Cities to visit in the Southwest

[Fat Cat]

Attn: pineapple n***ers inbound! My wife and I want to take a short trip, perhaps a week, and visit some nice city/town in the Southwest. We chose that because it's an area I haven't really been, the trip will be in January so avoiding cold/snow, and we thought the more redneck places are more likely to be open. Places we have talked about are Austin, TX and Sante Fe, NM. Do any of you have other recommendations of nice, walkable, interesting places to visit in that part of our country? Other places on the list are Sedona, AZ and Taos, NM.

[syaigh]

Moab, UT is kind of more west than southwest, but highly recommend especially if you like hiking. The national Arches park (open 24 hours if you want to do some stargazing) is just outside of town. Sedona, meh (seemed to be a whole lot of crazy and then not much at all, but I'll admit, I didn't explore much because it was at the end of a week of traveling), but AZ is a pretty cool place in general. Scottsdale and Tuscon are both pretty great and maybe not surprisingly, have amazing food as well.

[Grandpa's Spells]

Austin is probably my favorite US city to visit. It probably wouldn't meet your criteria for redneck. But 15 minutes away would, and checking out some central TX BBQ would be pretty sweet.

[Fat Cat]

Austin is probably my favorite US city to visit. It probably wouldn't meet your criteria for redneck. But 15 minutes away would, and checking out some central TX BBQ would be pretty sweet.

Austin is on the list. When I say redneck, I just want to avoid places that are going to be shut down. We like all kinds.

[Fat Cat]

Moab, UT is kind of more west than southwest, but highly recommend especially if you like hiking. The national Arches park (open 24 hours if you want to do some stargazing) is just outside of town. Sedona, meh (seemed to be a whole lot of crazy and then not much at all, but I'll admit, I didn't explore much because it was at the end of a week of traveling), but AZ is a pretty cool place in general. Scottsdale and Tuscon are both pretty great and maybe not surprisingly, have amazing food as well.

I would love to, I think that the timing won't be good for us because this is for January. Later in the spring I would be all over that, but I'm assuming it's deep snow in January, right? For little provincial islanders like myself the West is so big, and there's so much to do, it's hard to know where to start.

[nafod]

Austin is probably my favorite US city to visit. It probably wouldn't meet your criteria for redneck. But 15 minutes away would, and checking out some central TX BBQ would be pretty sweet.

Austin, San Antonio, and the Hill Country would make for a cool area to hang. Visit the Alamo and the Riverwalk. Go on a long drive out in the country to some random small town to get the real vibe.

[lasalle]

Austin is great. If you go, make the pilgrimage out to Lockhart for bbq. Puts the O in OG.

http://smittysmarket.com/

[Schlegel]

The food in Austin is is fantastic, really hope it will be open is the only thing. I am a big Texas brisket partisan after visiting my uncle there years ago. And of course the Tex-Mex cuisine is just so good, and unmatched by anything you can get outside the southwest. In normal times the music scene is great too.

[Schlegel]

My uncle went to grad school there after he got out of the Marines. In good weather it has what I think may be the largest naturally fed swimming pool in the US, built perhaps 100 years ago outdoors at a spring. It's very popular with the local strippers. At least judging by the numbers of them my uncle pointed out to me while my mom wasn't looking.

[DrDonkeyLove...]

All places mentioned are excellent. I was in Austin & the TX Hill Country last November. 2 days were great and the rest were very cold. Austin is still great but it's becoming the Portland of TX IMO.
Regarding other SW cities, elevation is temperature - especially in the winter. I woke up this morning in Flagstaff, AZ to 36º F and am going to bed in Lake Havasu, AZ to 89ºF (6,000 ft. elev. change).

I don't know Sedona's elevation but it's quite a bit cooler than Phoenix in the summer but warmer than Flagstaff. Probably the same in the winter. There is a lot of beautiful and accessible hiking there.

Here's some other options to ponder.

1) Fly into Vegas. Avoid anything Vegas related and immediately rent a car and drive towards Hurricane, UT and Zion National Park (2.5 hrs +/-). It's beautiful and the winter weather is generally mild. If you like it, you can try some other scenic areas such as Pink Coral Sand Dunes. If the weather is good, consider a run up to Bryce Canyon or the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The scenery in SW Utah is magnificent.

