Albuquerque & Santa Fe, NM: Going to Albuquerque on business for 4 days the middle of the October and will have limited free time. Following that with 2 days in Santa Fe on my own.

rrayrob Loc: Las Vegas, NV

Going to Albuquerque on business for 4 days the middle of the October and will have limited free time. Following that with 2 days in Santa Fe on my own. Looking for UHHers suggestions for things to do and places to photograph. Will appreciate your input.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Consider the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument that are somewhat located between ABQ and Santa Fe.

Jerry Coupe Loc: Kent, WA

About a 45 minute drive from Santa Fe is Bandolier National Monument with cliff dwellings and petroglyphs. Easily a 4-6 hour adventure. There is plenty to see and do right in Santa Fe as well.

A great area. Enjoy your time there.

wwright Loc: Tucson

About 15 miles east of Albuquerque on I40, you can pick up Highway 14 north. This is the "back way" to SF, and goes through Madrid - which is a bit of an artsy village. There is a caol mine there that is also a museum http://www.turquoisetrail.org/stops/detail/madrid-old-coal-town-museum/. If you have time in SF, a guided tour will get you into some of the churches. Also, re: Bandelier, on the way there, right at the "Y" in the road for the truck route into Los Alamos is the Tsankawi portion of Bandelier. Its a circular hike across the top of the mesa where a multi structure building used to be. Then down a ladder to the Southeast face, where there a several caves. The trail leads around the southern edge of the mesa, where there are several petroglyphs. If the weather is warm. do keep an eye open for snakes. :-) https://www.nps.gov/band/planyourvisit/tsankawi.htm
Again, the time consideration, the other way back is through Los Alamos, across Valle Grande, then south on Highway 4. There are some hot springs (a bit of a hike and not well marked), and Battleship Rock, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/santafe/recarea/?recid=75756. Those alternative routes are a little longer, but more scenic than the Interstate.

cdayton

The balloon festival is 10/7-10/15 in Albuquerque. Spectacular event for any photographer. The special shape flight on Thursday is great.

firtree Loc: Florida, USA

Up the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe is a nice ride. Some Ghost towns along that route and some interesting little towns as well. Very scenic. Enjoy your trip. Gorgeous state.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

rrayrob wrote:

Going to Albuquerque on business for 4 days the middle of the October and will have limited free time. Following that with 2 days in Santa Fe on my own. Looking for UHHers suggestions for things to do and places to photograph. Will appreciate your input.

tripadvisor.com

CaptainBobBrown

All of the above plus Bosque del Apache NWR 8 miles from Socorro for sand hill cranes and snow geese by the hundreds to thousands ... depending on if it gets cold enough early enough at their migratory resting places further north.

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Old Town in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe are worth seeing. Very old church still in use in Abq Old Town. Old blogs in Santa Fe if you like that sort of thing. Loretta chapel is interesting. Has a spiral staircase with no obvious bracing. Agree with suggestion of Bandelier, Battleship rock, etc if you have wheels. Also, be aware, if the Balloon Fiesta is in town, allow lots of extra time for traffic and people. Enjoy! Great state, not all desert.

JBPDXOR Loc: Oregon

There is an very old mission builtin the 1700's just outside Santa Fe and a canyon of rocks with bubbles which native idians lived in. Oh yeah, the tram in Albuquerque.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Acoma Pueblo, 60 miles west of Albuquerque, is largely traditional. I believe that is the place that doesn't allow digital photography, so I would check on them before going out there.

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

rehess wrote:

Acoma Pueblo, 60 miles west of Albuquerque, is largely traditional. I believe that is the place that doesn't allow digital photography, so I would check on them before going out there.

It pays to check but the last I knew video and movie cameras were not allowed. Seriously though check first, things can change darn quick.

dhultsman

I like to photograph landscapes, churches, and people. The historic town square in Albuquerque is interesting, especially on the weekends. I drove from Albuquerque to Santa Fe on the Turquoise Trail (New Mexico 14? - several old churches, unique stores in town of Madrid). In Santa Fe the Plaza is the center of attention with many historic buildings (oldest house in North America, oldest Church in North America [both on the historic Santa Fe Trail]; Spanish Governor's Mansion, San Francisco Cathedral, Loretto Chapel, etc.) and museums within a short walk. A trip to Taos Pueblo and a stop at the Kit Carson House in Taos is a good day trip which can be combined with a drive back to Santa Fe on the High Road to Taos with its' historic Churches and towns.

If you rely on a GPS for navigation, drive SLOWLY in Santa Fe; the streets were laid out years ago and seem to change names. Google Maps had trouble keeping up on my Samsung Galaxy S7.

Best wishes for an enjoyable trip.

dhultsman

Was in the area Labor Day weekend. Word I got from locals was that a heavy rainstorm caused damage to the church on the Acoma Pueblo and it was closed to or was allowing only limited visitors. Other building may also have been damaged. Check before you go.

wesm Loc: Los Altos CA

rrayrob wrote:

Going to Albuquerque on business for 4 days the middle of the October and will have limited free time. Following that with 2 days in Santa Fe on my own. Looking for UHHers suggestions for things to do and places to photograph. Will appreciate your input.

Just incredible scenery all around you. Drive up through Madrid and Cerrillos from ABQ to Santa Fe. Old town SF is cool. Maybe visit a pueblo, but photography likely is not allowed. Drive east on I-25 to Pecos, beautiful scenery, river valley, Pecos River canyon is wonderful. Depending on how far you want to drive, just about any direction from SF offers great sights. Drive north past Española, into the Rio Grande gorge. If you have time, go up to Abiquiu, the Ghost Ranch, it's an hour or two from Santa Fe.