NEW MEXICO. MAY.
Of the New Mexico NPS sites I visited on this journey, Bandelier National Monument was my favorite.
I ended up camping there for a couple nights. The campground was basic – firepits, shared potable water pumps, bathrooms, and dumpsters. A large group of kids, on a field trip I assumed, was staying there. I miss interacting with kids so it was fun to watch and listen to them; they were having a ball.
The visitor center area is unusually big for a relatively small NPS site. In addition to indoor exhibits there is a big gift shop including a separate room with high-end jewelry and pottery. There is also a restaurant.
The actual monument, which preserves ancestral Puebloan homes, was very interesting. One can walk amongst the ruins–and even inside them, in some cases. The grounds were well done and well maintained. Guided tours of the site were available, too. Or, another option is to use the self-guided tour in the NPS app.
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