Road tripping to CO

[DKirk]

We are leaving next week headed to Durango. Plan is to leave Thursday when the kids get out of school and take our time getting there, arriving sometime Saturday late afternoon. Right now we penciled in going to White Sands early Friday then leaving for Santa Fe. Stay there for the night and piddle around for a little while before leaving for Durango. On the way home we are going to Albuquerque to see th Grizzlies play then head on home. Any must sees between Houston and NM. This will be our first time driving west. Boy is 10 and Twin girls are 8.
My sister lives in Durango and helped us plan being there. We are doing the Train, Purgatory, white water rafting, and the hot springs.
Thanks

[westtexducks]

Avoid 285 like the plague between Pecos and Carlsbad. The caverns in Carlsbad are nice if in the area of whitesands might as well swing through ruidosa as well. Guadalupe peak is entertaining as well if in the area and very neat hike up. If coming back through the panhandle lots of stuff to check out palo duro, caprock canyons.


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[texasair]

Looks like you are going the south route.
On the north route Capulin volcano national monument is pretty neat stop.
There is a roadside natural hot spring in Montezuma, NM.
The hot springs in Pagosa, Co are fully developed and real nice.
The National Mining musueum in Leadville is pretty cool.

[Clayton]

Take the kids to Meow Wolf in Santa Fe

[TX03RUBI]

They’re a bit expensive, but there’s no better way to see more of the area than renting a side by side for a day. If the budget allows it I highly recommend renting one in Silverton and seeing as much beautiful country as possible. The kids will love it too.

[DFA]

They’re a bit expensive, but there’s no better way to see more of the area than renting a side by side for a day. If the budget allows it I highly recommend renting one in Silverton and seeing as much beautiful country as possible. The kids will love it too.

x2 and take it on the Alpine Loop

[S-3 Ranch]

Test your trucks climb rate up wolf creek pass , it’s a booger of a climb

[pyrobow]

If your taking I 20 west, Caverns of Sonora is a really good cave and a nice road break. I much prefer this cave to Carlsbad

[bullhead44]

Dont waste $ renting the wet suit when rafting in Durango. There is only 1 decent rapid and you will not get very wet. The suits get incredibly hot if the weather is warm at all.

The Sandia mountains in NM are really cool looking at sunrise and sunset.

Since you will be that close, you might as well take a couple of days and see the national parks of Utah. You can hit the Arches, Zion and Bryce canyon. They are all really cool, and much different from each other considering they are so close. Pagosa can be a neat stop on the way as well.

[Stoof]

The Space Hall of Fame in Alamogordo is worth a stop. If nothing else for the view. Not much else going on there besides public land. I am from there so I should know. White Sands is great for a couple of hours, then you realize your on the biggest beach in the world and you keep walking and walking and you never find the surf. But hit up Wally world in Alamo and buy a cheap plastic sled and some candles to wax it down. The kids will have a blast and fill your floorboards full of sand. I am not selling it very well but it's worth a stop if you have never been there. That is White Sands in the back of my avatar pic, taken up in the Cloudcroft area.

[Stoof]

On your way north through NM stop and see the El Malpais National Monument. Pack a lunch and have it there. Bunch of scorched earth but still pretty dang cool.

[quarterback]

If you are going to Durango I would highly recommend spending one day going to Mesa Verde. Well worth the drive and the cliff dwellings are unbelievable. I would put it in the top 10 most awesome places I've ever been to.

[DKirk]

Thanks for all the suggestions keep them coming.
Wife has a lot of it planned out:
Leave Thursday and drive till we’re tired
Get up and drive to white sands Friday and spend a couple hours
Head towards Santa Fe and stay the night
Durango Sat afternoon-Monday hiking,downtown,breweries
Tuesday-Purgatory
Wednesday-Pegosa Springs
Thursday-train to Silverton
Friday-rafting
Saturday- Mesa Verde
Sunday-Albuquerque baseball game

[DKirk]

They’re a bit expensive, but there’s no better way to see more of the area than renting a side by side for a day. If the budget allows it I highly recommend renting one in Silverton and seeing as much beautiful country as possible. The kids will love it too.

This sounds cool going to look into it thanks

[ladrones]

Don't ride the train both ways. Take the bus back. The train is fine but most youngsters get over the fascination of the train in an hour or so.
Love Mesa Verde. I can get lost in the park. When we were kids my dad would take us there a 2-3 times a summer. If you can take some of the tours that get you down in the canyon and into some of the better houses.

Lots of nice hiking around Durango. You could always rent mountain bikes and get the bike shop to direct you to some prime riding areas.

Kids will like meow wolf. Groupon has deals for tickets from time to time to meow wolf.
If you have time take the trip to Los Alamos from Santa fe. On the way up stop in and check out the San Ildefonso pueblos. Get your wife a piece of pottery or a bean pot. Around Los Alamos you will have access to many different ruins at Bandelier. Check the website for trails/ruins that may be of interest. You can take NM 4 the back way from Los Alamos to Albuquerque. On that road you can check out the Valle Calderas, hot springs and the Jemez Pueblo.

Don't get to overwhelmed as there really is a whole lot to take in. You will be driving a great deal.