Beaver Creek, CO to Santa Fe, NM

[OldSpool87]

This summer we are headed West. We will be spending time with family in the Beaver Creek/Edwards, CO are and then driving to Santa Fe, NM. Are there any must see or recommended stopping points along the way preferable as a half way stop? Our family enjoys the outdoors, nature, animals, food, art, etc.

Any ideas or thoughts would be great.

Thanks!

Will

[Seahawk]

There is really no limit to the great roads in the area...really dependent on how many people are in the car and their tolerance for the twisties.

Since it is the summer there will be traffic but I have always like route 62 from Glenwood Springs to Twin Lakes onto route 24 south. The route is doable in a day with the right weather and passengers.

Independence Pass is amazing.

Enjoy.

[Nickshu]

In BC have a drink at the Ritz in Batchelor Gulch. Amazing property.

[mjohnson]

Either east from BC then over the pass just past Copper Mountain to Leadville, then down to the Great Sand Dunes, or go west on I-70 to Glenwood Springs for (duh) the springs and down to Aspen and over Independence Pass or you could stay further west for Ouray, Silverton and Durango. That path, beyond scaring the crap out of timid drivers/passengers, will take you through "Georgia Okeefe" country which was also the inspiration for Chuck Jones' Roadrunner cartoons.

Of course, a visit to Los Alamos is required (I'm now in the tourism-industrial-complex here). Bandolier Nat'l Monument is not quite Mesa Verde but it is very similar.

Over 25y of commuting to school in Golden CO and family in Ft Collins I feel like we've taken every short-way, medium-way and long-way from N NM to CO. There are no poor choices besides I-25!

[t6dpilot]

Being a 30+ year visitor to Telluride, I vote for heading west out of BC. You could do the Ouray, Million Dollar Hwy, Silverton, Durango route. Absolutely spectacular. Or you could head up in the mountains past Ridgway to Telluride and continue on through the Dolores River Valley to Durango. Also spectacular, just a little different. Can't go wrong with either route through the San Juans.

Having spent a lot of time in Aspen prior, Seahawk's route through there and over Independence Pass is a good route also. But that does take you back east to Buena Vista.

[mjohnson]

Originally Posted by t6dpilot

Being a 30+ year visitor to Telluride, I vote for heading west out of BC. You could do the Ouray, Million Dollar Hwy, Silverton, Durango route. Absolutely spectacular. Or you could head up in the mountains past Ridgway to Telluride and continue on through the Dolores River Valley to Durango. Also spectacular, just a little different. Can't go wrong with either route through the San Juans.

Having spent a lot of time in Aspen prior, Seahawk's route through there and over Independence Pass is a good route also. But that does take you back east to Buena Vista.

Dunno if you're wrangling kids, but there's a really nice community-run aquatic center in Durango. A cheap way to burn off half of a day (or hangover)... While she makes healthier life choices than her parents, our 9yo digs that place.

If you were passing through Durango, and headed east from there, Pagosa Springs is cool. There are awesome (and awesomely spendy these days sadly) springs to visit. Like 20 pools on the edge of the river all at different temps. All full of sulphur so that's why we call it "motel stinky water". 25y ago it was $8 at a ticket window with a stack of towels. It's now $65 but kind of still worth it (every few years for us). And towels are $10 each to rent for the day...

[Mike Andrew]

Beaver Liquors in Avon for a T shirt

Bradbury museum in Los Alamos.

I like the 24 route.

[OldSpool87]

Fantastic suggestions and very appreciated!