The cultural "smell the pinon trees" route, would be...White Sands & on to Alamogordo( Space Hall of Fame)for the night....Next day up the 70 to Ruidoso & Ft Stanton & Lincoln(billy the Kid)over night in Capitan...Next day, down to the 54. Turn on the paved but rural 55 to Gran Quivira... One of the three "Salt Misslon" sites...Lunch at the interesting Shafter Hotel in Mountainair...Continuing on the 55/337 through several mountain villages cross the I-40 to the 14. Duvert to the top of the Sandia Mtns. on the 536 for sunset with a two hundred mile view...Drop back to Albuquerque for the night...carracar

Nice carracar!!!!! Very nice!!!!

You should check out the town of Mesilla while in Las Cruces for quaint and interesting. You might take a quick trip over to the Mesilla Bosque State Park just down the road for some short hiking. It's a work in progress, but as an ecologist you might appreciate what they are doing there to restore the Rio Grande to its natural state.

Dripping Spring or Soledad Canyon are nice places to hike in the Organ Mountains just West of Las Cruces. The Organ Mountains are a really interesting ecological location as they are a great example of desert island with their own unique species.

A place I've heard good things about as far as Bed and Breakfasts in Las Cruces is the Dream Catcher Inn: http://www.dreamcatcherinn.com/.

Another thought... should you opt for the sunset up on the Sandia Crest...one could stop at first at the Sandia Mtn. Hostel to see if the simple private accommodation there is suitable to your taste...On then, could save the after dark drive into Albuerquerque & continue on the 14 North to Santa Fe next AM... The property is on the left a mile or so short of the 536...carracar

Thanks so much for all of your great advice! Am drawing up the itinerary this weekend and look forward to sampling as many of your suggestions as possible. d