Colorado, New Mexico & Texas Summer 2015

Murphy_The_Cat

cubegame wrote: »

Any reason for going to Amarillo? It was a bit meh IMO.

If you can head across to El Paso via the Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad you can strike north to NM. The caverns can be done in a day.

And ditch a night in Albuquerque as it's also not that great.

And why not squeeze in Big Bend? He he heh.....

You are a bad,bad man.

Amarillo was 'selected' as being a mid point to break up the trip from Dallas to Alerquerque - in the same way that Lubbock was 'selected'.

Going via El Paso is going to add 150/200 miles to that leg of the trip, which is going to be an addition to far.

Mrs Cats preference for a trip like this is to have 3 'bases' to explore and then a single night in between to break a long drive. Alternatively, having 4 bases of 3 nights, with 2 single nights to break the long legs will be a fairly easy sell.

ABQ could be 3 or 4 nights, but isn't quite straightforwards.

Initially, it was all quite easy.
4 nights DFW, 1 night 'on the road', 4 nights ABQ, 1 night on the road, 4 nights DEN.

But the more suggestions that I get on here and from my own reading, I fancy exploring the areas around DFW, AUS, ABQ, Col Springs & Denver. Mrs Cat has a strong 'prefence' for spending at least 2 nights in a place (something to do with unpacking and repacking suitcases and stuff - it sounds very technical to me and it being a PITA).

What is abundantly clear is that we're going to 3 interesting and differeing States and within a fortnight, we're not going to do much more than scrape the surface.

cubegame

We didn't go to Santa Fe but felt that it might have offered more than ALB based on our reading. It was just too far out!

Murphy_The_Cat

cubegame wrote: »

We didn't go to Santa Fe but felt that it might have offered more than ALB based on our reading. It was just too far out!

Santa Fe may be a trip out on the Rail Runner from ALB

travellerboy

I am also planning another trip to California, Utah and Colorado for September. Which website do you use in choosing hotels, any tips on getting the best deals?

PeacefulWaters

travellerboy wrote: »

I am also planning another trip to California, Utah and Colorado for September. Which website do you use in choosing hotels, any tips on getting the best deals?

I go via Topcashback to Hotels.com for the majority of my bookings. Typically 10% cashback and a free night for every ten booked. Check value at Trivago before completing the booking on a credit card that gives an additional reward.

You won't get hotel loyalty points for this method, but the cashback and freebie make up for it for me.

If there's no availability with Hotels.com I'll scan others and get cashback the same way. In some of the more remote locations I book direct.

Bri1

Another vote here for topcashback & Hotels.com have had between 8 & 15 percent cashback & the free night every ten is a nice bonus, used them for US quite a few times, never had any problems at all

cubegame

travellerboy wrote: »

I am also planning another trip to California, Utah and Colorado for September. Which website do you use in choosing hotels, any tips on getting the best deals?

If it suits your style of travelling you're better off just turning up and seeing what deal you can get.

It's not as reliable as it used to be but most places will still do good walk in deals.

This is definitely do-able in September in the USA, although I might advise caution around Labor Day.

Murphy_The_Cat

travellerboy wrote: »

I am also planning another trip to California, Utah and Colorado for September. Which website do you use in choosing hotels, any tips on getting the best deals?

I have a very strong preference for the Hilton group and in particular the Homewood Suites/Embassy Suites as having seperated bedroom/s from the living room is something that is high on our priorities.

Plus, the HHhonors points are very generous and keep myAAdvantage points ticking over as well.. Depending on the applicable Hhonors bonuss that are applying at the time, you don't have to stay for for many nights to get a free night - and sometimes not many poiunts to get a expensive room/hotel.

We're finding an enormous variation in prices across Texas all the way from 'how cheap:j to 'how much:eek:'

cubegame

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

We're finding an enormous variation in prices across Texas all the way from 'how cheap:j to 'how much:eek:'

As it I said before it's about oil.

We spoke to a lady in a hotel near Big Bend and she said that as soon as you're in the Midland/Odessa Basin then you've got towns full of empty hotels which have been block booked by the oil companies.

Mad but true.

Have you tried the IHG Group hotels using the Friends and Family?

Murphy_The_Cat

cubegame wrote: »

Mad but true.

Have you tried the IHG Group hotels using the Friends and Family?

From the loose itinerary that I've got, it looks like I've got one night in Lubbock where the room rates aren't going to be Cat wallet friendly.

On the god side, I've got some HHonors miles that I can pay for a room with -- and I can get a extra bedroomed suite for the same miles as a standard room.

I've not looked at IHG hotels, as Hiltons Homewood Suites/Embassy Suites do what we're looking for (& accumulate HHonors miles at a refreshingly quick rate)