Tommg

Traveling from Montana to Denver, then on to New Mexico, Arizona, California & Oregon. Looking for suggestions in New Mexico and Arizona, Thanks for any ideas you are able to offer. Animals, landscapes and anything of interest.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

Three or four years ago I was planning a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. I asked for some advice since I had only been there for a week about 25 years prior. Got some good answers but the best was by someone who told me to skip RMNP and head to Ouray (pronounced Uray). I took his advise and it was excellent! The highest peaks in RMNP is under 13,000 ft. (this is what I was told by someone but it seems there are a couple of 13,000 foot peaks as well as Long's Peak which is over 14,000 ft.). Ouray sits in a valley with mountains higher than 13,000 ft. on two sides. I think the ones around Ouray may be more scenic though since they are on two sides of a very narrow valley. From there you can travel south about 45 minutes to Silverton, an old west town with all dirt streets (it took my friend and I two and a half hours to do the drive because we stopped often to photograph mountain lakes, streams, and old abandoned mining towns. If you have time, you can catch a steam locomotive and travel from Silverton to Durango -- highly scenic and Durango is a very historic old west town. Another thing we didn't do but will if I ever get back there is to hire a jeep and driver who will take you to some abandoned sites that are only accessible by off-road vehicles. Ouray is also known for hot springs where you can bathe. After a couple of days in Ouray we did head up to RMNP. A couple of suggestions for there is to take the Trail Ridge Road. It is one way and I wouldn't even think of driving it if there were any ice at all. Some of the road is so narrow that you can't open both car doors at the same time. I don't have a problem with heights but I bet the rental car we had still had impressions of Dennis's hands on the side of the passenger seat! Just outside the park is Estes Park, CO. There you will find the famous Stanley Hotel. It is where Steven King spent about two months and wrote several chapters of his novel "The Shinning". The founder Stanley was famous not only for inventing the Stanley Steamer (a copy of which sits in the lobby of the hotel), but also a highly efficient (for that day and age) wood burning stove (one of those sits in the lower level where the bake shop and restaurant are), and for being a founding father of Estes Park. You also mentioned Denver and there you may want to head over to Boulder and find along there somewhere Red Rocks. This area is famous for it's red rock formations which forms a natural amphitheater where many famous concerts have been staged. Good luck on your Journey. I know you didn't specify Colorado but since you were traveling south through Denver I thought I would throw these suggestions in. In Arizona you may want to take in the Petrified Forrest and Painted Desert. You drive through the Painted Desert to get to the Petrified Forrest and both places are worth the relatively short side-trip.

cahale Loc: San Angelo, TX

Download Google Earth Pro, install, and look at the places you want to visit. Lots of halfway decent photos posted around all the scenic spots. Also give you the GPS coordinates for finding the locations.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The Four Corners will give options / access to Mesa Verde National Park, the Four Corners Monument, the Aztec Ruins National Monument, the Hovenweep National Monument, the Mexican Hat, and Canyon de Chelly, just to name a few.

jdtonkinson Loc: Red Wing, MN

Not sure what parts of Arizona you plan to visit,
But besides the Grand Canyon and nearby Vermilion Cliffs (where California Condors can be seen). Also in Tucson I highly recommend the Sonoran Desert Museum (they have wolves, bear, mountain lion, a walk-in bird aviary, walk-in hummingbird aviary, and at 10 am daily a Raptor free-flight demonstration. Near the desert museum is Sky Island Falconry where they give you a glove and let you hold a Barn Owl and a Harris's Hawk on your glove.. a pretty cool experience. They also fly an Indian peregrine falcon.

Enjoy your trip

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

In Arizona, Saguaro National Monument and Organ Pipe National Monument. (May be dangerous right now, though--illegal aliens.) Jerome, Flagstaff, Sedona, Meteor Crater. Near Tucson, Mission San Xavier del Bac, Old Tucson (movie sets), and the Amerind Museum.

In New Mexico, Sandia Peak (take the sky car), Capulin Volcano (east of Raton), Taos.

flashguy

ELNikkor

You could easily make that a 2-month trip...

TerryVS

If you like cool rock formations Google Bisti Badlands NM. It's a hidden gem. Do be aware you may not see another person, there are no marked trails and it's an unforgiving place. No cell either. Other than that it's just a cool place to explore and photograph!

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

In New Mexico, you will definitely want to visit Chimayo, Abiquiu, Santa Fe and Taos. Do not miss the drive up the High Road to Taos.

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

The Oregon coast is beautiful. And you will also want to take a drive up Columbia Gorge to Multnomah Falls.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Holy cow - what an overly broad question! How much time are you going to spend? Are you just traveling through or are you traveling to do photography? What time of year are you going? What is your interest? Can you hike? You could easily spend 3-4 weeks in Arizona alone.

Tommg

Thanks, everyone, really big help with lots of interesting advice. Visiting kids & grandkids in the Denver area then off to Arizona, more relatives, then work our way back to Montana thru California, Oregon, and maybe Washington, we'll see how the time goes. For the most part, we plan to travel Highway 1 along the coast in California, Oregon, and Washington. We are retired with plenty of time on our hands. We'll travel until we get our fill, then go home.

Photolady2014 Loc: Southwest Colorado

It is a cool place if you know where to go. It is very easy to get lost, don’t ask me how I know this…

photoman43

Dittto the above for NM. In Arizona, make sure you visit Monument Valley (take a tour with an Indian Guide); Canyon de Chelley (take a morning tour with an Indian Guide) and if time permits, the Petrified National Forest. Around Tucson, the Desert Museum and Saguaro National Forest, especially the part near the Desert Museum.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Google "photo ops in..."