Kids turning into internet zombies on the road trip? Or you Nice break from I 25, only 8 miles west…read moreof the highway? This historic landmark has nice toilets as well as a short 45 minute interpretative tour, and a longer 1.5 hour tour. Rangers also have a few special events planned throughout the day. Stretch your legs and mind!

The monument itself was very worth visiting…read more The park attendant, however, is extremely rude, obnoxious, to almost the point of being concerned for our safety at times He should not be around people!!! He refused to give his name. So we took a picture as we left the park, of him going to his car. If you go here be aware of this park employee - paid with your taxpayer dollars.

My friend Bob had never been to New Mexico before and wanted to see an "iconic" pueblo. Taos…read morePueblo immediately came to mind and a place that Gayle and I had not been for over 18 years. It was a bit of a drive up (via the High Road), but well worth the time and effort. These multi-story homes are more than a thousand years old. None of the homes in the Taos Pueblo are vacant - five or six families live on the Pueblo full time, while the others live in town (with running water and electricity) but stay in their ancestral home many weeks throughout the year for important celebrations. We about the history of the Taos (or Tewa) people from our guide, Riley. That started at the Saint Geronimo Chapel and onward to the old church grounds, that hold the crumbling ruins of the original San Geronimo Chapel. Built in 1619 by Spanish priests using forced Native labor, it was destroyed during the 1680 Pueblo Revolt and again in 1847 by the U.S. Army (with women and children inside). In between were information on Pueblo ovens, family ties, and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement. There were also various shop sprinkled throughout, with a few pleasant surprises, like one run by an established Santa Fe painter, and some nicely done local jewelry and other art. There was a lot to see here and I appreciated the leisurely pace, while being respectful of restricted areas and honoring any cultural-related requests by our hosts.

Wow, for the 1 star reviews. Yes $25 bucks is steep but what isnt in our current climate with the…read moreeconomy. We arrived and as we were at the stop sign, a young man motioned us back in which I obliged. He asked if we were here for the tour in which he directly us to park in the lot. We thanked him and proceeded to go pay for the admission fee. It was cold and drizzling but still made the most of it. We walked around and noticed a bunch of people standing so we hurried to joined them. The tour guide Bear is awesome, she provided detail of the community and how life is. At that time, we noticed some of the shops opening for business. There were only a few opened and we went to all of them. I gotta admit, I did buy some items at different vendors as thats what you there to do. Give it a try and dont penny pinch on a cool experience.

If you're coming up north on 25 make sure to pull over to see the welcome sign in Colorado. It's a…read moregreat way to start the trip in a awesome photo spot.

If you're heading north on Interstate 25 coming from New Mexico, you'll notice this Welcome to…read moreColorful Colorado Sign of Raton Pass off to the right hand side of the highway. There'll be a small pullover area to park where you can safely exit your car and grab a photo with the sign. For any person looking to say they've "arrived" in Colorado, it's a playful picture moment, lol. Also, for stopping by around 10am the sun was in perfect positioning in the sky for photos. It'll be at your back and the Colorful Colorado Sign will stand out exceptionally. So...therefore, if you show up in afternoon time, it'll be a poor time to visit as you'll obviously be facing the sun, lol. If anyone out there is actually really reading this...make sure to be driving in the morning. Hahaha And when getting your pictures in, you may notice the Huerfano Butte situated in the backdrop making for a scenic setting, especially in summertime. It's actually a pretty photogenic moment. Lastly, when finishing up driving 13 miles north into the town of Trinidad, Colorado, don't forget to visit Simpson's Rest, a fantastic overlook viewpoint from high above the downtown suburbs of Trinidad. It's a terrific introduction into your Colorado explorations and wherever your next destination may be. Overall, I give two thumbs up for this Welcome to Colorful Colorado Sign of Raton Pass.

One of our favorite national historic parks since it is so beautiful and a nice walk around its…read moretrail. Dogs are allowed which is a plus and the gift store and staff great. There is so much history that is within this park to include Native American dwelling and Spanish church remnants, and even an area where the Santa Fe trail passed by. The 2 kivas you can climb down inside are a bonus, fun and interesting. Not too far away is also Glorieta Pass, the site of a American Civil War skirmish which has a monument. There is plenty of easy parking here as well as an overflow area. Definitely worth the stop if you are passing by and no park entrance fee.

This was a great road trip stop. There is a loop trail that takes you past the main sites as well…read moreas more extensive hiking if you have the time. We learned some of the history of what the indigenous people experienced with colonization by Spain and missionaries. There is an interpretive center in the visitor building that gives a good timeline of events throughout this area's history. Then you have the opportunity to go out and see what has been excavated and maintained by the National Parks system. There is plenty of parking and I was impressed at the accessibility of this park. There is an additional parking lot closer to the main ruins with wide paths that would be chair accessible.

A short detour from the High Road to Taos. The Pueblo is set in a valley and surrounded by…read moremountains, quite serene. Our visit was to view the Buffalo Herd, the Pueblo is a member of the intertribal buffalo council. We saw about 8 grazing in the field. Would be even lovelier in the snow. New Mexico is full of history and spirituality and any opportunity to see the buff pleases us.

