New Mexico

Travelers' Takes

Rates and Deals

New Mexico Roadtrip - SE New Mexico

An August 2000 trip to New Mexico by Valentyn

PeteMore Photos

Ancient civilizations and natural wonders are scattered across the deserts and mountains. We visited places that see thousands of tourists a day, and some that saw only us.

  • 18 reviews
  • 25 photos

New Mexico Roadtrip - SE New MexicoBest of IgoUgo

Overview

But Is It Art?
Things you can't possibly miss: The Bat Flight at Carlsbad Caverns, the Gila National Cliff Dwellings, El Morro National Monument, and Chaco Canyon National Monument.

Quick Tips:

Be sure to bring a cooler with water, some extra food, and both hot and cool clothing. If you follow our trail into the mountains, bring a CB radio for emergencies. You’ll also want comfortable walking shoes, even if you don’t intend to hike.

Best Way To Get Around:

We drove a 1998 Jimmy, which was perfect for this trip. Plenty of room to carry supplies, and we could even camp in it if necessary.

Great Western Inn HotelBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

This was the perfect place to stay in Carlsbad. We were within 20 minutes of the caverns, and it was much cheaper than Whites City. Jerome at the front desk played tour guide quite happily, and gave us a ton of coupons to use at local restaurants and attractions. When we go through Carlsbad again, there's no question that we'll stay here.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Great Western Inn Hotel
3804 National Parks Hwy Carlsbad
(505) 887-5535

Days Inn RoswellBest of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Days Inn"

Very clean, with a nice pool and excellent rooms. Our stay here convinced us to look for other Days Inns first when we hit other cities.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Days Inn Roswell
1310 N. Main Street Roswell, New Mexico 88201
(575) 623-4021

Pete's Deluxe CafeBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Pete's Deluxe Cafe
It was good food, pretty fast, and pretty cheap. We had breakfast here before heading out to the Caverns. Apparently it's also a local hangout; a few locals chatted with us and gave their recommendations on where to visit.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Pete's Deluxe Cafe
224 S. Canal St. Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220
(505) 887-1304

Velvet Garter SaloonBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Like the rest of Whites City (the small collection of stores and hotels right outside Carlsbad Caverns) the Velvet Garter caters to the tourists. That is to say, prices were higher than they would be for comparable food elsewhere. The food was pretty good, though I didn't find it particularly special.
  • Member Rating 2 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Velvet Garter Saloon
26 Carlsbad Caverns Hwy Whites City

Cattle Baron Steak and SeafoodBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "The Cattle Baron"

The desk clerk at the hotel recommended this restaurant, and she was dead on. This is a steak house with a fantastic salad bar, great food, and a pretty wide selection. My wife and I both enjoyed it, and the staff was very friendly and attentive.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Cattle Baron Steak and Seafood
1113 Main Street Roswell, New Mexico 88201-5009
(505) 622-2465

The ClaimBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

This is the restaurant attached to the Days Inn. Despite how much I liked the hotel, the restaurant didn't impress me. The food was very slow coming and was pretty bland. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything I'd bother to look for again.
  • Member Rating 1 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

The Claim
1310 N. Main Roswell

Happy's DinerBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Happy's Diner
Great place to stop for a quick meal before going on with our touring. Know what you're getting into, however: We ate our breakfast off of paper plates with styrofoam cups. Has the look and feel of a 70's diner, right down to the duct-taped padding of the booths. The food was good, though, and fast.
  • Member Rating 2 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Happy's Diner
3800 National Parks Highway Carlsbad

2000 Gift ShopBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

This store reminded me of the prize counter at Chuck-E-Cheese. There are a couple racks of alien and UFO t-shirts, then a vast assortment of UFO and native American garbage. We didn't buy anything; I recommend going back to Starchild's or, better yet, the gift shop at the UFO Museum.
  • Member Rating 1 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

2000 Gift Shop
124 North Main Street Roswell

Historic Center for Southeast New MexicoBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

The Victorian Sitting Room
The museum is a Victorian style house preserved as it was in the early 1900's. The entire downstairs is still Victorian, complete with a turn of the century piano, office, dinnerware, and presidential plates. The caretakers have done an incredible job. The upstairs is divided into displays of different parts of life from the time period, including displays that focus on different cultures across New Mexico. There's also a section devoted to World War II. Did you know that New Mexican Navajos spoke their native tongue over the radios to bypass Japanese listening posts? Or that New Mexico hosted a number of prison camps for German POW's? The museum is definitely worth a visit and a donation.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Historic Center for Southeast New Mexico
200 North Lea Avenue Roswell 88201-4655
(505) 622-8333

