Land of Enchantment. ROAD TRIPS LAND OF ENCHANTMENT EL PASO, TEXAS, TO GRAND CANYON AND BACK 1,789 Miles

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1 ROAD TRIPS LAND OF ENCHANTMENT EL PASO, TEXAS, TO GRAND CANYON AND BACK 1,789 Miles Land of Enchantment Stunning landscapes, culture and adobe villages await on this 1,789-mile adventure. ALBUQUERQUE BALLOON FIESTA PHOTOS BY COURTESY 32 GRAND CANYON JOURNAL 2018

2 TIP Every year New Mexico goes to daylight saving time, but Arizona does not. Remember this one-hour difference as you travel between the two states. Grand Canyon Park 40 ARI ZONA Saguaro Park Flagstaff Phoenix Winslow Petrified Forest Park Holbrook Tucson Silver City Gallup MEXICO Canyon De Chelly Monument Gila Cave Dwellings Monument Grants Acoma White Sands Monument 25 El Paso 40 NEW MEXICO Las Cruces Taos Chimayo Guadalupe Mountains Park Santa Fe Albuquerque Carlsbad Carlsbad Caverns Park PHOTOS BY COURTESY SHUTTERSTOCK If you follow a lonely road through the rolling hills of northern New Mexico, you ll catch sight of the Pedernal. Stretching 9,862- feet into the blue sky, it s the mountain that captured artist Georgia O Keeffe s attention, repeatedly making cameos in her paintings. It s my private mountain, O Keeffe said. God told me if I painted it often enough I could have it. Her words provide a window into the New Mexican ethos where people share a deep relationship with the earth a connection some call sacred that stretches back more than 1,000 years. At Acoma, one of the nation s oldest continuously occupied settlements, you ll find a sun-baked Native American adobe village built 1,000 years ago. In El Sanctuario de Chimayo church, people have collected dirt believed to have healing powers for more than 200 years. In Santa Fe, soft adobe buildings and homes climb hillsides and line streets like spectators at a parade. In Las Cruces, green chiles harvested nearby transform classic dishes into sensory experiences. To the east, the earth turns blinding white as it sprawls across 275 square miles to form White Sands Monument. Next to this stark beauty lies White Sands Missile Range where the first atomic bomb was dropped in Herein lies the magic of New Mexico for every breathtaking turn in the road, there s a story. It s your turn to uncover them in this intriguing land. MYGRANDCANYONPARK.COM 33

3 ROAD TRIPS LAND OF ENCHANTMENT START IN EL PASO, TEXAS SAN ELIZARIO PRESIDIO CHAPEL Bordering Food and Fun El Paso offers outdoor adventures and a fascinating glimpse of life here hundreds of years before Texas became a state. Travelers have stopped in El Paso for more than 10,000 years, leaving behind ancient art, gorgeous missions and a vibrant hole-inthe-wall culinary scene that blends authentic Mexican recipes with fresh chiles and sauces. Start your day by heading to H&H Car Wash and Coffee Shop to get your car hand-washed while you enjoy a typical El Paso-style breakfast. With turquoise countertops and tables and bright red stools, this vintage diner hasn t changed much since it opened in Next, get a bird s-eye view of this city on Wyler Aerial Tramway in Franklin Mountains State Park. It s a fourminute ride to the top of Ranger Peak, which sits at 5,632 feet. Little known fact: the park is the nation s largest urban park. At the top, enjoy stellar views of Texas, Mexico and New Mexico. Then head to the nine-mile El Paso Mission Trail, connecting two of the nation s oldest continuously operated missions: Ysleta Mission (open 10 a.m. 4 p.m.) built in 1682 and Socorro Mission built in 1691 (open 10 a.m. 3 p.m.). Don't miss San Elizario Presidio Chapel where the presidio was built in 1789 (open 7 a.m. 11 a.m.), as well. Afterwards, visit Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site, home to world-renowned bouldering and ancient paintings and carvings. Call ahead to ensure the park has not reached maximum capacity for the day. Sip wine at Zin Valley Vineyards where local musicians play tunes while visitors picnic on Sunday afternoons. El Paso s first vineyards were actually planted nearly 400 years ago by Spanish Franciscan priests. Cool down in the El Paso Museum of History, which tells the border area s rich, multinational and multicultural history. Don t miss the DIGIE, a giant 3-D touchsensitive TV screen filled with photographs and videos of the area s past and present. Lastly, arrive hungry at Kiki s Mexican Restaurant where the unofficial slogan is Pig out! We ll make more. Try Kiki s Famous Machaca, which is chicken, brisket or crab with tomatoes, green chiles, green sauce and cheese. Learn more at visitelpaso.com or at The Union Depot Visitor Information Center, 400 W. San Antonio. The Airport Visitor Information Center is inside the El Paso International Airport in the main lobby. PHOTO COURTESY VISIT EL PASO 34 GRAND CANYON JOURNAL 2018

