Thought I'd repost this from my note to TheVagabondMBA:
We went to a very interesting site last week,
Cosmic Campground, the first International Dark Sky Sanctuary in the northern hemisphere. From Albuquerque you head south on I-40, take a right at Socorro to US 60 (the first transcontinental road, according to some), drive past the VLA, turn left on NM 14, drive a while to Reserve (Catron County seat where all residents are -- or were -- required to own a gun by the county commission), turn right at the only street intersection, merge left on US 180 and turn into the campground at MM37+. We were there for the first quarter moon so it was quiet, I expect it gets busy around the new moon. It's the only campground I've visited with telescope pads. Admission is free.
Here's the moon shot with an ordinary Nikon and 200mm lens. Most disappointed it couldn't get features on face but I'll take the craters on the edge:
And the campsite. Not a great pic but it's from the phone after sunset to give a sense of the ambient light: