Road trip to New Mexico from Atlanta

[D. Bryant]

Hi Folks,

In mid August I will be driving from Atlanta to Albuquerque, New Mexico for a photo road trip.

I'm interested in possibly photographing abandoned greenhouses, industrial ruins, and iconic vestigal Americana along the way.

I'll be shooting color and B&W 4x5 and some work with a DSLR and possibly shooting with MF color negative.

Any suggestions about locations will be appreciated.

Also any interesting areas in NM will be appreciated, I'm planning to stay there about 7 days travelling the northern areas of NM.

I'm also possibly interested in shooting in the Gaudalupe Mountains in west Texas on the return trip or other suggested Texas locations.

Thanks for any help,

Don Bryant

PS I can't four wheel, I'll be driving a Honda Civic to save on gas.

[aduncanson]

There are so many photo opportunities in Northern New Mexico you just need to spin your camera and press the shutter. Just North of Santa Fe is Hernandez, the site of one rather famously documented moon rise, also the village of Chimayo with a much photographed church and Georgia O'Keefe territory near Abiquiu, then there is Taos.

But absolutely not to be missed is breakfast, lunch and dinner at Cafe Pasqual at Don Gaspar and Water streets in Santa Fe. Do not be put off by the line out the door.

One word of warning is that the Santa Fe Indian Market will take place on 23 & 24 August this year. Unless you are committed to looking at Southwest Indian arts, it is a good time to NOT be in town. The population doubles and hotel rates go up accordingly. I once had a hotel tell me that my reservation was not good for the last two days of my planned stay unless I was willing to pay substantially more than the rate I had been guaranteed.

The Native American Pueblos will want you to pay for a photo license, particularly Taos, which is arguably the most photogenic of them all. (But I have not seen Acoma with my own two eyes.)

[Brian Vuillemenot]

Just a few of the highlights in New Mexico:

White Sands National Monument
Carlsbad Caverns
Bisti Badlands/ De-Na-Zin Wilderness
Salinas Pueblo Ruins
Chaco Canyon

New Mexico is a big state, so you probably will have to pick and choose. If you're headed down to the Guadalupe Mountains, be sure to spend a day or two at White Sands and/or Carlsbad Caverns on the way. Salinas Pueblo ruins are on the way down there from Albuquerque. Chaco and Bisti are in the northwest corner of the state, a very long drive from White Sands. There's numerous other ancestral Puebloan sites and redrock in the four corners area, so you'll have to do a separate trip for that. A huge number of smaller, less visited and photographed sites exist all over the state, including many ghost towns and sites of geological and historical interest. There's also much to photograph in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Have a fun trip!

[D. Bryant]

There are so many photo opportunities in Northern New Mexico you just need to spin your camera and press the shutter. Just North of Santa Fe is Hernandez, the site of one rather famously documented moon rise, also the village of Chimayo with a much photographed church and Georgia O'Keefe territory near Abiquiu, then there is Taos.

But absolutely not to be missed is breakfast, lunch and dinner at Cafe Pasqual at Don Gaspar and Water streets in Santa Fe. Do not be put off by the line out the door.

One word of warning is that the Santa Fe Indian Market will take place on 23 & 24 August this year. Unless you are committed to looking at Southwest Indian arts, it is a good time to NOT be in town. The population doubles and hotel rates go up accordingly. I once had a hotel tell me that my reservation was not good for the last two days of my planned stay unless I was willing to pay substantially more than the rate I had been guaranteed.

The Native American Pueblos will want you to pay for a photo license, particularly Taos, which is arguably the most photogenic of them all. (But I have not seen Acoma with my own two eyes.)

Thanks for all the info. I did forget to mention that this isn't my first trip to NM, I've been out several times, but it's always good to get input from other travelers.

Thanks,

Don

[Brian Vuillemenot]

Oh, also if you're going through west Texas, Big Bend is a must, but you need at least 3-4 days and preferably a week or two to go there. It looks pretty close to Guadalupe Mountains NP on the map, but it's actually about a 6 hour drive.

[venchka]

The Texas Leg:

A few thoughts based on my own photographic ramblings:

US Hwy 80 west from the LA border: This is more theory than actual locations, based on what I've seen recently. This highway was the main thorofare across Texas way back when. It passes through some small and not so small towns that time has more or less bypassed. Orginally, this highway went right through these towns. Today, the roadway may have been relocated slightly off of "Main Street". That means you may have to hunt a block or 3 either side of the present highway for the orginal parts of town. Wascom, Gladewater, Mineloa, Grand Saline, etc. come to mind. The old part of Grand Saline is a block or two south of Hwy 80. The train station area in Mineloa (south of US 80) is interesting.

Go around the DFW (Dallas-Ft. Worth) metro area. WAY around. I would suggest that from Mineloa or Grand Saline, go north & west through Greenville to Sherman. Turn west at Sherman through Nocona, St Jo, toward Henrietta. Pick up US 287 west of Henrietta.

US 287: Once again, get off of the new road and into the small towns. This is "Hud" country-the movie not the gov't. agency. Not far off US-287 are Caprock Canyons and Palo Duro Canyon state parks. Worth a side trip.

New Mexico: Bandalier N.M. - not as spectacular as it's big cousin Mesa Verde N.P., but uncrowded and charming in it's own right.

Bisti Badlands Wilderness - strange, interesting, off the beaten path.

Enjoy! I'm envious. Stuck in an office in Houston.

Cheers!

[D. Bryant]

Just a few of the highlights in New Mexico:

A huge number of smaller, less visited and photographed sites exist all over the state, including many ghost towns and sites of geological and historical interest.

This is the kind of stuff I'm looking for, places without tripod holes so to speak.

Thanks,

Don

[D. Bryant]

The Texas Leg:

A few thoughts based on my own photographic ramblings:

US Hwy 80 west from the LA border: This is more theory than actual locations, based on what I've seen recently. This highway was the main thorofare across Texas way back when. It passes through some small and not so small towns that time has more or less bypassed. Orginally, this highway went right through these towns. Today, the roadway may have been relocated slightly off of "Main Street". That means you may have to hunt a block or 3 either side of the present highway for the orginal parts of town. Wascom, Gladewater, Mineloa, Grand Saline, etc. come to mind. The old part of Grand Saline is a block or two south of Hwy 80. The train station area in Mineloa (south of US 80) is interesting.

Go around the DFW (Dallas-Ft. Worth) metro area. WAY around. I would suggest that from Mineloa or Grand Saline, go north & west through Greenville to Sherman. Turn west at Sherman through Nocona, St Jo, toward Henrietta. Pick up US 287 west of Henrietta.

US 287: Once again, get off of the new road and into the small towns. This is "Hud" country-the movie not the gov't. agency. Not far off US-287 are Caprock Canyons and Palo Duro Canyon state parks. Worth a side trip.

New Mexico: Bandalier N.M. - not as spectacular as it's big cousin Mesa Verde N.P., but uncrowded and charming in it's own right.

Bisti Badlands Wilderness - strange, interesting, off the beaten path.

Enjoy! I'm envious. Stuck in an office in Houston.

Cheers!

Thanks!

Don

[Mike Castles]

Don, at work right now, but will reply later this evening with some ideas about the home state of TX's.

of use until then might be http://www.texasescapes.com/

[Mike Castles]

In from work now:

The Metro-Mess (aka FW/D) might offer something, but I would be inclined to go around (however if you make it here let me know, we can meet up for coffee or some other beverage of choice).

There are some old frontier forts in Jacksboro - Old Ft. Richardson, then futher West in Graham is Ft. Belknap. Down to Albany - Ft. Griffin, then Abilene Ft. Phantom Hill. The old forts are in various stages from ruins to restored - most are state Parks, all have good access.

Going West from here, either to Amarillo (North West) or on 380 due West you would have a number of nice older towns, with nice courthouses and period buildings.

Once in the panhandle there are the grain silos some of which are alone in the middle of nowhere (good photo ops though). As has been mentioned are Caprock Canyon State Park and Palo Duro Canyon, taking the back roads rather than interstate or US287 gives a much nicer view and drive if time allows. West of Amarillo, there is Adrian of Paula Chamlee's - High Plains Frame fame (and not a bad place to stop would be Midpoint - the half way stop on old Rt.66 between Chicago and LA). Going North through Dumas, Dalhart and Texline would yield some great sunflower fields if you can catch them...this is farm country. Oh, and the clouds can be great in July/Aug - think Clayton to Springer is a good drive.

A bit more to the South could take you south around FW/D through Brownwood and San Angelo (another old fort here - Ft. Concho) then West to Monahans - Monahans sand dunes - different from White Sands which is North out of Pecos, via Carlsbad and the caverns. This would also place you within a few hours of Guadalupe Moutains NP, which is full of great landscape.

Many of the small towns have declined and there are numerous places to shoot buildings (though on a small scale) that are empty. The area has a littered landscape of old oil pump jacks that no longer work and make for an interesting graveyard so to speak.

These are just a few, if you want email or PM me off line with areas you may be considering and we can discuss. Have a LOT of windshield time in most parts of the state and would be happy to help if I can.