4 LESS CANYON. MORE MOUNTAIN. A whole new kind of hiking, biking and climbing Download our app DESTINATION EL PASO_GCJ_2017.indd 1 9/14/17 3:13 PM

5 ROAD TRIPS LAND OF ENCHANTMENT EL PASO, TEXAS, TO CARLSBAD, N.M. 164 miles, 2 hours and 44 minutes Caving In STALAGTITES AT CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK See world-class caves and an artist bear near Carlsbad, N.M. Food and Fun MILTON S Check out Carlsbad s popular watering hole, Milton s. It s a brewery and tap room with indoor/ outdoor seating. If you re hungry, grab your meal at the window of one of the food trucks that pull up. THE TRINITY HOTEL Built in 1892, this historic boutique hotel was recently renovated and features nine hotel rooms, in addition to a restaurant. Chef Luis has been nominated as Best Executive Chef in New Mexico. Along with a full-service coffee bar, enjoy free wine tasting from 4-7 p.m. You'll sample the hotel s own Seven Rivers varieties made in the Pecos Valley. In 1898, when 16-year-old cowhand Jim White first entered what would become Carlsbad Caverns Park, the Texas-born teen discovered another world. Once part of a reef in an inland sea, Carlsbad Caverns has more than 119 limestone caves, including the Big Room, which is as large as six football fields. While its disputed whether White was the first Anglo to enter the caves, one thing is clear: this national park is stunning. And the good news is unlike White s days where people were lowered into the caves in guano buckets, there are elevators and stairs to access the caves. Use Carlsbad, N.M., just 18 miles away, as your base to explore Carlsbad Caverns, as well as Guadalupe Mountains Park, 40 miles across the New Mexican/Texas border. Because of its mineral springs, the city was named after the the famous Karlsbad spa in Bohemia (now Czech Republic). Today, frolic in the calm water of the Pecos River when you rent kayaks or stand-up paddleboards and paddle up and down this dammed waterway. Or realize your childhood dream of being a pirate and climb aboard The Flying Fiddler pirate boat. For something simpler, try a river cruise. In a land known for its artists, Carlsbad is home to perhaps the state s most unique artist. You ll find her at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park. Bear Maggie Oso, who was near death before being rescued from a Georgia compound, paints with her paws in private one or so times per week, using non-toxic paints. Her pieces have been exhibited in Carlsbad and are sold in the park s gift shop. In addition to Maggie, there are more than 40 species of animals and hundreds of species of plants native to the Chihuahuan Desert at the state park. YELLOWBRIX RESTAURANT Housed in a yellow brick house built in 1928 by retailer Albert Hendricks, this downtown restaurant serves everything from prime rib to pasta. It s super family friendly with a kids menu that includes classics like mac and cheese. Learn more about Carlsbad at carlsbad.org. PHOTO BY DEPOSIT 36 GRAND CANYON JOURNAL 2018

