BALLOON FIESTA VIRTUAL TOURS:  Dawn Patrol     Mass Ascension     Midway     Balloon Glow     Fireworks     RV Parking     Balloon Inflation & Launch

BALLOON FIESTA PRINTABLE GUIDES & MAPS:  Balloon Fiesta    Tips for Enjoying the Balloon Fiesta     Tips for Photographing the Balloon Fiesta

Alamogordo:  Dazzling White Sands National Monument (15 miles west of Alamogordo) and Alamogordo’s New Mexico Museum of Space History make for an interesting few-hour stop while touring New Mexico or a good day trip from Ruidoso (65 miles north).

VIRTUALTOURS:  White Sands & Alamogordo     Balloons over Alamogordo (mid September)

PRINTABLE GUIDES & MAPS:  Alamogordo & White Sands


 

Carlsbad:  Carlsbad Caverns (a UNESCO “World Heritage site” and a U.S. National Monument) offers a near-spelunking cave experience and a famous population of bats.  North of Carlsbad, Living Desert State Park displays one of the Southwest’s best collections of desert life.

VIRTUAL TOURS:  Carlsbad Caverns Nat’l Park     Living Desert State Park

PRINTABLE GUIDES & MAPS:  Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad & the Living Desert State Park

Roswell:  An intriguing mix of the whimsical and serious, Roswell welcomes visitors and has a double appeal: Aliens and art. Downtown, it’s aliens and the International UFO Museum & Research Center, free to all, fun to explore. Northern Roswell is home to the Roswell Museum & Art Center and the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art, both free and delightful.

VIRTUAL TOURS:  Roswell: “Alien-nation”     The City of Roswell’s Art     The Anderson Museum

PRINTABLE GUIDES & MAPS:  Roswell

Ruidoso:  The “Quarter Horse Racing Capital of the United States” and home to the world’s richest quarter horse race ($2+ million purse; The Labor Day “All-American Futurity”), Ruidoso offers horse races, the Hubbard Museum of the Horse and the Wild West of “Billy the Kid.” 

Its high-mountain location in the Lincoln National Forest makes Ruidoso especially attractive because of its cool summer weather and beautiful scenery.  This is a great place to relax and use as a base for day trips to Alamogordo, Cloudcroft and area attractions.
 

VIRTUAL TOURS:  Ruidoso    Lincoln & “Billy the Kid”     Capitan & Carrizozo     White Sands & Alamogordo     Balloons over Alamogordo     Cloudcroft & “Sunspot”    Three Rivers Petroglyphs

PRINTABLE GUIDES & MAPS:  Ruidoso     Lincoln & “Billy the Kid”     Capitan & “Smokey Bear”     Carrizozo & “Valley of Fires”     Alamogordo & White Sands     Cloudcroft
 

Santa Fe:  Celebrated for its rich Spanish heritage, Native American culture, adobe architecture and art, Santa Fe is the nation’s oldest (1607) and highest (7,000’) state capital.  Tourists double the 60,000+ population every summer and flock to the ski slopes each winter, despite (or perhaps because of) the city’s “posh and pricey” reputation.

Highlights for visitors: Downtown’s museums, galleries, shops, and historic buildings; Museum Hill; scenic drives (Turquoise Trail and Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byways, plus fall foliage and the lovely drive to Taos). 

VIRTUAL TOURS:  The Plaza & Downtown     Sightseeing - Trolley (or Auto)     State Capitol Building     Museum Hill     The Turquoise Trail     Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos, & the Jemez Trail     The Black Hole in Los Alamos     Fall Foliage: Aspens     Taos - Santa Fe Scenic Drives

PRINTABLE GUIDES & MAPS: Adobes & Art     The Plaza & Downtown     Sightseeing - Trolley (or Auto)     Museum Hill     The Turquoise Trail     Bandelier National Monument & Jemez Trail     Fall Foliage: Aspens     Taos - Santa Fe Scenic Drives
 

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Taos:  A dramatic setting and interesting cultural mix add extra dimension to this famous artists’ community, which is best known for its art, artists and stunning scenery. 

Taos (pronounced “Touse”) offers plazas, galleries, restaurants, museums, shops, the Taos Pueblo, and many photographic opportunities.

Although Taos is within easy driving distance from Santa Fe (80 miles) for a scenic day trip, enjoying its galleries, restaurants, museums, shops, and scenery can easily take more than just one day.

VIRTUAL TOURS:  Taos - Santa Fe Scenic Drives     Taos: Art & Tri-Cultural Beauty     Millicent Rogers Museum     6 Other Taos Museums     Taos Balloon Rally (mid October)

PRINTABLE GUIDES & MAPS:  Taos - Santa Fe Scenic Drives     Taos

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41 Virtual Tours (1,000+ photos), printable guides & maps

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Starring Albuquerque & featuring Alamogordo, Carlsbad, Roswell, Ruidoso, Santa Fe & Taos "Best of New Mexico" CD - $19.95 (Free Shipping) All photos & guides are by The Easy Traveler.