Picture Above: Mesa Verde National Park

Fly to Albuquerque. Start driving west to visit El Malpais and El Morro National Monument. Then go north to Mesa Verde National Park. Take the train ride from Durango to Telluride (round trip), then back south to Bandelier N.M., visit Santa Fe before going back to Albuquerque.


I had so much fun planning and going through this route. Mesa Verde National Park is one of my favorite national parks. The guided tour took us through the India dwellings, which required some climbing and crawling. We had a 4x4 with us so we took an awsome off-roading trip near Durango. The train ride from Durango to Telluride was quite senic (see picture.) Although it can be boring on the way back since it's taking the same route. My friends and I watched the beautiful scenery on the way to Telluride and played games when the train was returning. I thought Sante Fe was very different from the other cities in the U.S.. The brown architecture throughout the town created a unique backdrop for Santa Fe.