The sun was slowly hiding behind the horizon. We were driving an empty road, US-491 N. Suddenly, like a mirage, from the flat, dusty New Mexico desert raised the mysterious rock formation. It looked like the wreck of a vast ship that sea washed ashore. It was a famous Shiprock formation. So, we decided to...
Are you looking for the best hikes in New Mexico state? You can find exciting trails in the Bandelier National Monument, located near Los Alamos and Santa Fe. Moreover, you will see here the ancient cave dwellings on rock cliffs and masonry pueblos. People lived there for more than 11 000 years. So, hiking in...
We saw a lot of interesting things when we visited New Mexico. But we unfortunately missed Bandelier National Monument. Good to know that parking is limited inside. So we may need to take a shuttle in. Or a group tour from Santa Fe. Love that there are a range of hiking paths at different experience and fitness levels. Fascinating to see the cave dwellings and wonder how people lived in those times. ReplyCancel
Bandelier Is so fascinating, I love any chance to see how people lived centuries ago. There’s just not enough general knowledge about how the Native American peoples lives. Besides being a beautiful landscape to hike and explore, I would love to visit Bandelier and see these dwellings in person. ReplyCancel
I think it would be awesome to visit the cave dwellings and actually see inside them! I love learning about the history around the people who used to live in areas like this. It’s very helpful to know the best ways to get there, and I think a guided tour would be great to learn more (I’m not much of a hiker anyway so I’d be there to learn). ReplyCancel
I have a friend living in Santa Fe and he’s been inviting me to visit the place since a long time now. Hiking the Bandalier National Monument looks like one more reason why I shouldn’t miss Santa Fe. Intriguing to read about Ancestral Puebloans. As someone interested in history & culture, this place is definitely a must-visit for me. Rock paintings, petroglyphs & pictographs??? I’m sold. I need to visit here! Good to know that the trail is easy and can be done with kids too. ReplyCancel
Have you heard about The Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area in New Mexico? Also named Bisti Badlands? Sounds weird? We assure you that it looks even stranger. It is a fascinating place in the remote area of northern New Mexico, which looks like the Alien landscape. Walking through the Bisti Badlands Wilderness is like entering an alien,...
Wow I generally love hiking in a dry desert area. Even though I had never heard of The Bisti/De-Na-Zin, this does look like a great challenging place for hikes. I also love the fact that there was a fossil that was discovered there. I have been so interested and intrigued by the places that are so old. I would add this to my bucket list.ReplyCancel
I love desert landscapes and haven’t heard of Bisti Badlands. I’ve
been the 4 corners and I’m super bummed I missed this. Your images of the
formations and Gateway wash are incredible! I’m a little nervous about the lack of
services. Great tip to use the All Trails Pro app. I think it would be
vital to tell the hotel desk where I am going, when I should be back and when
to call for help if I’m not back! ReplyCancel
Ni, I have never heard of Bisti Badlands. I was just wondering why the place is called Badlands? The terrain and landscape is so different and yes, its like an alien landscape. It seems as if those formations are like sleeping pre historic animals just waiting to wake up from their slumber. The place matches up to its history!
Thanks for sharing those useful tips about GPS. With no landmarks, trails and network, it will be quite difficult to navigate. I am still in awe of the Bisti Highlands after reading this post. I do wish to visit this place some day, even though it is on the other side of the globe!ReplyCancel
Wow The Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is no doubt an explorers delight. It was great learning how these landscapes came into existence.The sand and white colored formations look absolutely stunning. Must confess haven’t seen anything like this before. Definitely worth a day spending here and who needs cell coverage when you have such a terrain around.ReplyCancel
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness looks so out of the world. It looks like a land straight out of a Sci-Fi movie. The wilderness though has such a strange and wild beauty to it, that it looks enchanting despite its barren nature. Hiking in this terrain must have been a really thrilling experience. Definitely an offbeat experience.ReplyCancel
TBH these are some of the most incredible landscapes that I have seen lately. Am sure it must be one hell of an experience, trekking in the wilderness here. Love all the tips and recommendations that you have mentioned, which along with the incredible photos bring together this blog post. Definitely bookmarking it for the future, as I would someday love to experience this.ReplyCancel
The landscape looks otherworldly in Bisti Badlands. I had no idea about this place or have ever heard about this place. Interesting place for a hiking trip and glad you have shared the GPS location and all the tips and packing tips. Mexico is a country of such cool surprises, noting it down for future trips once the COVID situation is over. All Trails Pro app sounds like a handy app for such trips.ReplyCancel
Wow! How truly remarkable, if I ever get to this part of the world (post covid) then this will surely be up there on my list of places to visit! I love all this kind of learning, in fact just last week (I’m living in Greece at the moment) I visited a remote place by the ocean with petrified trees and fossils everywhere. It just honestly blows my mind! Love it, and love your post!ReplyCancel
Carlsbad Cavern National Park in New Mexico is a phenomenal underground world. A unique place in the world. Fairy-tale shapesare stimulating your imaginations in this darkness and wet caves. 119 caves with huge rooms covered in spectacular rock formations: stalactites, stalagmites, columns, curtains, straws. Thousands of bats. So, we prepared detailed Carlsbad Caverns National Park...
