Shari and her kids were hooked on the road trip experience after our journey through Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, and so they jumped at the chance to join us on our odyssey through the heart of the American Southwest. Flying in and out of Albuquerque, we traversed a loop moving up to Santa Fe and across the border as far north as Pueblo, Colorado, and then cutting through the Rocky mountains to Montrose where we headed Southwest to Durango and then Four Corners, and finally back to where we started—phew! We learned about the Spanish and Native American influences on everything from the foods, the architecture, and the arts in that region. We learned about mysterious happenings and scientific marvels and saw nature in its most dramatic landscapes—Shipwreck Rock and the Rocky Mountains, to name a few. I hope that by reading about our adventures you will be inspired to discover these two vastly different, but incredibly beautiful, states.
States Colorado, New Mexico
| Theme Native Americans and the Southwest | Duration 9 Days | Map |
Day 1
 | • Fly to Albequerque • Indian Pueblo Cultural Center |
Day 2
 | • Explore Old Town Albuquerque • Rattlesnake Museum • Turquoise Museum • Hinkle Family Fun Center |
Day 3
 | • Tinkertown (Sandia Crest) • State Capitol Building • Oldest House in the USA • Loretto Chapel • Children’s Museum • El Rodeo De Santa Fe • Overnight in Santa Fe |
Day 4
 | • El Santuario De Chimayo • Chimayo Weavers • Taos Pueblo • Overnight in Trinidad Colorado |
Day 5
 | • Trinidad Trolley • Rock Canyon Waterslide (Pueblo Colorado) • Whitewater rafting in Salida • Overnight in Salida |
Day 6
 | • Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge (Canon City) • Black Canyon of the Gunnison • Overnight in Montrose |
Day 7
 | • Ute Indian Museum • Russell Stover Factory Outlet • Old Hundred Gold Mine (Silverton) • Overnight in Durango, Colorado |
Day 8
 | • Mesa Verde National Park • Four Corners National Monument • Shipwreck Rock • Overnight in Gallup, New Mexico |
Day 9
• Drive to Albuquerque and Fly home
