New Mexico is a state that has many great photographic locations and our tour will offer a selection of the highlights to be found there. We have decided to visit in early winter to coincide with one of the great natural spectacles that the state enjoys during the cold months of the year. Situated alongside the Rio Grande River, Bosque del Apache has been preserved as one of the main wintering sites for tens of thousands of birds that migrate south from the severe winter weather in their summer lands situated in the northern tundra. During October the site becomes home to many species of birds but is significant because of the many thousands of snow and ross’ geese that over winter together with vast numbers of greater sandhill cranes. Our tour is timed to include this amazing refuge and enjoy the photographic opportunities that it has to offer at this time of year.

Our tour will begin and end in Albuquerque, the largest city in New Mexico. From there we will drive west along part of the New Mexico section of Route 66. The ‘Mother Road’ ran right through the heart of New Mexico and today many relics of this historic route still survive. As we head west we will visit the amazing adobe church of Laguna. This whitewashed mud building is particularly photogenic in the morning light. As we continue west we will pass the old trading posts of Budville, Bluewater and the town of Grants before we arrive at Gallup for our overnight stop at the El Rancho Hotel. This famous building is known as the ‘Home to the star’ as it was used by many famous actors involved in the many famous films shot in the locality. From Gallup we journey west to Holbrook visiting the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Parks en route. Holbrook is the home to the famous Wigwam Motel with its collection of white concrete wigwams and old cars that make for great photography. We spend the night and have plenty of time with the camera before we turn east across the centre of New Mexico to Socorro. This route takes us over the Continental Divide and passes the Very Large Array (VLA) of telescopes where we will have the opportunity to photograph the many giant radio dishes.

Socorro will be our base for the next few days as we explore the wonderful Bosque del Apache. We will be up well before dawn to witness the geese and cranes leave their overnight roost among the shallow lagoons. After a hearty breakfast we will visit their feeding grounds to witness the birds in amongst the corn fields. Here we can see thousands of geese lift off on mass as they are disturbed by hunting coyote. This will give us opportunity for flight shots and other views of the wildlife. Of course the refuge is home to many other varieties of birds including road runners, great blue herons, ducks and raptors. We will explore the area in depth during our time here so there will be ample opportunity to spot a variety of subjects.

We then head south to White Sands National Monument, a truly unique landscape that we will explore for two days. We will of course be in the heart of the dunes at dawn and dusk in order to capture the many moods of this fabulous location. White Sands gets its name from the gypsum sand that forms the dunescape in this valley. The nature of gypsum is different from ordinary silica sand as it forms superb patterns. The dunes are also full of a variety of vegetation in particular soap tree yuccas that offer a great contrast to the rhythm of the dunes. This area is quite unique as the yuccas have to send their roots many metres down through the dunes to the firm earth below. This is because the dunes are constantly on the move and you are sure to find evidence of this movement when you find a yucca apparently in mid air just supported by its root ball as it is left behind by the moving dune.

When we have explored White Sands we will return to Bosque del Apache via the lava beds of Carrizozo. We will spend more time exploring the refuge before we return to Albuquerque for an afternoon exploring both the Route 66 heritage and the ‘Old Town’. The Route 66 heritage includes many old motels and the famous Route 66 Diner, recreated in true 50’s style and offering not only great photographs but great milk shakes as well. In the evening we will head to ‘Old Town’ to explore the old Spanish adobe buildings that are centred round the church square. This will bring a fitting end to a trip full of variety and great photographic potential.