Bosque, White Sands, and what else?

[boku]

I guess it is time to start gathering your advice. I am going with 2 friends on a 10-day trip to Bosque Del Apache from 11/30 thru 12/10. Discounting 5-days drive time to and from Cleveland, OH (we don't expect to do much shooting until we get to the SW), that means we have 3-days at Bosque during full moon with our guided workshop we signed up for + 2-days for a secondary site.

We are making the drive for 2 reasons - plenty of room to take gear and ability to make other stops for photography. We sort of plan on making the typical adjunct trip to White Sands. Also, intend to make our trip back a bit more gradual to accommodate some shooting side trips.

My questions are this...

1) Given that we have 2 solid days for a secondary location, is there anything that would be preferable to White Sands for a visually rich situation this time of year? We have varied styles and tastes, so I can't nail down specific shooting experiences we are looking for other than to say we want to optimize our time, capture meaningful images, and prevent wandering aimlessly. We are all accomplished photographers, fully equipped.

2) On the way back from NM to OH, is there anything worth stopping for (and shooting), that we should schedule some time for? Any worthwhile side trips?

I have anticipated asking this here. The time is right. Please help.

Thanks in advance,
Bob

[boku]

I sure would appreciate some responses.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I sure would appreciate some responses.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=83493\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Wish I could help, Bob. I know some great spots in New England and in California, but on my personal map, the area between NM and OH is marked "unexplored."    

I hope someone here will give you some tips.

Eric

[sralser]

Bob - you could try the 3 rivers petrogrpah site its NE of white sands, on the road to Caririzozo.  there's the VLA about 1 hour west of Socorro - The Salinas National Monument 1 Hour NE of Socorro.  these are old Spanish missions from the 1500's and Pueblo indian ruins
 see .e.g Quarai peublo.


Further north there's Santa Fe, Bandelier National Monument (Anazasi Ruins) and Chaco Canyon e.g.Chaco.

You could always drive back up through Ssanta Fe, Taos, into Colorado then over to Pueblo (CO).

You'll find no end of subjects there.

Steve

[howiesmith]

Not much experience in this area either.  However, 2 full days at White Sands is, in my opinion, too much.  The area is small.  I arrived in late afternoon, did some looking around.  Then took some photos that evening and the next morning and was gone.  I went back once after that and didn't fire a shot.

Santa Fe and Taos are excellant.  Good food and excellant architecture.  Lots of touristy places and things, so prices aren't especially cheap.  It is getting close to winter there now, so be ready.

Albequerque you can have.

The area around Cloudcroft I think is pretty and there may be some fall color or snow now.

Southeast, there is Carlesbad.  Not many photo opts (opinion) but a good visiting place.  El Paso has plenty of boot store for cheap, so if that is your thing.  (About six years ago, I got a pair of Lucesee (spelling?) calf skin boots at 3/4s off that are better than going barefoot.)  Some good Texmex too.

All in all, the drive with friends will be well worth the outing.

[boku]

Not much experience in this area either.  However, 2 full days at White Sands is, in my opinion, too much.  The area is small.  I arrived in late afternoon, did some looking around.  Then took some photos that evening and the next morning and was gone.  I went back once after that and didn't fire a shot.[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=83502\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

That was my concern - I was wondering if the time would be better spent somewhere else. I am imagining a sunset and sunrise should do it at White Sands.

[boku]

You could always drive back up through Ssanta Fe, Taos, into Colorado then over to Pueblo (CO).
Steve
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=83499\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I wondered about that. The Bosque shoot (a workshop organized by a regional pro in Ohio) concludes on Tuesday, mid-day. We have until Sunday evening to get back home (Ohio). If we go north from Soccoro instead of SE to White Sands, there is time to meander in potentially more fruitful scenery, but this needs to be done with some forethought. Friday morning we have to be headed home. Its a solid 2-1/2 day drive.

[Adam Schallau]

I guess it is time to start gathering your advice. I am going with 2 friends on a 10-day trip to Bosque Del Apache from 11/30 thru 12/10. Discounting 5-days drive time to and from Cleveland, OH (we don't expect to do much shooting until we get to the SW), that means we have 3-days at Bosque during full moon with our guided workshop we signed up for + 2-days for a secondary site.

We are making the drive for 2 reasons - plenty of room to take gear and ability to make other stops for photography. We sort of plan on making the typical adjunct trip to White Sands. Also, intend to make our trip back a bit more gradual to accommodate some shooting side trips.

My questions are this...

1) Given that we have 2 solid days for a secondary location, is there anything that would be preferable to White Sands for a visually rich situation this time of year? We have varied styles and tastes, so I can't nail down specific shooting experiences we are looking for other than to say we want to optimize our time, capture meaningful images, and prevent wandering aimlessly. We are all accomplished photographers, fully equipped.

2) On the way back from NM to OH, is there anything worth stopping for (and shooting), that we should schedule some time for? Any worthwhile side trips?

I have anticipated asking this here. The time is right. Please help.