2) Fly into San Diego (I know!!) but it's got the best climate in the lower 48 and there's lots of nature nearby. Anza Borrego State Park is real deal desert and there are beautiful areas near SD like Cabrillo National Monument or La Jolla & etc.

I've had the good fortune to go to quite a few places in the SW if you have further Q's. Most of it wasn't in winter though.

[Turdacious]

What do you and your wife enjoy doing together? NM and TX for food. NM and AZ for old west historical significance. UT for natural beauty and outdoor stuff. TX for music.

I'd consider thinking a little further east-- San Antonio/Galveston or Shreveport/Baton Rouge/New Orleans.

[Grandpa's Spells]

Austin is probably my favorite US city to visit. It probably wouldn't meet your criteria for redneck. But 15 minutes away would, and checking out some central TX BBQ would be pretty sweet.

Austin is on the list. When I say redneck, I just want to avoid places that are going to be shut down. We like all kinds.

Oh I know I just meant Austin is a place likely to actually shut down if there's a spike.

I actually first went there when Lie-Bear recommended it here. Funniest thing was driving out to a central TX BBQ place and the guys on the radio are bemoaning that Austin and just been voted best place to move for young people. They're bitching that all these big-city people from "Houston and Dallas" are going to move there. I thought it was a bit at first. TX has a very TX-centric view of the world.

[Bennyonesix1]

Zion Bryce and the Mountains of NM if short trip.

Also Bisbee and Douglas and Flagstaff in AZ are nice.

Fuck Austin and those loser fgts

[Fat Cat]

What do you and your wife enjoy doing together? NM and TX for food. NM and AZ for old west historical significance. UT for natural beauty and outdoor stuff. TX for music.

I'd consider thinking a little further east-- San Antonio/Galveston or Shreveport/Baton Rouge/New Orleans.

We like it all: food, Old West, cowboys, nature, etc. For me TX is as exotic as Japan, actually more so in a lot of ways. I have already been to NOLA and loved it, but never to the true Southwest (CA doesn't count).

[Bennyonesix1]

Texas isn't the SW.

It is lameness personified.

[Fat Cat]

Texas isn't the SW.

It is lameness personified.

Thank you for the correction, I thought at least parts of it were. But looking it up, since it was part of the Confederacy it is officially part of the South proper. You taught me something.

[Bennyonesix1]

It's a terrible place Fat do not go.

[Bedlam 0-0-0]

Hey Fatcat,
I've traveled pretty extensively through Arizona and New Mexico (used to live in Arizona for a number of years and traveled back through twice this year). Less so through Texas. I would recommend going only one of the states. Austin is a long drive from Taos or Sedona and it isn't a fun drive. I didn't particularly enjoy Austin. It was designed for about half the number of people that live there now (and more are moving from CA everyday) so the traffic is terrible. I don't know much there beside Barton Springs, some huge bbq place outside of town that had live country music and honky tonking at the Continental club.

For Arizona in January I would follow DrDonkeylove's advice if flying into Vegas (except I would stop at the Pinball Hall of Fame on the way out of town). Zion might be cold at that time and be sure to check to see if they are open as some parks are closed due to cv.

Another Az possibility is to fly into Phx. Don't waste much time there if you only have a week. Phx is suburbs on suburbs on stripmalls. Drive north and stop at Arcosanti https://www.arcosanti.org/and Jerome's Ghost Town https://goldkingmineghosttown.com/ then up to Sedona. There are so many hiking trails (Devil's Bridge is a popular one with a neat arch to walk over or Oak Creek Canyon)there for all levels of hiking. Very beautiful and when I was there a couple months ago the trails were empty compared to what they normally are. There are cabins for rent with fireplaces on the right side of the main highway as you go up there...good for good times with the wife or girlfriend(s) or both. North of that you can hit Flagstaff but it will probably be cold. If you go there check out Walnut Canyon where you can hike through cliff dwellings. From there you can visit the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Usually there are 4000 Chinese swarming the place but with covid it is much quieter and more enjoyable. On the east of Flag there is Meteor Crater which is a mile wide dent in the earth. Pretty neat to see but not sure if it is worth the drive just to see it.

