Albuquerque to Taos RT 5/29-6/5

Moderately priced places only please.

You're looking for eating recommendations over a 75 mile trip?

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

You're looking for eating recommendations over a 75 mile trip?

Sure!

We're taking five days for this 75 mile roadtrip.

We're taking five days for this 75 mile roadtrip.



Well actually we haven't decided if we can squeeze in a trip to Pike's Peak on this trip and get all the stuff done we want to do around Taos.
Shopping for silver, train ride, whitewater (?), hot air ballooning, shopping for turqoise, pueblo tours, parks...

So if you have feelings about this, feel free!

This is an absolute must! Probably one of the best New Mexican restaurants I ever ate at and a fantastic atmospher to match. Don't forget to go to the small church next door
www.ranchochimayo.com/Ranchodechimayorestaurant.htm

Anasazi in Santa Fe is great.

Two recommendations: the Guadalajara (sp?) Grill on Cerrillos Avenue in Santa Fe and the Bobcat Bite on Old Las Vegas Hwy on the outskirts of Santa Fe. The Guadalajara Grill serves, as its name suggests, New Mexican-style food, and does it very well. Try the pork carnitas, they are excellent. I can also enthusiastically second the Sterns' recommendation of the Bobcat Bite (see their review elsewhere on this site). I've eaten there twice within the past year and their green chile cheeseburger is the best I've had anywhere. Note the funky hours (Wed-Sat from 11:00 a.m. to 7:50 p.m.), and that since the place is small, if you're going for dinner you should get there before 6 to get a table or a seat at the counter.

The San Marcos Cafe south of Santa Fe has unique atmosphere and wonderful breakfasts,see the review.

Micheal:
You give me grief over a 75 mile road trip and you don't weigh in with an opinion?

C'mon, dude, join the fun...

Thanks to all the others who have chimed in. Keep them coming! For sure, add Santa Fe into the mix.

Here's more detail on the itinerary that may prompt more thoughts:
Albuquerque/ Santa Fe/ Los Alamos/ Taos/ Chama/ and decided last night to make the trek into Co: Pueblo, Canon City, and Cripple Creek.

Try The Shed in downtown Santa Fe for red chile, or Tia Sophia's for everything else. Bobcat Bite in Santa Fe is a no-brainer, but note the hours. In Espanola, don't miss El Parasol -- a remarkable little take-out window (next door to the larger El Paragua restaurant) with truly amazing tacos, burritos, etc. I've never seen it noted on this site, but it's a real hidden gem. In Taos, Orlando's, Roberto's and El Taoseno hold up well. Old Blinking Light, on the ski valley road, is also worth a stop.

Albuquerque: Frontier, Frontier, Frontier. Best Roadfood place in existence, as far as I'm concerned.

In Colorado, by Cañon City do you mean the Royal Gorge Bridge? It's the biggest tourist trap in all Colorado. My partner insisted we go there in 2001. We got there in time to pay some outrageous admission cost "but all the attractions are free after that," except that by the time we got there all the attractions closed for the day. Black Canyon of the Gunnison, near Montrose Co is not on your route but it's far more impressive, and being a National Park, it is not a ripoff.

What train? The Cumbres to Toltec?

quote:

Originally posted by michaelgemmell

In Colorado, by Cañon City do you mean the Royal Gorge Bridge?

What train? The Cumbres to Toltec?

Yes and Maybe.

It's a bridge, how can that be a rip off?

And Maybe? It's the train from Chama to Antonito. It's something like you said...

I second the Shed in Santa Fe. In Albuquerque, try Jersey Jacks just off 25 at Jefferson; very good sandwiches. Charlies Front or Back Door for good posole, and try the Sheepherder; Pastrami and green chili strips in a flour tortilla! Santa Fe I would recommend Tecolote Cafe for breakfas; huge burritos with choice of breakfast meats, cheese and a huge amount of green or red over it all. Back in Albuquerque, Rex's Hamburgers are exceptionally good; try the green chili cheeseburger. Not sure the Cumbres and Toltec are running right now due to all the snow in the Colorado mountains. If you want a bridge over a large gorge, try the one over the Rio Grande just northwest of Taos; really spectacular view into the "box".

On good ol' Route 66 or Central as we know it in Albuquerque, try Bob's Burgers "Ranchero Supreme". That's a Green Chile Cheese Burger with the works, I go for the large...much better than the Frontier's burger...but the Frontier has good Breakfast burritos. Also great New Mex food at Los Cuates(Enchiladas) on Lomas and Western View(awesome Chile Rellenos) out on West Central near Coors Blvd. There is another little place on Coors at Montano called Stuffy's (stuffed sopapillas) which I highly recommend...but get there before lunch as they often run out of supplies before 5pm. Enjoy our state, and more often then not when asked, answer: Green

Take a look at their website:

http://www.royalgorgebridge.com/html/park-information/tickets-and-times.html

That toll is $10 per person, not what I'd call "moderately priced." Please just take a good look at their website and see if this is what you have in mind. If you're going to go to Colo. Springs, I highly recommend the cog railway to the top of Pike's Peak. The Van Briggle Pottery in the Springs gives a free tour, and the Garden of the Gods is a city park with no admission charge. This is a ways off from Taos, but if you can fit the Springs into your trip you will like it.

Now I must check out this other train you mentioned. I do NM in 2006, and just love those excursion trains, so thanks for the tip on the Chama to Antonito.

quote:

Originally posted by michaelgemmell

Take a look at their website:

http://www.royalgorgebridge.com/html/park-information/tickets-and-times.html

That toll is $10 per person, not what I'd call "moderately priced." Please just take a good look at their website and see if this is what you have in mind. If you're going to go to Colo. Springs, I highly recommend the cog railway to the top of Pike's Peak. The Van Briggle Pottery in the Springs gives a free tour, and the Garden of the Gods is a city park with no admission charge. This is a ways off from Taos, but if you can fit the Springs into your trip you will like it.

Now I must check out this other train you mentioned. I do NM in 2006, and just love those excursion trains, so thanks for the tip on the Chama to Antonito.

Thanks for the link to the website. We're going to raft UNDER the bridge so I guess we can see if we want to view the river FROM the bridge at that time.

You are right, it sounds kinda disappointing - especially if you can see all that touristy junk from the bridge. That's really sad.

We actually have changed our itinerary to start at Co. Springs and work "down" to Albuqueque, so will definitely use your tips. Cog Railway on our plans.

So...
Any Colorado Springs / Cripple Creek roadfood places anyone can recommend???

All I can remember is there's a roadhouse sort of place on the main drag in Manitou Springs, which means on the right hand of the street on the way to the cog railway. Sorry, I can't remember the name. It's decorated kinda "country/victorian" in what is usally a chiché but works well here. We stayed at a Super 8 motel, and the restaurant was farther away from the cog station. Hope you can find it. We ate breakast there every day.

Consider taking "The Wrong Way" to Santa Fe (NM Highway 4). "The Wrong Way" takes you thru a scenic route thru the Jemez Mountains and by Valles Grande, the 10-mile-wide caldera of an extinct volcano. A great place to stop for a bite is Los Ojos in Jemez Springs. (ETA:) The "Chile Charlie" they serve was the absolute best Green Chile Cheese Fries I sampled in all NM!

On the north side of "The Wrong Way," near Los Alamos is Bandelier National Monument. Definitely worth a stop if you have the time.

The Monte Carlo in Albquerque is an interesting Roadfood experience. bark in back of what looks like a liquor store and run in the side door. The steaks are a bargin and the green chlie cheesburger is tasty. The atmosphere is retro to say the least. So many good suggestions here.