Spring Road Ride: Quarai Visitor Center

An oldie but a goodie…….We will meet at the west end of the Smith’s grocery store parking lot at 8:30 AM with a briefing at 8:45 AM and KSU at 9:00 AM. We will catch Route 66 to Tijeras and head south on Highway 337 through the twisties. When we come to Highway 55, we will turn right and travel through Tajique, Torreón, and Manzano, then at mile marker 70 in Punta de Agua, we will turn right onto County Road B076. This will get us to the Quarai Visitor Center and Ruins where we will spend about 30 minutes touring the area. It is 85 miles from the Smith’s to the Quarai, taking roughly 1.5 hours travel time.

We will leave the Quarai and head to Mountainair, 10 miles south and visit the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument at 105 S. Ripley Avenue for a brief tutorial. We will then head east on Highway 60 for 14 miles and have lunch at the Willard Café in Willard around noon.

After lunch, we will head west on Highway 60 and stopping in Mountainair at the Alon Gas Station to fuel up and continue heading west on Highway 60 taking a right on Highway 47. We will continue on Highway 47 north to Los Lunas where we will cross the Rio Grande River and continue north on Highway 314 which then becomes Highway 45 to Sen. Dennis Chavez Boulevard. The way home is roughly 90 miles.

Please note: After lunch, you can return home through Highway 41 from Willard**,** or you can go home the way we came**,** or you can go home via Highway 60 with me. It’s your choice.