Santa Fe or Las Vegas, New Mexico - need campground recommendations

[8amps]

Hi Heartlanders,
We are in Carlsbad, NM, leaving tomorrow towards Denver. Planning to go up 285 through Roswell (Phil wants to check out UFO museum) and overnight in either Sante Fe or Las Vegas. I know there are some Heartlanders from NM, so would appreciate any recommendations for campgrounds, excellent green chili burgers, or anything else you'd like to share

Mary

 

[Mrsfish]

We stayed in an Rv park just north of SF by about 10 miles. Found it on good SAMs list. Was simply okay, got us through the night. However, just down the road was a really neat restaurant named Harry's Roadhouse. The park recommended it as a locals favorite and a little research showed it was a Diners Drive-in and Dives favorite. It was NOT Mexican food, but it was really good. Rick got a coffee rubber smoked brisket that he drooled over for days.

 

[VKTalley]

We stayed in an Rv park just north of SF by about 10 miles. Found it on good SAMs list. Was simply okay, got us through the night. However, just down the road was a really neat restaurant named Harry's Roadhouse. The park recommended it as a locals favorite and a little research showed it was a Diners Drive-in and Dives favorite. It was NOT Mexican food, but it was really good. Rick got a coffee rubber smoked brisket that he drooled over for days.

Ann, that sounds like a great place to eat!!! May have to look into that one this coming January-March when we return west for the winter months.

Mary, the only place we have stayed in Vega is the Oasis RV park that next year's rally will be at. We enjoyed visiting the Neon Museum while we were in Vega. Food wise....not much help there as we only ate out a couple of times the two trips we have made to Vega.

 

[Mrsfish]

Ann, that sounds like a great place to eat!!! May have to look into that one this coming January-March when we return west for the winter months.

Mary, the only place we have stayed in Vega is the Oasis RV park that next year's rally will be at. We enjoyed visiting the Neon Museum while we were in Vega. Food wise....not much help there as we only ate out a couple of times the two trips we have made to Vega.

Too funny. I think Mary was looking for places near Las Vegas, NEW MEXICO. Not even comparable to the Vegas where next years rally is at. We always joke about LV, NM when we go past cause it just seems so weird to have a second city named that. Val, I would eat again at Harry's in a heartbeat. It was cool, funky place set in an old house. On the sat night we were there the line was longggggg at 5:00 to get in. Says something.

 

[jayc]

We stayed at the Las Vegas NM KOA about three years ago and it was pretty nice. As I recall we liked it very well and met some other relatives while we were there.

 

[MTPockets]

UFO Museum is pretty interesting... Make sure you get pics standing next to the real aliens there. We stayed in Santa Fe, Good Sam Park: Rancheros De Santa Fe.

 

[d_fergie]

Living south of Carlsbad, the Cattle Baron Steak House is one of our favs in Roswell, it's on main street a ways past the UFO museum... pricy, but good.

 

[TravelTiger]

We've stayed at Santa Fe Skies, RV park and the Santa Fe KOA, in March. (Snowing one time!)

SF Skies has little vegetation, but easy to get in and out and fairly close to amenities of Santa Fe. The KOA is a little farther out, has lots of Cedar trees so if you are allergic, prepare to suffer.

We enjoyed "the Shed" in downtown Santa Fe for authentic New Mexican cuisine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[VKTalley]

Too funny. I think Mary was looking for places near Las Vegas, NEW MEXICO. Not even comparable to the Vegas where next years rally is at. We always joke about LV, NM when we go past cause it just seems so weird to have a second city named that. Val, I would eat again at Harry's in a heartbeat. It was cool, funky place set in an old house. On the sat night we were there the line was longggggg at 5:00 to get in. Says something.

Oops! My bad!

When a restaurant is that busy before 5p, then it must be good!

 

[8amps]

Hi all, thanks for the recommendations...
Yes Val, I did mean Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Howdy Ann, Harry's sounds good, we'll have to check that out. Sounds like BBQ places in Austin... in line by 7 am, eat by 1 pm. Couldn't talk Phil into that one...
Terry and June, maybe that should be Phil's profile pic if he ever gets around to it - real Aliens... We drove through Roswell once, but the museum was closed. Hope you're enjoying Utah!
Hi Jay & Stella - so good to meet you at the Boerne rally. I've been looking for a Mexican Train set since, but have not found a single one. Note to Walmart buyers: if every store is out of dominoes, maybe you want to order more dominoes. Is there an embargo going on? We're leaning more towards Santa Fe right now, but we'll see how the day unfolds tomorrow.
D-Fergie, we stayed at Brantley Lake State Park, really nice out here - but it IS far. Didn't really have an issue with trucks of any sort. We took the bypass behind Carlsbad the two times we went to the caverns. We definitely would like to come back another time, maybe this fall before the bats go on holiday to Mexico. There were thousands and thousands of bats, it was really cool, but we observed it from the parking lot as the "official season" hasn't begun. We hiked down the Natural Entrance and through the Big Room. We did cheat and take the elevator up though
Hi Erika, thanks for all your Texas weather advice! It's following us still... (much better than tornadoes though). We enjoyed the Shed on a previous trip to Santa Fe. Since we've been before I really wanted to indulge in some good New Mexican food. Might have to dinner and breakfast. Gotta get a green chili in there somewhere.

We were giving thought to a state park outside Santa Fe but it is raining steady here in Carlsbad and working its way up the state tonight into tomorrow. We'll get a leisurely start tomorrow and then stop in Roswell, hopefully the rain will pass by then. I think because of that, we'll pass on the wooded state park. Though I can appreciate the better atmosphere, etc., when you're just stopping for the night, sometimes easier ranks above the surroundings.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[d_fergie]

Mi Casita is my favorite for Mexican food in Carlsbad, it's on main street, although China Lantern on the National Parks Highway is very good also... Snow to go has good green chile cheeseburgers, it's on South Canal also in Carlsbad.

 

[d_fergie]

The weather I'm looking at shows 100% chance of rain Tuesday & Tuesday night so be careful, gas prices were the same as Carlsbad up to Roswell last Friday night...(same in Clovis area also)

 

[JohnD]

We stayed at the Las Vegas, NM KOA on our way down to the Quartzsite Rally back in January . . .

It is on I-25 just south of Las Vegas on the east side of the highway!

It was a nice place and the owners very friendly!

By the way . . . see you guys tomorrow at Cherry Creek and welcome back to Colorado!

 

[8amps]

Thanks John, we will see you soon.