Taking It Easy In Winslow, Arizona

Taking It Easy In Winslow, Arizona

by | Mar 30, 2023 | Southwest Road Trip 2023

“Standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see…” The corner is real to include the flatbed Ford! Winslow is located about 57 miles southeast of Flagstaff along Highway 66.  Nearby attractions include the Petrified Forest National Park and the Meteor Crater. The historic La Posado Hotel and the Turquoise Room Restaurant in Winslow are worth a visit.

Key Takeaways:

  • If you are an Eagles Fan (the band – not the football team) you have to visit Winslow, Arizona and stand on the corner
  • Close to Meteor Crater -Barringer Space Museum and the Petrified Forest National Park
  • High desert with spectacular mountain views
  • Meteor Crater RV Park is a good location to explore the local attractions

 

 

Campground Review:

Meteor Crater RV Park is a nice park about 10 miles from Winslow. The park has electric and water and is working on sewer hookups. The showers were clean and functional. The park has a nice mountain and sunset view. Our dogs enjoyed the two dog parks. 

What to do:

  • Stand on the corner in Winslow, Arizona! Listen to Eagles music on the downtown speakers, check out the flatbed Ford and shop at the local souvenir shops, sip beers and enjoy lunch or dinner at the RelicRoad Brewing Company on the dog-friendly patio
  • Visit the Meteor Crater Space Museum; watch the documentary film and visit the rim of the 550′ deep, 2.4 miles circumference crater created over 50,000 years ago and known as the best-preserved meteorite impact site on earth; dog kennels are on site
  • Explore the Petrified Forest National Park; a very pet friendly park; follow the 28-mile park road to historical landmarks and petrified wood forests, drive the Blue Mesa loop and hike the 1-mile trail, hike the Crystal Forest trail through a badlands of petrified wood, stop at the visitor’s center and hike the Giant Logs Trail – all trails are pet friendly – woof!
  • Visit the historic La Posado Hotel in downtown Winslow; enjoy drinks at the Martini Bar and excellent cuisine in the Turquoise Room

Meteor Crater

Flatbed Ford in Winslow Arizona

Dog-Friendly Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest NP

Studebaker-Petrified Forest

Crystal Rock Hike

Blue Mesa Trail

Winslow, Arizona

Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest National Park

Chili & Cedar’s Review:

We liked our stay at the Meteor Crater RV Park. We spent most of our time in the dog park since there were too many pickers on the road – ouch!

Campground Rating:   4.6 PAWS

We liked standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona – such a fine place to be! We joined mom and dad for beers and dinner at the RelicRoad Brewing Company. The Petrified Forest National Park is so pet friendly – we loved our hike on the Crystal Forest Loop Trail and the Giant Logs Trail. 

Area Rating:   4.6 PAWS

Next Stop:  Rancho Sedona RV Park, Sedona, Arizona

Sunny Santa Fe, New Mexico

Sunny Santa Fe, New Mexico

by | Mar 28, 2023 | Southwest Road Trip 2023

Simply stunning, Santa Fe, New Mexico! Nestled in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Santa Fe sits at 7,000 feet elevation with 320+ days of sunshine and breathtaking landscapes. The cultural influence of Native American, Hispanic, Mexican and Anglo shapes the architecture, cuisine and art of this capital city. From skiing, biking, hiking and rafting, there are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy. Our stay at the Santa Fe Skies RV Park offered a great location to explore the area.

Key Takeaways:

  • Santa Fe is worth a visit any time of the year; our March stay was cold but perfect for hiking and exploring the town
  • The Santa Fe area is simply stunning with the mountains, and high desert landscape
  • The southwestern cuisine is excellent from the food trucks to local restaurants
  • Area attractions include the Petroglyph National Monument in Albequerque, Bandelier National Monument, Pecos National Historical Park and Los Alamos National Labratory
  • Lots of dog-friendly activities from hikes to breweries
  • Santa Fe Skies RV Park is a wonderful RV stay close to local attractions

 

Campground Review:

We loved our stay at Santa Fe Skies RV Park from the stunning landscape to the art sculptures around the park. Our site was spacious and level with full hookups. Our dogs loved the .75-mile walking path around the park perimeter and the large dog park. The location was perfect to enjoy all the local attractions.

