing. The Alamo is nothing like we have seen in the movies :). We spent most of our time at Port Aransas and can't wait to go back. In "Port A" we found lots of Great Food, Super People and the sights were memorable. We introduced "Low Boil" Cajun Food to the Grandkids, they now love any meal that is served with hammers and bibs :)JH

[padredw]

We're planning a trip to New Mexico from Toronto. We'll likely leave the end of April 2017. We'll travel to New Mexico through Missouri, Oklahoma & Texas. We're looking for suggestions of "must see" along the way. Most of our time will be spent in Texas and New Mexico. We'll likely travel through Colorado on our way home.
Any suggestions of campgrounds and places to visit would be appreciated.

April would be an ideal time to visit the Texas Hill Country, and also East Texas. But I have a feeling that "through Oklahoma & Texas" means to a lot of people to take I-40 from Oklahoma City to Amarillo. If that's what your route means, I hope you will consider a change to include East Texas and the Hill Country. Places like Caddo Lake, Tyler State Park, then down to Fredericksburg and Kerrville

The only thing is that this is still a long way from New Mexico. Northern New Mexico and Colorado are two of our favorite places, especially Santa Fe and Taos (and the High Road between them). We were just at Santa Fe in September. We always stay at Santa Fe Skies RV Park.

This could go on and on, but I'll just stop here.