the caves in the Carlsbad Caverns National Park loos so amazing. The limestones of the caves reminds me of the ones we have here in Palawan. I have never tried hiking a cave trail before, putting it on my bucket list now. I also love the photography tips you gave. Hope to visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park one dayReplyCancel
119 caves with thousands of Bats made me sit up and take notice of this post. Carlsbad Caverns facts triggered my anticipation as to what lay ahead in the post. Seventy-nine stories from the mouth of
the cave to the Big Room is this all the way downhill ?? The Big Room
does look humongous, and the fact bought out that between 200,000 and 500,000
bats leave the cave each evening. This is a sight which I feel would be amazing
to see indeed. adventure tours within the park I think with the park ranger would offer some great
insights ReplyCancel
Oh wow this cave most definitely looks intriguing and would love to spend time here. I have not personally been to many cave excursions and certainly not the ones this massive. Even the entrance of this one is worth seeing. The Road to Hell Carlsband Cavenrs is a great postcard picture to send and keep as a memory. Also the bat encounters on my small cave exploration was a bit intimidating so I just can’t imagine it here, might be a bit terrifying. But nonetheless I wouldn’t want to pass out on exploring this in the future!ReplyCancel
I cannot even imagine what it must be like to experience that many bats emerging from the caves and flying off into the night. That’s must be quite a spectacle, and I would imagine quite noisy as well. Some amazing cave photos, interesting to see these unique formations captured so well, and some lovely lighting too.ReplyCancel
I did not have the slightest idea that a park like this exists. Carlsbad Caverns National Park seems to be a marvel which must be visited sometime or the other. Mexico has always fascinated me but this park is truly magical. The desert landscapes are breathtaking. I too think this place requires a guided tour as you suggest to understand it well.ReplyCancel
I only visited two caves in the Philippines, and although both of them also have good rock formations and limestones, they are not spectacular compared to the caves of Carlsbad Caverns. I think I wouldn’t stop snapping for souvenir photos, and definitely will be bringing a good camera. My boyfriend will love this place too, he likes caves and exploration.ReplyCancel
The sheer size and scale of this place are just unbelievable! This post has really captured my attention and desire to visit and see it for myself. The Carlsbad Cavern National Park in New Mexico definitely deserves more promotion for the amazing experience and education it offers. I really enjoyed learning more via this post and am so impressed with the images you managed to take while there. Great photography tips as well for a very special place.ReplyCancel
The caves look incredible! 17 species of bats and the Big room trail make me think it is quite adventurous to visit this place. Equally amazing is the Road To Hell experience! I am sure sending a postcard with a stamp of “Mailed from 750 feet below ground” would be quite a unique thing to do. Very interesting!ReplyCancel
The Carlsbad Caverns have been on my bucket list for so long. They are so beautiful, as can be seen in your photos. There is a similar cave system near my hometown, although not nearly as expansive. I would love to explore the caverns, and The Natural Entrance Trail sounds like the perfect way to get down to there. ReplyCancel
America’s oldest capital city, Santa Fe, in New Mexico, is the only one to have fascinated travelers for more than 400 years. Moreover, Santa Fe is one of the nation’s highest significant towns. It is located at a top a rim of the vast upper Rio Grande basin 7,000 feet above sea level. Santa Fe...
I have never visited Santa Fe yet. In your blog you have nicely portrayed about the place, in fact with a lot of details. I love history and crafts and I came to know from your blog that Santa Fe is filled with such interesting places and history. I also found it helpful how you have listed down places where to eat. It really helps travelers like me who gets confused what to eat and where while visiting a new place.ReplyCancel
hi
truly a comprehensive article incorporating just about everything one would like to know about Santa Fe. Seeing the visual on the architecture I could not help but notice how the design and martial used is so characteristic to the climate of the region. additionally, there is a strong link and vibe to the days of the past. truly being a resident of Santa Fe would be so interesting and exciting a thought. ReplyCancel
Planning to visit soon and I heard that the altitude in Santa Fe is high? Can you confirm this? How many days do you think it will take acclimatize? I also want to know if you had difficulties in breathing when you arrive. The most difficult altitudes I’ve encountered are Peru and Bolivia. Will appreciate your help. Thanks in advance!ReplyCancel
Hi Trisha! Santa Fe altitude is 7200 feet (about 2200 meters above sea level). We had no problem with acclimatizing at this height. So, it is less than in Peru or Bolivia. But for sure it is worth drinking a lot of water when you arrive. I wish you a great holiday! We hope to back there one day, it is an amazing place 🙂ReplyCancel
I first heard the name – Santa Fe at Disneyland Paris, they have a resort close to the park called Santa Fe, reading through this felt familiar and actually the design of the buildings at Disneyland is an exact replica of how the hotels and museums in Santa Fe look like.