6 Carlsbad Caverns Park Always a cool 56. CarlsbadNMTrue.com

7 ROAD TRIPS LAND OF ENCHANTMENT CARLSBAD, N.M. TO LAS CRUCES, N.M. 214 miles (via Hwy. 82), 3 hours and 58 minutes Hot Spots Once part of Mexico, the Las Cruces, N.M., area offers an incredibly rich culture woven together with strong strands of traditional Mexican influences. Here are the top seven things to do while visiting this university town. 1. WALK OF FLAME GREEN CHILE TRAIL WHY GO: Sample the vegetable that serves as a cornerstone in southern New Mexico culture. Taste everything from vanilla custard with green chile marmalade at Caliche s Frozen Custard to a New Mexico pecan green chile roll at Aqua Reef. TIP: If your mouth is burning from chiles, drink milk, say researchers at New Mexico State University s Chile Pepper Institute. Milk has a protein in it that neutralizes the capsaicin in the peppers that makes your mouth feel like it s on fi re. 2. FARMERS CRAFTS MARKET & OF LAS CRUCES WHY GO: If you want to experience Las Cruces and have limited time, head to this market lined with fresh produce and vibrant handmade crafts. TIP: Started in 1971, the market takes place every Saturday year round from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on seven city blocks along Main Street. On Wednesdays, you ll fi nd it at Plaza de las Cruces from 8:30-1 p.m. year round and at night from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. May through October. 3. COAS BOOKS WHY GO: This used bookstore is so incredible that Lonesome Dove author and book shop owner Larry McMurtry allegedly stopped through here on road trips to browse the collection. TIP: Filled with books from every genre, fi nd this local institution at 317 North Main St. 4. MESILLA WHY GO: Founded in 1848, this charming village about a 10-minute drive from Las Cruces has a traditional plaza surrounded by boutiques and restaurants, some of which occupy the town s original adobe buildings. TIP: Eat lunch or dinner at La Posta, which serves delicious authentic Mexican food, or Double Eagle, home to the only ORGAN MOUNTAINS- DESERT PEAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT dedicated beef-aging room in New Mexico, which is probably why the venue s locally sourced steaks are so good. Try the green chile cheese wontons with pineapple jalapeno salsa as an appetizer. 5. ORGAN MOUNTAINS- DESERT PEAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT WHY GO: Established in 2014, this relatively new national monument has four areas to explore. Bring extra water and sunscreen while hiking. TIP: Just 10 miles east of Las Cruces lies Dripping Springs trail where you can take a leisurely 2.7-mile, outand-back walk to ruins. Take University Avenue to Dripping Springs Road to get there. It costs $3/vehicle for day use. 6. RIO GRANDE THEATRE WHY GO: See the nation s only operating two-story adobe theater (built in 1926), plus get additional information at the Las Cruces visitor center there. TIP: The 426-person theater is home to an art gallery that showcases local artists, along with entertainment like classic fi lms, children s matinees and local, regional and national acts. It s located at 211 N. Water Street. 7. WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT WHY GO: The sparkling white sands of the world s largest gypsum fi eld are mesmerizing. Hike or sled down them to experience them. TIP: Start at the historic visitor center in a 1930s-era Pueblo Revial building to see exhibits, get information on daily activities and watch a great film A Land in Motion. WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT NEAR ALAMOGORDO, N.M. PHOTOS COURTESY LAS CRUCES CVB (ORGAN MOUNTAINS, WHITE SANDS), SHUTTERSTOCK (CHILI) 38 GRAND CANYON JOURNAL 2018

8 ORGAN MOUNTAINS DESERT PEAKS PREHISTORIC TRACKWAYS NATIONAL MONUMENT WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT LAS CRUCES_GCJ 2018.indd 1 9/8/17 1:25 PM