What to do:

  • Take the Sunset Serenade train tour from the Santa Fe Depot into the countryside; sip cocktails and listen to live music, enjoy the sunset from the open air train car
  • Sample excellent southwestern cuisine at Tomasita’s Restaurant in the Santa Fe Railyard (great option before the Sunset Serenade train tour)
  • Sip some local beers at the dog-friendly Santa Fe Brewing Company – excellent craft beer and food from their onsite Fusion Tacos Food Truck
  • Visit the Petroglyph National Monument in nearby Albuquerque; hike the dog-friendly Piedras Marcadas Canyon “canyon of marked rocks” – this dog-friendly, sandy trail is home to over 5,000 images created by ancestors of the Pueblo people between 400 and 700 years ago
  • Take a day and travel to Los Alamos and the nearby Valles Caldero National Preserve and Bandelier National Monument
    • In Los Alamos, visit the Manhatten Project National Historical Park, a small museum that tells the story of the creation of the atomic bomb, take the downtown walking tour of historic buildings
    • Visit Valles Caldero National Preserve; at +8,500 elevation, we found snow in March. The drive is beautiful, although changed by wildfires in recent years. The preserve is best experienced on the hiking trails, via horseback or crosscountry skiing in winter months
    • Bandelier National Monument is awesome! The park has over 70 miles of trails to view ancestrial Pueblo dwellings. The Pueblo Loop Trail starts at the visitor center and goes through cliff dwellings and other structures. The monument is at 6,000+ feet elevation but had little snow during our visit. Try the awesome cafe at the visitor’s center!
  • Stroll through historic downtown Santa Fe; a fantastic city with shops, museums, art galleries and restarants

Sunset Serenade Train

Sunset Serenade Train Sunset

Petroglyph National Monument

Petroglyphs

Bandelier National Monument

Bandelier Dwellings

Bandelier Cliff Dwellings

Valles Caldera National Preserve

Bandelier Cliff Dwellings

Bandelier Cliff Dwelling Cave

Valles Caldera National Preserve

Petroglyph National Monument

Chili & Cedar’s Review:

We loved Santa Fe Skies RV Park! We walked the path around the park every day; we liked the dog park too. It was cold during our stay but we will definitely be back – woof!

Campground Rating:   4.9 PAWS

We saw many of the local sites in the car. We also hiked the Piedras Marcadas Canyon Petroglyph Viewing Trail – very cool! We were going to hike the Valles Caldera National Preserve but there was too much snow on the ground – maybe next trip.  

Area Rating:  4.7 PAWS

Next Stop: “Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona . . . such a fine sight to see”

Beautiful White Sands National Park

Beautiful White Sands National Park

by | Mar 26, 2023 | Southwest Road Trip 2023

White Sands National Park is an unbelievable oasis of white sand dunes in the New Mexico high desert. This park is also very dog friendly, allowing dogs on leashes on all trails and dunes – woof! Our stay at the Alamogordo/White Sands KOA Journey provided a great location to see area attractions. With the Sacramento Mountains as a backdrop, Alamogordo has the rugged beauty of a high desert town.

Key Takeaways:

  • White Sands National Park is a very dog-friendly park in near Alamogordo in southern New Mexico. The unexpected beauty of the white sand is truly remarkable
  • The New Mexico Museum of Space History and the International Space Hall of Fame are located in Alamogordo
  • Alamogordo is home to Holloman Air Force Base and the White Sands Missile Range is also nearby
  • Pistachio ranges abound in Alamogordo; McGuinn’s PistachioLand boasts the world’s largest pistaciho
  • The nearby Cloudcroft Village, at 9,000 feet above sea level, is nice drive up the mountain
  • The Alamogordo/White Sands KOA Journey is a nice stay to see area attractions

 

 

Campground Review:

The Alamogordo/White Sands KOA Journey is located in Alamogordo and provides a great location to the White Sands National Park and local attractions. The pull-through sites are large with full hook-ups, picnic tables and privacy walls offering a  barrier from the winds.  The park is pet friendly with a nice dog park.

What to do:

  • Viisit White Sands National Park; pack a picnic, bring the dogs, hike or surf the dunes
  • Tour the New Mexico Museum of Space History; watch an IMAX movie
  • Check out the dog-friendly McGinn’s PistachioLand; sample piastchios, taste local wine, tour the pistachio ranch, view the world’s largest pistachio and try the pistachio ice cream
  • Visit the Village of Cloudcroft; enjoy the winding road to this mountain town, be prepared for cooler temperatures and sample some local beer – we enjoyed the Cloudcroft Brewing Company (patio is dog-friendly when weather permits)
  • Gamble at Casino Apache or Inn of the Mountain Gods in nearby Mescalero
  • Sample local wine and enjoy wine-paired entrees on the patio at the dog-friendly at D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro in Alamogordo

White Sands National Park

White Sands National Park

White Sands National Park-Jean

Dunes Life Nature Hike

McGuinn’s Pistachio Ranch

Museum of Space History

Sacramento Mountains

World’s Largest Pistachio

DH Lescombes Winery

Chili at White Sands National Park

Chili & Cedar’s Review:

The Alamogordo/White Sands KOA Journey is a nice park. We enjoyed our walks around the park and the dog park. We’ve learned there is very little grass in New Mexico, so we didn’t look for it. We enjoyed our stay – woof!

Campground Rating:   4.7 PAWS out of 5 PAWS

Finally, a national park that is very dog friendly! We enjoyed our drive around the park and our hikes into the sand dunes. We also had a very nice winery visit at the D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro in Alamogordo – woof-woof!

