Between Denver and Albuquerque... good photo spots?

[smmokan]

I live in Denver and will be driving to ABQ in a couple of months... since we're in no hurry to get down there, I thought I'd see if there are any good photo ops in-between. We've been to Garden of the Gods and Great Sand Dunes, and we'll be spending most of a day in Santa Fe.

So- any good spots? I prefer landscape pictures but heck, I'll shoot just about anything. :)

[chauncey]

In a couple of months...:lol:...think about the weather in the high country.

Go south thru LaVita on Highway 12 to Trinidad and back onto I-25. The county road at the top of Cuchara Pass has a lot of good ops, but you will need a 4x4 during rain or snow, roads aren't paved.

Check out my pbase in signature, including the Dalton enclave hideout.

[Cyclop]

Colorado Springs offers the Air Force Academy, Rodeo Museum and US Olympic Training Center. A few sites that may interest you...

[Architective]

LOTS of good places to take pictures on that stretch. What do you want to take pictures of? Landscapes, cool old churches, mountainscapes?

The Raton pass is very picturesque, about 10-20 miles south of the Colorado border.

[bps]

Don't forget Garden of the Gods!

Bryan

[smmokan]

LOTS of good places to take pictures on that stretch. What do you want to take pictures of? Landscapes, cool old churches, mountainscapes?


Yes. :)

Any recommendations? We've got all the time in the world driving down there, and then we're planning on spending a half day in Santa Fe too. Thoughts?

(to other posts- I'm not interested in CO Springs.... I'm thinking closer to the CO/NM border and other locales within NM)

[sparker1]

I would get off I-25 and use highway 64 through Cimarron, Eagle Nest, Angel Fire and Taos. The circle around through Red River is also nice. See the Rio Grand Gorge outside Taos. Kit Carson and his family are buried in Taos. Lots of colorful homes there, too. From Taos, take "the High Road" to Espanola. This goes through scenic country, as well as small villages and pueblos. In Chimayo is the Santuario de Chimayo, very historic and scenic. Also a great restaurant in Chimayo (Rancho de Chimayo).

You can day-trip north on 84 to Abiquiu, Georgia O'Keefe's Ghost Ranch, Echo Canyon, etc, etc. To the SW are Los Alamos, Jemez Valley (caldera, actually) Bandelier NM, etc, etc.

Santa Fe is special, lots of churches and other historic buildings. Loretta's Chapel is a must see. The national cemetery appeals to me. Day trip to visit the Zia Pueblo, descendants of the Anasazi.

Spend some time with Google to round out your itinerary.

[smmokan]

Sparker- in your estimation, how far off 64 are some of those locations? Unless the weather is bad, we're definitely heading that way on our drive down...

[sparker1]

Sparker- in your estimation, how far off 64 are some of those locations? Unless the weather is bad, we're definitely heading that way on our drive down...

Highway 64 runs right through Cimarron and Eagle Nest, practically through Angel fire and then goes into Taos. It also goes beyond Taos to the Rio Grande Gorge, but that is moving away from Albuquerque. Also, to visit Red River goes in a circle off 64, don't remember how long the circle is. The "High Road" is a back way to Espanola (through Chimayo and other villages), where you can either explore north (Abiquiu, Ghost Ranch, Echo Canyon) on 84 or take 285 right into Santa Fe. It's all worth doing and the color may still be good now.

[smmokan]

Thanks.

I won't be doing the trip until around Thanksgiving, but there should be decent conditions then too.

[sparker1]

By Thanksgiving, some of the fall color may be gone, and I'd check the weather before going. Snow could be a factor in the mountains.