If you don't want to hit north of Sedona, you can cut east and go to the staircase waterfall outside of Payson AZ. It will be cold fyi. From there drop to Roosevelt Dam. You can swim there if it is warm enough. The road to Tortilla Flats was an old stagecoach line. Years later kids raced their cars on it and some crashed off the side of cliffs and whatnot leaving some debris to see (or there used to be). That road leads back to phx.

If you have more time the other places to check are Tuscon if you want to hang out in a city (better than Phx). 4th ave is kind of the hub and has many restaurants, booze holes etc (I like the Shelter Lounge. It's a shitty dive filled with JFK nostalgia). Another thing around there is the Titan Missile Museum (on the way back to phx). The tour takes you down into a missile silo which is pretty fun https://titanmissilemuseum.org/.

South of Tucson there is Bisbee as Benny mentioned. It is an old mining town turned artist community (that's what they say anyway, I never saw anything but shit art there made by cat ladies.) There aren't driveways to the homes there because everyone just walked to the mine to work when it was built so there are sidewalks everywhere. You can take a tour of the Queen Anne's Mine which is really fun https://www.queenminetour.com/. There is a hotel made of old rv's there. I never stayed there because I usually just threw up a tent or slept in my van. http://theshadydell.com/ From there check out Tombstone. They have re-enactors all through the town playing out the Ok Corral drama which is enjoyable.

If you do New Mexico fly into ABQ, Then drive up spend a day or two in Santa Fe (hang in the town square and haggle with Injuns on the price of some turquoise kokopelli thingamajig and see the Loretto Chapel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretto_Chapel.) There is a pueblo which seems like just a big trinket shop but I guess people like it as it was pretty full when I've been through. There is a lot of beautiful hiking near Taos but it might be cold. There is skiing there too but I don't know the quality. If you want to dazzle yo' hos take those bitches to Ojo Caliente and get them mud wrasslin' in the mud pools or just tip one back and cheehaul in the lithium pool. It is a hotel with some great hot springs/mudbaths etc. It used to be a hole in the wall with a couple decrepit cabins but last time I went it was went full upscale Hollywood (make reservations fyi now if you want to stay overnight https://ojospa.com/) But yeah, that's always a winner with the ladies and it is relaxing.

The route just going north of ABQ might be the best bet as it takes much less driving but if you went south, white sands and Carlsbad Caverns are beautiful. You probably have your fill of white sand in Hawaii so it probably isn't worth it. Roswell and Alamogordo are down there too. The Alien museum in Roswell is fun in a kitschy way but not worth a drive down just for it.

Just some ideas to help on your routing. I hope it goes well.

[Bennyonesix1]

Great damn post.

I like NM best of all. And I've lived in NV and AZ and NM.

Ruidoso is my favorite.

Honestly a long tour of NM would be my recommendation. But stick to the mountains. A lot of NM is ugly desert.

But the Tucson and Bisbee is a good idea. Douglas too.

When I was there Hotel Congress was the best bar in US abd Cafe Poca Cosa was across the street. Lots of high end spas for the women too.

Idk I love Bryce and Zion. Can't be beat if you like National Parks.

[Fat Cat]

Hey Fatcat,
I've traveled pretty extensively through Arizona and New Mexico (used to live in Arizona for a number of years and traveled back through twice this year). Less so through Texas. I would recommend going only one of the states. Austin is a long drive from Taos or Sedona and it isn't a fun drive. I didn't particularly enjoy Austin. It was designed for about half the number of people that live there now (and more are moving from CA everyday) so the traffic is terrible. I don't know much there beside Barton Springs, some huge bbq place outside of town that had live country music and honky tonking at the Continental club.

For Arizona in January I would follow DrDonkeylove's advice if flying into Vegas (except I would stop at the Pinball Hall of Fame on the way out of town). Zion might be cold at that time and be sure to check to see if they are open as some parks are closed due to cv.