We visited the Picuris Pueblo while in Taos for an night. This is a bit of a drive outside of…read moreTaos, but it was gorgeous. You think of New Mexico as being a desert, and this drive shows you that New Mexico is not just sand and sage. There is not much to see at this Pueblo. We got there after the museum closed. There are a few buildings left, and the church. We didn't get out of the car, we just drove through since it is so small. It is said that this Pueblo is well over a thousand years old. It moved me to be around a structure that is that old. It's a bit overwhelming at first. If you are in Taos and looking for something outside of the art galleries and the Plaza, take the drive to see this Pueblo.

The now ghosttown of Ludlow, pays homage and rememberance to the Ludlow Massacre…read more It certainly shows the consequences that occurred when going on strike as a coal mine worker. About two dozen miners, wives and children were killed by the Colorado National Guard and private guards from the Colorado Iron and Fuel Company for striking due to poor labr conditions. Shameful. After reading about the massacre, you can then drive up the road and see what's left of the town. It's not much, but interesting to see the history.

The Ludlow Memorial and the remnants of the town of the same name Capture a little known chapter in…read morethe history of labor rights in the United States. An escalating standoff between striking coal miners, and coal company management of Rockefeller ownership... Later strengthened by the Colorado national guard... Culminated in a massacre on April 20, 1914, in which 25 men, women, and children were gunned down or burned alive in tents soaked in kerosene and set ablaze. The monument itself is a work in progress, with a modest construction, and a few informational signs with timelines and such. Just up the road, the ghost town of Ludlow still has a few structures standing from that time period, although much of it has been consumed by weather and time. The story of these early labor union organizers was, candidly, more inspiring to me than the monument that stands in their vigil, but it also served as a reason for us to learn more about this dark and a little known chapter of our history as a country, and for that, it was worth a stop on our road trip, even for just a couple of minutes to stretch our legs and expand our minds.

Interesting and free local attraction (a little further away from downtown Santa Fe) that drives…read moretoday's needs for environmental awareness. Ethyl isn't super huge and as well known in Santa Fe yet, but it's hopefully making Santa Fe (and the US heading in the right direction with the use of recycling! Check this free local quirky attraction out if you have some time in Santa Fe!

While planning our day trip to Santa Fe from Albuquerque, we discovered Ethyl the Whale, a…read morelife-sized blue whale sculpture made entirely from single-use plastics to raise awareness about reducing plastic waste and encouraging recycling. She's located at the end of the track at Santa Fe Community College. We parked across the street and walked over for some great photo ops. It's an impressive and meaningful sight, definitely worth a quick stop on your way to or from Santa Fe!

I had not been here in ten years and wanted to come back to see what has changed. Unfortunately,…read morethe actual plaza was not open (it is being refurbished); however, it was not a high season so it was calm with very few people shopping. Came across a couple of gems but otherwise just a tourist trap with souvenir shops (you can find souvenirs cheaper at Walmart down the street). I am set for another 10 years lol! Sunday parking is also gratis! We easily found a parking spot.

Great plaza with many stores to shop from. Love the decor and design and how clean it was.read more

I'm all about the historical markers and this one was odd. It is way out in the middle of nowhere…read moreon a road I drove between Colorado Springs CO and Taos NM. Surprising I spotted it, but the sun hit it just right and so the marker reads: The oldest continuously used ditch in Colorado, with court decree priority No 1, and dating from April 10 1852. Dug by the pioneer settlers of Colorado. Colorado's greatness is built upon irrigation. Erected by the State Historical Society of Colorado, the Heirs of the Pioneers and the Irrigation Centennial Commission. April 10, 1952. The website gives a bit more info: Discover "acequias" (gravity-fed irrigation systems) in one of the oldest communities in Colorado. Serving the village of San Luis de la Culebra before Colorado was a Territory, the People's Ditch was initially a shallow hand-dug irrigation channel. Later, oxen pulling a plow widened and extended the ditch. Operating under Water District 24 of Division 3, the People's Ditch holds the first adjudicated water rights in Colorado. The People's Ditch serves 16 "parcientes" (affiliated water users) and irrigates approximately 2100 acres of hay & other row crops. A majority of parcientes are descendants of the original founders of the acequia.

It's pretty and functional! This the view from down the road... The mountains in the distance are…read morebeautiful. I recommend seeing the sun rise over them from the mesa.

Large rest stop that was fairly clean. I wish people would behave however instead of throwing…read moretheir trash on the grass. There were plenty of trash receptacles so there was no excuse to litter. Bathrooms were good and I did see an employee cleaning the grounds and restrooms. Parking lot for trucks and cars.

Well placed and maintained we were happy to have a place for a break. We arrived after dark so the…read moregreat lighting was appreciated. There was ample auto parking at 10:00 pm. Often this is not the case. The semi truck area was full. There were trash bins available and the grass was mowed! Husband said men's room was immaculate and smelled like it had been recently cleaned. That said I'm going to agree with the ladies who gave the women's restroom a big thumbs down ! It was filthy dirty and obviously looked like some gross idiot traveler had a mental health issue and smeared two of the stalls with nasty. The bins were overflowing. So not someplace I'd recommend for ladies needing freshening. Otherwise it was great. Thank you