Area Rating:   4.8 PAWS out of 5 PAWS

Next Stop:  Sunny Santa Fe, New Mexico

Looking for Aliens in Roswell, New Mexico

Looking for Aliens in Roswell, New Mexico

by | Mar 24, 2023 | Southwest Road Trip 2023

IF YOU BELIEVE – in aliens – you must add Roswell to your trip list. Located in southeastern New Mexico, Roswell is known for the infamous 1947 UFO crash. Aliens abound in Roswell in the form of green statues and alien-themed tourist stops. The UFO Museum in downtown Roswell provides accounts of the UFO incidents in the area and arouind the country.  The Trailer Village RV Park is a nice RV stay near area attractions.

Key Takeaways:

  • Roswell is a fun stop in New Mexico; one or two nights is plenty to see the highlights
  • The Trailer Village RV Park in Roswell is a nice, dog-friendly RV stay
  • Mark your calendar for the UFO Festival, June 30 – July 2, 2023

Campground Review:

Trailer Village RV Park is a family owned, dog-friendly park in the city of Roswell. With full hookups, spacious sites, dog park and camp store, this park offers a nice RV stay in Roswell. The owners live on site and really care about their park — and dogs! Our dogs enjoyed their walks around the park and the dog park. They finally gave up looking for grass.

What to do:

UFO Museum

Roswell Welcome Sign

UFO Museum

Roswell Dunkin Donuts

Chili & Cedar’s Review:

We liked the Trailer Village RV Park. They had a nice dog park and they gave us treats in the front office. Not much grass here but we made do-do.

Campground Rating:   4.6 PAWS out of 5 PAWS

Area Rating:   4.5 PAWS out of 5 PAWS

Next Stop: Alamogordo, New Mexico; White Sands National Park

Incredible Carlsbad Caverns in the Guadalupe Mountains

Incredible Carlsbad Caverns in the Guadalupe Mountains

by | Mar 22, 2023 | Southwest Road Trip 2023

 

The Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a national wonder in southeastern New Mexico.  Our RV stay in  Carlsbad provided easy access to the caverns and a day drive to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas.  The Carlsbad KOA Holiday offered resort amenities and full hookups.

Key Takeaways:

 

 

Campground Review:

Carlsbad KOA Holiday is a very nice RV stay and centrally located for many of the area attractions. The park provides resort amenities with full hookups, pull-through sites, cabins, pool and dog park. We found it easy to walk the dogs around the large park and the dog park was a nice bonus. March is a windy month in New Mexico but we managed to keep things buttoned down. 

What to do:

  • Plan a day trip to Carlsbad Caverns; book a timed reservation online to avoid long waits; self-guided tours can last between 1.5 to 2.5 hours
  • Drive to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park; there is no scenic drive through the park but the mountain peaks are visible enroute to the visitor centers and several hikes area available to fully experience the park (Note: Pets are not allowed on most trails in the park)
  • Pack a picnic, bring the dogs and visit Sitting Bull Falls in the Lincoln National Forest; the waterfalls are amazing
  • Visit the dog-friendly Balanzo Vineyard; we visited during a dog event and the girls loved it – the wine was very good too
  • Sip some local beers at the Guadalupe Brewing Company in Carlsbad; great beer, awesome pizza and a dog-friendly patio
  • Grab lunch or dinner at the Yellowbrix Restaurant in downtown Carlsbad; the patio is dog friendly

Carlsbad Cavern Tips

  • Dogs are not allowed in the caverns and dogs cannot be left in vehicles unattended; kennels are available on site for a fee
  • The cavern tour is approx. 1.5 hours if you take the elevator to the Big Room; If you walk to the Big Room, you will add an additional hour to your tour. We followed advice from others and opted for the elevator.
  • The caverns are damp and cool but not cold; you can bring bottled water
  • Bring a flashlight

Carlsbad Caverns

Carlsbad Caverns

Carlsbad Caverns

Carlsbad Caverns Dolls Theater

Carlsbad Caverns

Carlsbad Caverns

Carlsbad Caverns

Carlsbad Caverns

Guadalupe Mountains

Sitting Bull Falls

Hike to Sitting Bull Falls

Dogs at Sitting Bull Falls

Chili & Cedar’s Review:

The Carlsbad KOA Holiday is a dog-friendly park. We loved napping on the green space by our RV and our long walks around the park. They also had a dedicated dog park – nice stay!

Campground Rating:   4.7 out of 5 PAWS

Cedar loved hanging her head out the window on our drives to the Guadalupe National Park and Sitting Bull Falls. We liked our hike to Sitting Bull Falls but mom wouldn’t let us go in the water.  We went to a very dog-friendly winery – the Balzano Family Vineyards — thanks for the treats and the bandanas! There was not much grass in this area and it was quite windy during our stay. All in all, we had a great time!

Area Rating:   4.6 PAWS out of 5 PAWS

Next Stop: In search of aliens in Roswell, New Mexico