I like that you have a detailed 3 days itinerary for all sort of travellers. I will love to take a bath at the oldest health resort. It must be refreshing and healing to do that.ReplyCancel
I’ve always wanted to visit Santa Fe, New Mexico. I would totally do the third day of your itinerary! What a fun experience going into the cliff houses and soaking in the salt baths! But I have to say, as much as my sons would benefit from the historical significance of this trip (who knew it was NA’s oldest capital city?), I would come during the September Wine and Chili festival with my husband!ReplyCancel
I would love to visit Santa Fe as it receives 210 days of sunlight and also having oldest church of USA. This places has many quaint corners like that Worrell Gallery and I love such places. Your Lorretto hotel stay looks splendid and truly like an ancient fort. By looking the photographs this place looks unique in USA and not like other cities with high rises. ReplyCancel
I am always curious to learn about places that promote art and culture and I had learned about Santa Fe. It was good to know more about it virtually. Thanks for the information. With so many activities and events and festivals taking place all round the year, this place is definitely an art lovers place. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks Hike looks really interesting.ReplyCancel
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Hi, we are Agnes & Chris! Welcome to The Van Escape! We are travelers, photographers, and bloggers. Our goal is to share travel & photo experience and inspire you to outdoor adventures through America. We love wildlife, off the beaten path places, soaking in hot springs, and van life. We also like cities by night and tasting local food & wine. We give you ready itineraries, hints, and essential tools to prepare you for your unforgettable lifetime journey. We only describe the places we have been, which we know and recommend without hesitation. All photos are also ours. We are so glad you’re here!
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We totally missed Shiprock when we visited New Mexico. Interesting to learn that the translation relates to a bird and not a ship. But I must admit I have trouble seeing either in the shape. i don’t ever really think of there being volcanos in this part of the U.S. That left behind structures like Shiprock.
The Navajo history and curses I find to be very interesting. Shiprock is dramatic and stunning! I can not imagine the depth of seeing that in person or falling from that while climbing! 30 million years old, wow! The shiprock is cool being a monadnock. What a wonderful sight to take in while seeing the Four Corners Monument! I will defiantly have to add this to my bucket list when seeing the Four Corners.
I have only visited the more touristy part of Mexico ( Cancun ) like a lot of other tourists as this is most promoted but posts like these show us so much more of a country. I have read similar articles and would love to re visit Mexico and experience these hidden gems like the Ship Rock. The views over sunset are just picture perfect. Never imagined the history and how old this place is as well. Sad you cant camp around but I guess good as over tourism in these natural beauties kills it sometimes. Thanks for sharing a great attraction .
Shiprock looks amazing, thank you for this post! I really want to spend some time exploring the American southwest because I love learning more about the Native American culture. I also love the landscape of the region, I’ve only gotten to visit Colorado so far.
I have never been to Mexico yet and it crossed my mind to put it on my bucket list. But after reading the article, I feel like going to this city one of these days. I’m very much interested in visiting the Four Corners Monument.
I have never been to Mexico but I surely have it in my list. I generally love places that have these awesome rock formations. I find them really cool and very picturesque.
Shiprock looks like an awesome rock formation. I would love to visit this. I will add it to my list of places to see in Mexico.
Mexico is so far off from India. But diversity and cultural similarity does intrigues me definitely. All the pictures are so so wonderful. Shiprock looks very adventurous place. I like how the entire place revolves around a single giant rock. Four Corners Navajo Tribal Park has this amazing landscapes .. maybe someday I would be able to visit this place ..
We’ve been looking for places to visit on our roadtrip and this looks like an incredible stop! I can’t believe you’re able to see Shiprock from even 30-50 miles out! That plus the demonstration center with local crafts would be so cool to check out!
I will be honest and tell you that I had never heard of Shipwreck before. It seems quite interesting to learn about its geological formation. Good suggestion about the Bisti Badlands. It definitely seems to be a place that is alien. I would not mind a hike here.
Such a cool spot! Navajo Nation is on my list for a future road trip so definitely bookmarking this for future reference.
As a big Tranformers fan, I have always wanted to visit New Mexico because some important parts of the movie was shot here and you have given a very detailed explanation about the place. Thanks for sharing this blog as it would be very helpful for anyone planning to visit this place!!
ahhh nothing like an American road trip! I haven’t yet made it to this part of the country, but I’m dying to go. Did you have wifi signal in Bidi Badlands? Looks great but I’d hate to get lost out there!
This is going straight on our planner for future trips. Thanks for sharing.
This is a nicely done comprehensive article, shiprrock looks like a nice place to visit. But what impressed me more are the Navajo artisans, where they keep their culture and tradition still alive, by selling handmade jewelry, crafts, and traditional Navajo foods there.
Farmington is 6 hours from where we live so an overnight stay there would do to see both Shiprock and 4 Corners!
Very cool! It reminds me of monument valley, but a bit sharper haha. New Mexico is a day and a half away from me, so maybe I could see this on a multi-way road trip!
What a cool rock formation! Thanks for the geology lesson behind why it is shaped the way it is. Great post
This place looks absolutely beautiful, and I love that it has so much history too! Nature is so fascinating!