9 ROAD TRIPS LAND OF ENCHANTMENT LAS CRUCES, N.M. TO SANTA FE 284 miles, 4 hours and 10 minutes Albuquerque vs. Santa Fe You re headed through New Mexico en route to the Grand Canyon. Do you spend more time in Santa Fe, the oldest capital city in the country, or the state s largest city, Albuquerque? Take this test to figure out where to go. ALBUQUERQUE SANTA FE Ride the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway to 10,378 feet to hike or take in the views. Dress in layers as the top can be 20 degrees cooler than the valley; sandiapeak.com It s time to catch amazing views. Where do you go? Hike to the top of Picacho Peak, just under 4 miles round trip. From the top, you ll see amazing views of a number of mountain ranges, including a bird s-eye view of Santa Fe. Flying high in a bright-colored hot air balloon, an activity that makes city residents proud to claim the unofficial title hot air ballooning capital of the world; rainbowryders.com Your perfect day includes Strolling Canyon Road where you can wander in and out of art galleries and cafes tucked in quaint adobe houses along the road, a several-minute walk from La Plaza. Museum of Nuclear Science & History where the evolution of nuclear capabilities comes to life in exhibits about nuclear power and bombs; nuclearmuseum.org When you think of a museum, your mind goes right to Georgia O Keeffe Museum to see the colorful flowers and landscapes that helped shape the American Modernism movement; okeeffemuseum.org Indian Pueblo Cultural Center with worldrenowned historic and contemporary Pueblo art and textiles, plus dance performances; indianpueblo.org/museum You want to see modern Native American culture, so you visit Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, which showcases pieces from contemporary Native American artists; iaia.edu/iaia-museum-ofcontemporary-native-arts ABQ BioPark, home to a zoo and botanic garden summer concert series featuring everything from Irish music to jazz; cabq.gov/ culturalservices/biopark Range Café, a local favorite since 1992, where the menu blends southwestern fare with typical American fare; rangecafe.com Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, a 25-acre lavender farm, featuring a farm-totable restaurant, store and elegant rooms; lospoblanos.com Your idea of a great music scene is The best breakfast ever is waiting for you at Your favorite hotel is The Santa Fe Opera where views of the sunset and Sangre de Cristo mountains rival the performances in this open-air theater with a roof; santafeopera.org Café Pasquale s, a downtown mainstay for 37 years that uses local and organic food. Don t leave without trying the sinful hot chocolate; pasquals.com La Fonda built in 1922 on the Plaza and furnished by architect Mary Colter with original artwork and hand-crafted furniture in every room; lafondasantafe.com If your answers fell mostly in the Santa Fe column, visit this enchanting place and discover there may be an artist in you. If Albuquerque rose to the top, take time to explore this sprawling metropolis and its hidden gems. PHOTOS BY BRUCE SZWALSKI (ALBUQUERQUE), SHUTTERSTOCK (SANTA FE) 40 GRAND CANYON JOURNAL 2018

10 LOWELL OBSERVATORY SLIPHER BUILDING Out of this World Visit two landmarks that have helped Americans map the moon, discover a planet and unravel the mysteries of the universe. PHOTO COURTESY OF LOWELL OBSERVATORIY/FLICKR When President John F. Kennedy announced on May 25, 1961, that the U.S. would put men on the moon by the end of the 1960s, no one had a detailed map of the moon. To make maps, NASA turned to the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz., which owned the Clark Telescope built in Working feverishly for 10 years, teams of scientists and airbrush artists used the telescope at the Flagstaff observatory to view the moon and hand-draw exquisitely detailed maps of its surface. Imagine going to a foreign country without a map, says Kevin Schindler, Lowell Observatory s historian. These maps helped astronauts figure out where they were going to land. But the astronauts also needed practice driving lunar roving vehicles in a crater-pocked landscape and picking up rocks in confining space suits. Extreme Adventure Awaits Feel like a kid again at Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course, Arizona s only tree-top selfguided obstacle course. You'll find it at Fort Tuthill County Park. With five adult courses ranging from easy to challenging, you can swing Meteor Crater, 37 miles east of Flagstaff, gave every Apollo astronaut a preview of what they might see on the moon. The crater, formed about 50,000 years ago when a fiery asteroid crashed into the Earth, going 26,000 miles per hour. Today, you can visit Meteor Crater and Lowell Observatory. At Lowell, view Saturn s rings through the 32-footlong Clark Telescope. And peer through the telescope that helped 24-year-old observatory assistant Clyde Tombaugh discover Pluto in The interactive Space Guard Academy exhibit also is popular, as is Junior Astronomer, a program that allows kids to fill out a packet on-site and receive a patch. Of all the planets, only Pluto was discovered in this country, so it s a neat piece not only of scientific history but American history, Schindler says. Visit Lowell Observatory at 1400 W. Mars Hill Rd. in Flagstaff. Find out more at lowell.edu/outreach. on ropes, scramble up walls and traverse wobbly bridges. Those who complete the final black course can buy a special black T-shirt for $19 to celebrate their feat. For kids, the yellow course offers tons of fun: flagstaffextreme.com. MYGRANDCANYONPARK.COM 41

