Dallas to Taos New Mexico

[Dstar]

Hi, we're thinking of skiing in Taos late this year. Flying from the UK.

Rather than take an internal flight, I'm wondering if we could drive there from Dallas... Anyone done it? I know that looks like a long way. Any advice? Routes? Better suggestions to get to Taos by road from a major airport?

Cheers,

D.

[Robert Schaller]

The drive from Dallas would be about 12 hours and 675 miles (not counting any detours for possible road closures). Most direct is US287 to Amarillo, I-40 to US285 and into Taos from Santa Fe.

You could save driving time if you choose by flying into Albuquerque -- Taos is only a couple hours from ALB if the roads and weather are good. Other possibilities are Denver or Colorado Springs. Denver is only about half the driving time that you'd have from Dallas -- Colo Spgs about 1.5 hours less than that. Denver is also a major hub, and I believe British Airways has a nonstop London flight from there, so it may be as easy a choice as Dallas.

It all depends on whether you want to make this a road trip -- and how much of one. I think you'd find the route from Dallas to Taos a very interesting one -- the area of Texas you'd be passing through is the southern part of America's Great Plains, very dry country. It's a lot of nothing, terrain-wise -- and magnificent. Except for the occasional farm, it'll be very easy for you to imagine it as it was 150 years ago -- because it still looks much the same.

[Dstar]

That drive from Dallas sounds great, I'd love to do that. Can you recommend a half way hotel/motel to break up the 12 hour drive? Somewhere freindly, because being a Brit out in the middle of texas feels a bit intimidating ;).

If I can get a route and lodging planned, I think we might do the trip next year. Also, is there an alternative route back to Dallas for the return journey? Rather than retracing our steps.

Thanks for the advice.

Cheers.

[Robert Schaller]

You'll find Texas to be a very friendly place -- I've never met a Texan that wasn't a great "host." So no worries there.

Of course, Texas in not really part of the United States, you know. Americans don't need a passport to go there, but it is a "whole other country!" So they tell us.

Amarillo is the most logical choice for an overnight -- lots of choices and you could have a steak dinner at the Big Texan -- maybe get to watch some fool try to eat the 72 oz Steak Dinner. if you want to do more of your driving that day, you could also go on to Tucumcari -- it's a famous old stopping place on old Route 66 and there are lots of motel choices there as well.

For the return trip, you might use US285 south to I-10 or I-20, and see Carlsbad Caverns or Lincoln County (where Billy the Kid shot the Sheriff). For Lincoln, get to it by using US70 west from Roswell. If you want to check out what Lincoln is all about -- do an internet search for "Lincoln County War" and you'll come up with lots of information. The American films called "Young Guns" (I and II) were fictionalized accounts of these events. For a more scholarly study, check out Robert Utley's book High Noon in Lincoln (available from Amazon.com)

For the choice of interstate (I-20 or I-10), I'd use I-10 and take the long way back to Dallas via San Antonio and Austin -- both neat places to visit. With even more time, you could include Big Bend National Park -- that's even farther out of the way, but well-worth your time if you can spare it. Bob