Land of Enchantment Route Plan (Sunday, May 28th – Sunday, June 4th)
The Ride: Easyglide, Boots, Aviator, Sarge, Rocketman and Norm covered over 2400 miles during eight days through Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. Historical sites, towns and roads traveled included Carlsbad Caverns, Cloudcroft, Ruidosa, Billy the Kid Scenic Byway, Lincoln, Valley of Fires, White Sands National Monument, Santa Fe, Taos, High Road To Taos, Chimayo, The Pedernal, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, Chama Road, SR 24 Through Cumbres Pass Colorado, Rio Grande Gorge, Taos Gorge Suspension Bridge and Fort Sumner.
Day 1: Sunday, May 28: Austin to Carlsbad; 466 mi., 10 – 10 ½ hrs.
Leave from Y in Oakhill: Jim’s Restaurant
290W to I 10W to 285 NW to Carlsbad
Lodging: Best Western Stevens Inn; 1829 South Canal (Hwy 285)
Day 2: Monday, May 29: To Cloudcroft; 127 mi., 2 ¾ hrs (Memorial Day)
POI: Short tour of Carlsbad Caverns
To Cloudcroft
285 North
Left on 82 West to Cloudcroft
Afternoon Loop: SR 24 to Dunken, Pinon; Sacramento Peak; Sunspot Observatory;
Cloudcroft 120 mi. 3 - 3 ½ hrs
82 East to Mayhill
Right on SR 24 SW to Dunken
Keep Right on 24 NW to Weed
Left onto SR 130 West
Left on 6563 South (Sunspot Hwy)
Right onto Corona Loop 1 mi.
Left on 6563 NE; backtrack to US 82
Overnight in Cloudcroft
Day 3: Tuesday, May 30 (In Cloudcroft)
Day Loop: Ruidosa, SR 244;Billy the Kid Scenic Byway, Lincoln Loop; Valley of Fires; White Sands; Hwy 82 Tunnel; 202 mi., 6 – 6 1/2 hrs.
Get on 82 East from Cloudcroft
Left on 244/224 NW thru Mescalero Apache Reservation
Right on 70 NE to Ruidosa
Billy the Kid Scenic Byway Loop:
From Ruidosa, get on US 70 and drive northeast
Go 24 mi., turn left onto US 380
POI: 10 mi. to Lincoln
POI: 12 mi. to Capitan (Home of Smokey the Bear)
Capitan
West on 380 to Carrizozo, then 5 mi. to Valley of Fires
POI: Valley of Fires
Backtrack to Carrizozo
South on 54 toward Alamagorda
Take US 70 SW to White Sands
Right on Dunes Dr. (16 mi. scenic loop)
POI: White Sands National Monument
Complete loop; backtrack on Dunes Dr. to US 70
Left on US 70 East
Right on US 82 to Cloudcroft
POI: Hwy 82 Tunnel Overlook
Overnight in Cloudcroft
Day 4: Wednesday, May 31: Cloudcroft to Taos; 300 mi., 7 – 8 hrs
US 82 West
Right on US 70 East
Left on US 54 North; 17 mi. to Three Rivers
POI: Three Rivers Petroglyph Site (5 mi. east on CR B30)
POI: Tularosa Basin Lava fields
Carrizozo
POI: Malpais--Valley of Fires Rec Area, if did not visit previous day (5 mi. west on 380 from Carrizozo)
Left on Hwy 3
Left on US 285 North
POI: Lunch Stop in Santa Fe Plaza
Continue 285 North
US 68 to Taos
Lodging: Historic Taos Inn, 125 Paseo del Pueblo Norte
Day 5: Thursday, June 1 (In Taos)
Home Base: Taos
Day Loop: High Road to Taos loop; 238 mi., 5 ½ hrs. (Spectacular)
Hwy 68 SW to Ranchos de Taos
Left on 518 South
Right on I25 South, then west/north
Pecos National Park
POI: Glorieta Battlefield
Exit 282B to right on St. Francis Drive/285
To US 84/285N/68 toward Espanola
Optional Detour: Tesuque: Bishop’s Lodge & Chapel @ Little Tesuque Stream
Right on 503 at Pojoaque; go 2 mi.
Nambe Pueblo
Option: Go 1 mi., then right at Nambe Lake Turnoff to:
POI: Nambe Falls
Backtrack to 503; continue East
Nambe
Left on 520/76 to Chimayo
POI: Chimayo
POI: Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant (CR 98/503)
POI: Santurario de Chimayo (Historic Shrine/Chapel/CR 98/503, 1 mi. S. of 76/520 intersection)
Continue East on 76 (High Road)
POI: Truchas; Viewing Stop (Mt. Truchas, 2nd highest in New Mexico; Film location of Milagro Beanfield War.