11 ROAD TRIPS LAND OF ENCHANTMENT FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ., TO TUSAYAN, ARIZ. 73 miles, 1 hour and 20 minutes Totally Tusayan TUSAYAN RUINS AT GRAND CANYON'S SOUTH RIM Four best-kept secrets to experiencing the Grand Canyon and finding a parking space, a pool and nightlife. Soar past towering cliffs and raft through huge rapids when you watch the IMAX movie Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets at the Geographic Visitor Center in Tusayan, Ariz., just minutes from the park s South Rim entrance. The 34-minute film projected on a six-story-high screen is a fantastic start to your Grand Canyon adventure as it carries you on a journey spanning 4,000 years of Grand Canyon history. It begins with the native people who lived there and includes a recreation of John Wesley Powell s 1869 boating expedition through the Grand Canyon. But you ll find three other things in Tusayan, which are extremely difficult to find inside the Grand Canyon's park boundaries: parking, pools and live music. First, parking. Leave your car in Tusayan (pronounced Toos-ayin ), located 1 mile from the park entrance, INSIDER S TIPS Buy your IMAX tickets online to save up to 20 percent, and buy your park pass in Tusayan to avoid waiting in long lines at the entrance. Whether you take the park shuttle or drive into the park, you ll need a park pass to get through the park's entrance. Tusayan has four places where you can purchase your pass: Geographic Visitor Center, RP s Stage Stop, Red Feather Lodge or Canyon Plaza Resort. For details on park pass prices, turn to page 8. PHOTO BY GRANT ORDELHEIDE 42 GRAND CANYON JOURNAL 2018

12 and ride the free Park Service shuttle into the park. Doing so could save you literally hours trying to find a parking spot. It ll also help you avoid long lines of cars trying to get into the park. The shuttle, which runs seasonally 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily, uses a special separate lane to get you to the sights you want to see faster. Not convinced traffic will be bad? Don t take our word for it. Head to the Grand Canyon Chamber & Visitor s Bureau across from the IMAX where a live web cam is fixed on the entrance stations. You ll see the screen when you walk in. Ridership was up 29 percent in May, June and July of this year, says Laura Chastain, general manager of the Grand Canyon Chamber & Visitor s Bureau. I think us having a feed in our office showing people how crazy traffic can be has made a difference. If you re looking to cool off at the end of your day in the Grand Canyon, consider staying in Tusayan for the night. Each of the six hotels in town have pools, either indoor or outdoor. None in the park has them. Plus, you ll discover more nightlife in this small town on the edge of the park from live music and TVs broadcasting sporting events to an arcade and bowling alley in the Best Western Premier Grand Canyon Squire Inn. PHOTO BY GRANT ORDELHEIDE Get advice at the Grand Canyon Chamber & Visitor s Bureau Visitor Center or go to grandcanyoncvb. org. Learn more about the Geographic Visitor Center at explorethecanyon.com. 64 MYGRANDCANYONPARK.COM GCJ2018_RoadTrips_LandofEnchantment_PROOF.indd /26/17 11:13 AM

13 ROAD TRIPS LAND OF ENCHANTMENT G RAN D CANYON SOUTH R I M TO SI LVE R CITY, N.M. 416 miles, 7 hours and 8 minutes Silver City From Grand Canyon, point your wheels southeast to Silver City, N.M., home to a vibrant arts scene and close to Gila Dwellings Monument. PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK T ucked in a rugged corner of New Mexico, you'll discover the vibrant historic town of Silver City. Once a booming silver mining town, it was here Billy the Kid was first arrested in 1875 for theft. While he didn't stay long, his family did, and his mom is buried in the town's Memory Lane Cemetery. Today, Silver City is home to about 10,000 residents, including dozens of artists and musicians. Stroll the lively downtown where colorful storefronts, restaurants and boutiques line the street. Forty-four miles north lies Gila Cliff Dwellings Monument. Explore its ancients ruins on your own or with a park ranger on a tour. Pla GILA CLIFF DWELLINGS NATIONAL MONUMENT Learn more at nps.gov/gicl. Play in the Trees Play in the Trees Play in the Trees Play in the Trees FREE GWLITOHVPAEIDS ON ADMIS SI EXP 1/ 12 /3 18 See the stars like never before in the world s first Play in the! International Dark Sky City Play in the Trees Fort Tuthill County Park Fort Tuthill County Park OPEN YEAR-ROUND! Flagstaff, AZ (928) Fort Tuthill County Park 44 Flagstaff, AZ Fort Tuthill County Park Flagstaff, AZ Flagstaff, AZ book flagstaffextreme.com book flagstaffextreme.com Flagstaff, AZ book flagstaffextreme.com book flagstaffextreme.com Fort Tuthill GRAND CANYON JOURNAL 2018 Fort Tuthill County Park GCJ2018_RoadTrips_LandofEnchantment_PROOF.indd 44 Flagstaff, AZ 9/26/17 11:15 AM book