Wish You Were Here: American Southwest road trip
It’s been a year of adventures for intrepid Bay Area News Group readers. They’ve seen the Northern Lights in Iceland’s Westfjords, learned to make paella in Barcelona and explored the cultural treasures of Austria. And afterward, they shared their stories and offered up helpful travel advice.
Read on for a travel tale involving a mother and son’s road trip to the great American Southwest, then find more reader travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/.
Wish You Were Here
ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO: San Jose resident Denie Burgstrom and her son Blaine took a two-week, “bucket list” road trip to the great American Southwest in October that included Solvang and San Diego before crossing the California border to visit Tombstone, Arizona. “My Mom is a big history buff,” Blaine says. “From there, Las Cruces, New Mexico, Roswell and then Albuquerque, which we used as a base to also see Santa Fe and Taos. Then we travelled to (Arizona’s) Monument Valley and on to Page, so we could see the enchanting Antelope Canyon.”
One of the many high points was a stay at the Amargosa Hotel near the eastern edge of Death Valley. “The Amargosa has a fascinating history, starting out as part of a town developed by the Borax company,” Blaine says. “Later, the near-abandoned buildings were happened upon by dancer/artist Marta Becket, who refurbished them so she could present her dance and artwork. The hotel, which is currently being refurbished again, is an adventure to stay at.”
TRAVEL TIPS: “September and October are a great time to visit the desert — not too hot and not too cold, and the colors are amazing. Antelope Canyon is on protected Navajo land and accessible by guided tour only. The indigenous guides are informative and fun and provide many great photo ops. Be prepared for a 20-minute bumpy ride to the canyon, which takes about an hour to walk through. Be sure to book excursions early.”
Join the fun! Send a photo of yourself on your latest adventures — local, domestic or international — to jburrell@bayareanewsgroup.com. Tell us where you are, who everyone is and where they’re from, and share a travel tip or two to help fellow readers go there, too.