My son Justin and I have been to Whittington several times to shoot the Sportsman's Team Challenge, plus just kinda doin' some target shooting. For you out of staters, if you fly in, some basic info re Raton, NM.
1. From Colorado Springs, CO - About a 2 hour drive straight south on I-25.
2. From Denver - If the plane fair is substantially cheaper to Denver, then it is about a three hour drive straight south on I-25..
3. From Albuquerque, NM about 3 hours and a few minutes straight north on I-25 (approx 230 miles).
Should the event have to be planned for later in the summer, the humidity here is very low, so even relatively high temperatures aren't terribly uncomfortable. Much better than more humid areas of the country I've lived in.
Raton is a very small town - about 10,000 people in immediate area. Things to consider:
1. If no ammo suppliers will be on hand to sell product, bring your own. While there are some gun shops in town, they may not have your preferred brands. Bring way more than you think you'll ever use. I once ran out of shotgun ammo and I though I had brought plenty... it's easy to go through a lot of product no matter what you are shooting.
2. If you have favorite groceries for cook outs or whatever, then I would stop in Denver or Colorado Springs or Pueblo and go to a large national chain supermarket for those specialty items. You won't find crawfish cocktail in Raton.
3. If lunch is not being served at the Whittington facility, be sure to bring a cooler and stuff to eat to the range. Otherwise, you will have to drive back into town for lunch... probably 15 - 20 minutes each way plus downtime while you're eating.
4. Bring plenty of bottled water to drink or the like. Since it is dry here, you will want to have plenty of liquids on hand at the range.
5. If you have a favorite after hour libation, you won't find boutique brews in Raton and prices are somewhat high for what they do have.
Raton, NM is in a beautiful wide open area of Northern New Mexico. If you want to spend some extra time, do some homework on surrounding areas. Colorado is just up the street and interesting towns of Taos and Santa Fe are not far away. Lots to see and do if you like the mountains and wide open spaces.
If lots of people are coming in from out of town, I would be glad to bring some people down if they arrive in Colorado Springs. If the crowd is huge, perhaps a charter van or bus could be arranged.
Whittington is more fun than you can imagine. Great facilities on humungous acreage... I believe something on the order of 30,000 acre property.
Count me in on this... sounds like a great time. If the numbers are big enough, perhaps some sponsorship from firearms manufacturer's?? Don't know how all this works, or even if it is desirable, but I would be glad to assist if you need some hands.
Thanks
Whit