Roswell Museum and Art CenterBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Goddard's Laboratory, Reconstructed
The best thing about the Art Museum is that they boasted a number of different medias -- we saw displays of sculpture, paintings, photography, artifacts, and mixed media. They also had a pretty good number of displays, and some particular interactive displays (the re-creation of Goddard's lab) that were entertaining. Evidently the planetarium is not always open, which disappointed me. I suggest calling ahead to find out if it is.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Roswell Museum and Art Center
100 West 11th Street Roswell, New Mexico 88201
(505) 624-6744

International UFO Museum & Research CenterBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "International UFO Museum & Research Center"

Have They Visited You?
For UFO enthusiasts, this is a pretty interesting place with a lot of historical research items, particularly for the sightings and encounters in New Mexico. My wife, for the most part, was bored. The museum is mainly research and print exhibits, with little interactive display. On top of that, many of the actual interesting displays, such as scraps of alien metal, are 'artist renderings'. I did find it quite interesting, but my wife's attention was exhausted in about twenty minutes. It's definitely worth a stop, though only true enthusiasts are going to spend more than a short time there.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

International UFO Museum & Research Center
114 North Main Street Roswell 88203
(505) 625-9495

Starchild's GiftsBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Starchild's Gifts
The store looks cool from the outside, but has a pretty small stock of very expensive t-shirts and little variety. I recommend going across the street to the gift shop at the International UFO Museum & Research Center, where they had a lot more to choose from.
  • Member Rating 1 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Starchild's Gifts
108 First Street Roswell

Fiesta Drive InBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

We'd gotten to Carlsbad too late to hit the Bat Flight or the Cavern, but then we discovered the drive-in. Since there are no drive-in movie theaters left in Texas, we were quite thrilled. It was only $8 for a carload, and both my wife and I got a real kick out of it.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Fiesta Drive In
Fiest and South Canal Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
(505) 885-4126

Carlsbad CavernsBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Carlsbad Caverns
Simply staggering. Besides the beauty of the caverns themselves, the idea that people with oil lanterns and rope ladders explored the area in 1905 is astounding. There are two ways in: The long hike of the Natural Entrance, and the elevator. If you aren't prepared for a strenuous hike, take the elevator. Either way, you'll need to wear rubber-soled shoes. Also, I recommend pulling on sweat pants; it's pretty cool down there. Plan on spending a few hours. Flash cameras are permitted, but strollers and wagons are NOT. Keep this in mind if you're bringing small children. Overall, you don't want to miss this natural wonder. It's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Carlsbad Caverns
3225 National Parks Highway Carlsbad Caverns National Park 88220
(505) 785-2232

Sitting Bull FallsBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Sitting Bull Falls
A beautiful, picturesque canyon with a waterfall and natural pool at the bottom. The falls were a little light while we were there; New Mexico had had a very dry summer. After walking beneath the falls, we hiked to the top. There are numerous groomed hiking trails, and you can camp here as well. A few cautions: Bring food, water, and gas. We went in from one direction and out another, and never saw a gas station within 25 or 30 miles. This was a beautiful place for a picnic, and we saw a few tents out on the landscape.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Sitting Bull Falls
Lincoln National Forest NM 50 miles SW of Carlsbad Carlsbad
1 (888) 254-0637

Carlsbad CavernsBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Carlsbad Caverns Bat Flight"

Bat Flight
Simply astounding. Hundreds of thousands of bats pour out of the caverns each night to feed, and they pass right over your head. The crowd sits in the ampitheater outside the Natural Entrance of the caverns. There's a short lecture by a park ranger and a question and answer period as you wait for the bats. Then they come out -- by the thousands. Check with the park office to find out the ETA for the bat exodus each night. Also, prepare your kids properly -- once the bats come out, the rangers insist that everyone remain quiet. No flash photography is allowed. You may want to bring a cushion or a blanket for the stone seats in the ampitheater.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Carlsbad Caverns
3225 National Parks Highway Carlsbad Caverns National Park 88220
(505) 785-2232

Living Desert State ParkBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Living Desert Prairiedogs
Don't let the name fool you: This is a zoo. I was under the impression that we were going to walk through the habitats of desert animals. Such was not the case. The majority of the animals that were visible were in paddocks and cages, and a lot of those were no-shows when we happened by. The stroll through the Living Desert portion was quite interesting from a botanical point of view. However, even with the two of us creeping slowly and standing in place for long periods of time, the only free-roaming animal we saw was one lizard. Bring sunscreen and water; most of the zoo is viewed from outdoors, and there's little shade to protect you from the sun.
  • Member Rating 2 out of 5 by Valentyn on September 17, 2000

Living Desert State Park
Living Desert State Park Highway 285, north end of Carlsbad Carlsbad 88221
(505) 887-5516

About the Writer

Valentyn
Valentyn
Fort Worth, Texas

Get the Word Out

Share this travel journal beyond IgoUgo with your favorite sharing tools.