Thanks in advance,
Bob
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=83192\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

A few ideas:

Three Rivers Petroglyph Site as mentioned above
Kasha Katuwe - Tent Rocks National Monument between Albuquerque and Santa Fe
Ghost Ranch and the Chama River near Abiquiu
Rio Grande River Gorge near Taos
Saint Francis de Asis church in Ranchos de Taos
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Taos Pueblo
Wild Rivers near Questa
Pecos National Monument

~Adam

[U_Grsl]

Last time I went to the South-West, White Sands was a marvellous discovery  (here in France it's quite unknown). it's the place of one of my best photo (imho). During the same trip we enjoyed Big Bend, but it's so far southward that possibly unpractible in your time frame.
Carlsbad caves is worth a day, but the visit has certainly to be specifically organized for a photography project.
Should I have to combine White Sands and Bosque, and coming from the North-East I would return to Chaco Culture, which is one of the most inspiring place I visited in New Mexico.
North of Santa Fe the Great Sand Dunes are also of interest, especially when the weather is not wellcoming ...

[Image Northwest]

Boku:  I will be down at the Bosque the same days as your visit, so I'll likely run into you.  Try the Flight Deck early morning.  Regarding other possibilities, I will be also going to White Sands, spending a couple days and hoping to get the 'right light".  Other places of interest do include the VLA. (Watch the movie "Contact" before you go.) And if you go that far out, continue on to Pie Town.  This place was featured in "Smithsonian" a couple years ago, and it looks like there's some photographic potential if you like that sort of thing.  (You might google for more info.) I was at the Bosque last year and went out to the VLA, but not to Pie Town, so that will be one of my destinations during this visit.  I'll be in the area Dec 3 through the 11th, staying in Socorro at Motel 8.  

Maybe see you there.  Bruce

PS.  Dress warm in the mornings at the Bosque, it get pretty nippy sometimes, but the day usually warm up nicely.

www.imagenorthwest.com

[Willard]

Stop at the Oklahoma City National Memorial (OKCNM).  The location of the former Alfred Murrah building.  An amazing place and very photogenic day and night.
John

[jdlevy]

Regarding sunrise at White Sands, you might want to check out when they open. I think they  do not open the gates until 7 am. Since, in my opinion, you want to be all the way into the area into the dunes at the far western end of the park when the sun comes up you might have a timing problem. If you call the visitor center ahead of time you can, I believe, arrange (for a fee) to be admitted early, but it requires reserving that opportunity.

The same issue needs to be considered for sunset, but my guess is that, at this time of year you might be OK.

[boku]

Regarding sunrise at White Sands, you might want to check out when they open. I think they  do not open the gates until 7 am. Since, in my opinion, you want to be all the way into the area into the dunes at the far western end of the park when the sun comes up you might have a timing problem. If you call the visitor center ahead of time you can, I believe, arrange (for a fee) to be admitted early, but it requires reserving that opportunity.

The same issue needs to be considered for sunset, but my guess is that, at this time of year you might be OK.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=84681\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thank you - good insight.

[mikebinok]

If you go to White Sands, someone already mentioned the BLM Petroglyph site on the way, which is worth checking out.  There's a dramatic old wooden railroad trestle near Cloudcroft that circumstances have prevented me from photographing, or even stopping at more than momentarily, but superficially looks photogenic.  Be sure to take major dust precautions at White Sand!

If you come home going East along I-40, Palo Duro Canyon in Texas is worth a visit.  Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge (in southwest Oklahoma, about an hour south of I-40) has bison, longhorn, prairie dogs, and (with a modicum of luck) elk. It is a very good mammal/wildlife destination, and "okay" for landscapes.  Fort Sill is adjacent to the Refuge, and has some interest from a military history/Indian history viewpoint.  If you choose to go to Wichita Mountain, let me know and I can give more specifics.

Back in NM, Bandalier National Monument has cliff dwellings and is a decent photo destination.  There are a lot of good choices in the area around Alb and Santa Fe.

Carlsbad is a worthy area, but would be a significant trip south from Bosque, given your time constraints, I wouldn't do it this trip.

[Geoff Wittig]

This may be out of the way depending on the route you are taking, but Badlands National Park in western South Dakota is quietly spectacular. I-90 runs along the northern edge of the park, so you can't miss it. I spent a week there this September, and landscape photo opportunities are everywhere. Endless eroded canyons and gullies drop away from the pairie, with numerous spectacular vistas available right from the road. I came home with about 20 gig's worth of image files, and feel like I've barely scratched the surface.

[boku]

I'd like to thank everyone here for the generous sharing of ideas. Although I am not able to digest all of this at the moment, I plan to digest it all and make decisions on the long trip down to Bosque.

Keep it coming. Just before the trip I'll print it all out and we can read through it on the drive down and explore on the way back.

Again, thanks folks.

[rhellie]

Though it has already been mentioned, you might want to consider the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument located about 25 miles south of Albuquerque.  This little National Monument, created by Presidentail Proclamation in the waning days of the Clinton Administration is jointly managed by the Cochiti Pueblo and the Bureau of Land Management.  It can be easily seen in a day and has a good system of trails.  The main features to see are, as one would expect, tent shaped geological formations that cover most of the Monument.  If you are interested this is the BLM website for this area:

http://www.nm.blm.gov/recreation/albuquerq...asha_katuwe.htm

[jess lee]

You might be aware that the Dunes drive is at least partially close due to flooding and may not re open until late December. Tent Rock sis actually 55 miles NE of Albuquerque. I am sure rhellie meant to say Santa Fe.