Another Az possibility is to fly into Phx. Don't waste much time there if you only have a week. Phx is suburbs on suburbs on stripmalls. Drive north and stop at Arcosanti https://www.arcosanti.org/and Jerome's Ghost Town https://goldkingmineghosttown.com/ then up to Sedona. There are so many hiking trails (Devil's Bridge is a popular one with a neat arch to walk over or Oak Creek Canyon)there for all levels of hiking. Very beautiful and when I was there a couple months ago the trails were empty compared to what they normally are. There are cabins for rent with fireplaces on the right side of the main highway as you go up there...good for good times with the wife or girlfriend(s) or both. North of that you can hit Flagstaff but it will probably be cold. If you go there check out Walnut Canyon where you can hike through cliff dwellings. From there you can visit the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Usually there are 4000 Chinese swarming the place but with covid it is much quieter and more enjoyable. On the east of Flag there is Meteor Crater which is a mile wide dent in the earth. Pretty neat to see but not sure if it is worth the drive just to see it.

If you don't want to hit north of Sedona, you can cut east and go to the staircase waterfall outside of Payson AZ. It will be cold fyi. From there drop to Roosevelt Dam. You can swim there if it is warm enough. The road to Tortilla Flats was an old stagecoach line. Years later kids raced their cars on it and some crashed off the side of cliffs and whatnot leaving some debris to see (or there used to be). That road leads back to phx.

If you have more time the other places to check are Tuscon if you want to hang out in a city (better than Phx). 4th ave is kind of the hub and has many restaurants, booze holes etc (I like the Shelter Lounge. It's a shitty dive filled with JFK nostalgia). Another thing around there is the Titan Missile Museum (on the way back to phx). The tour takes you down into a missile silo which is pretty fun https://titanmissilemuseum.org/.

South of Tucson there is Bisbee as Benny mentioned. It is an old mining town turned artist community (that's what they say anyway, I never saw anything but shit art there made by cat ladies.) There aren't driveways to the homes there because everyone just walked to the mine to work when it was built so there are sidewalks everywhere. You can take a tour of the Queen Anne's Mine which is really fun https://www.queenminetour.com/. There is a hotel made of old rv's there. I never stayed there because I usually just threw up a tent or slept in my van. http://theshadydell.com/ From there check out Tombstone. They have re-enactors all through the town playing out the Ok Corral drama which is enjoyable.

If you do New Mexico fly into ABQ, Then drive up spend a day or two in Santa Fe (hang in the town square and haggle with Injuns on the price of some turquoise kokopelli thingamajig and see the Loretto Chapel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretto_Chapel.) There is a pueblo which seems like just a big trinket shop but I guess people like it as it was pretty full when I've been through. There is a lot of beautiful hiking near Taos but it might be cold. There is skiing there too but I don't know the quality. If you want to dazzle yo' hos take those bitches to Ojo Caliente and get them mud wrasslin' in the mud pools or just tip one back and cheehaul in the lithium pool. It is a hotel with some great hot springs/mudbaths etc. It used to be a hole in the wall with a couple decrepit cabins but last time I went it was went full upscale Hollywood (make reservations fyi now if you want to stay overnight https://ojospa.com/) But yeah, that's always a winner with the ladies and it is relaxing.

The route just going north of ABQ might be the best bet as it takes much less driving but if you went south, white sands and Carlsbad Caverns are beautiful. You probably have your fill of white sand in Hawaii so it probably isn't worth it. Roswell and Alamogordo are down there too. The Alien museum in Roswell is fun in a kitschy way but not worth a drive down just for it.

Just some ideas to help on your routing. I hope it goes well.

Thank you very much, man! You've given me enough information for several trips, and I appreciate it.

[DrDonkeyLove...]

Assuming you go for nature, there are a lot of dirt roads near where you may want to hike . And, if you go through a place like Flagstaff, you can see substantial snow. I hit a snowstorm there once and my little rented Subaru Forester was a champ.

Rent an all wheel drive SUV type vehicle at a minimum. You won't regret it.