POI: La Trampas: San Jose de Gracia Church
Rio Grande Valley; Truchas Mountain Café
Left on 75 West
Picuris
Apodaco
POI: Dixon; Chiripada Winery (highest in New Mexico)
Right on 68 N
POI: Pilar: Orilla Verde View Area of Rio Grande Gorge (68/570).
POI: Ranchos de Taos
POI: San Francisco de Asis Church (Shadow of the Cross Painting)
Overnight in Taos
Alternate Loop Option: Enchanted Circle Loop; 185 mi. 5 hrs.
SE on Kit Carson Rd
Left on 64 East
Palo Flechado Pass (Viewing Areas)
Optional: 434 Turnoff to Angel Fire (Quick Visit)
Eagles Nest
POI: Wheeler’s Peak (highest peak in New Mexico)
POI: Vietnam Veteran’s Nat’l Memorial (South of 38/64 Intersection)
Side Trip: Right/East on 64 24 mi. thru Cimarron Canyon
Cimarron
POI: St. James Hotel
Backtrack on 64 West
Continue Loop on Hwy 434/38 North
Elizabethtown, Moreno, Bobcat Pass
Red River (Optional Lunch Stop)
Questa
POI: Wild Rivers Rec Area: La Junta Point (11 mi. SW of Questa)
Lama
San Cristobal
POI: D.H. Lawrence Ranch and Shrine on left
Arroyo Hondo
Continue on 522 to 64 Intersection
POI: Rio Grande Gorge; 7 mi. West of 64/522 intersection
Backtrack on 64 East; Continue on 522 South
Taos
+ Special Rds: SR 434-Angel Fire to Mora; Santa Fe
Turquoise Road off IH 25 South of Santa Fe
Day 6: Friday June 2 (In Taos)
Home Base: Taos
Day Loop: Rocky Mountain Loop; 228 mi., 5 hrs (A spectacular ride into the Rockies;
two lane heaven)
POI: Rio Grande Gorge, (Arroya Hondo/Hwy 64 NW to Taos to Pilar (Hwy 68 SW)
POI: Taos Gorge Bridge (2nd largest suspension bridge in the world)
POI: Chama, Ghost Ranch Living Museum; Cumbres & Toltec Railroad (Longest, highest narrow gauge steam railroad)
Hwy 68 Southwest to Pilar
Right on 74
Left on 285
To US 84 NW
Chile
Abiquiu/Lake (Home of Georgia O’Keefe)
15 mi. to Ghost Ranch
Left on 96 West 10 mi. to Pedernal (Close-up View)
Return to 84 N
Barranca
POI: Ghost Ranch/Chimney Rock
POI: Pedernal View from Ranch
POI: 4 mi. to Echo Canyon Amphitheatre
Chama
Continue on SR 17
POI: Cumbres & Toltec Steam Engine RR (departs at noon from Chama)
Cumbres Pass; La Manga Pass
Conejos River; Conejos River Guest Ranch
Fox Creek,
Antonito, CO
Narrow Gauge Café, Antonito (Lunch Stop)
Get on Hwy 17 North
FoxCreek
Right on 285 South
Brazos Cliffs Overlook
Tres Piedras
Left on US 64 East to Arroyo Hondo; (Rio Grande Gorge Bridge)
Right on 68 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte
Overnight in Taos
Day 7: Saturday, June 3: To Lubbock via Fort Sumner; Clovis 355 mi., 7 ½ - 8 hrs
Get on Paseo Del Pueblo Norte (Hwy 68) and drive southwest
Turn left onto Hwy 518 77 mi.
Turn left onto University Ave
Turn right onto Hwy 65 E
Take right ramp onto I-25 S
Take exit 339 to the right onto Historic Route 66 (Hwy 84)
Turn left onto Historic Route 66 & drive southeast 40 mi.
Turn left onto I-40 E ramp
Take exit 273 to the right onto I-40-Bl E
Keep left onto I-40-Bl E
Santa Rosa
Get on Parker Ave and drive northeast
Take right ramp onto I-40 E
Take exit 277 to the right onto US 84
Turn right onto US 84
Turn left onto US 84
Fort Sumner
Get on US 84 and drive east
Get on Billy the Kid Rd and drive south
POI: Billy the Kid Museum & Gravesite
Backtrack on Hwy 272 and drive north
Turn left onto Hwy 272
Turn right onto Hwy 212
Turn left onto US 84
Take Hwy 60 East to Clovis
Take US 70/84 to Lubbock
Overnight in Lubbock
Day 8: Sunday, June 4: Last Leg Home
Lubbock to Austin (385 mi.,7 – 7 ½ hrs)
Us 84 to I20 to SH 183 to Austin |
