Hi Peter,
Wonderful itinerary and have a great time.
Seeing as you are driving up Hwy 550 from Albuquerque, you pass so close
to the UNESCO World Heritage listed Chaco Canyon National Historical Park
that it's not funny.
I don't know if you had planned on visiting there and I appreciate you can't possibly
see everything in the time you have, but along with the mind blowing archeology,
including extensive archeoastronomy connections, there is also the observatory next to the
visitors center. Scopes include a 25" Obsession f/4.
See
http://www.astronomy.org/chaco/facilities/index.html
You might be able to hook up with John Sefick there. John founded the observatory
and we have spent time with him both here and in the States. Another contact
is ranger G.B. Cornucopia who has a wealth of knowledge on archeoastronomy
and is a delight to listen to.
See
http://www.astronomy.org/chaco/email/index.html
See also -
http://www.exploratorium.edu/chaco/HTML/canyon.html
http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/arch...co/nebula.html
Best Regards
Gary