Local area

Considered one of the best cultural tours in New Mexico, Acoma Sky City ranks in the "top 10 great places to honor American Indian Life" --USA Today.The tour is roughly 3/4 of a mile long, and takes one hour and 25 minutes to complete. There are areas of uneven/rough terrain. Local artisans sell their crafts along the tour route. Most do not accept credit cards or checks, obtain cash at the ATM machine located inside the Cultural Center.

For a real experience in contrast, visit the Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano, "The Land of Fire and Ice." Situated on the Continental Divide you walk through the twisted, old-growth Juniper, Fir and Ponderosa Pine trees, over the ancient lava trail to the Ice Cave. Here the natural layers of ice glisten blue-green in the reflected rays of sunlight.

In the mining industry, it's a fact of life and a philosophy: everything starts with a hole in the ground. Ask any miner from the earth-hardened veteran of twenty to thirty years underground to the rugged young roustabout with the razor cut hair style under his hard hat.

El Morro National Monument was the one highlight on my scenic drive. This rocky outcropping has been a stopping place for tourists, even hundreds of years before the automobile. A protected pool of water, available year-round, made this a popular stop. It was also here at El Morro that I experienced one of those purely-by-coincidence road-trip moments.

Fishing, Fishing, and More Fishing Bluewater Lake and Bluewater Creek are stocked with rainbow trout, native or cutthroat trout, and catfish, with trout weighing up to 9 pounds having been caught in the lake. Numerous good fishing areas are easily reached by car. The park also is a popular spot for ice fishing in the winter months.

From AD 850 to 1250, Chaco was a hub of ceremony, trade, and administration for the prehistoric Four Corners area--unlike anything before or since. Chaco is remarkable for its multi-storied public buildings, ceremonial buildings, and distinctive architecture. These structures required considerable planning, designing, organizing of labor, and engineering to construct. The Chacoan people combined many elements:

The 18 hole Coyote del Malpais Golf Course in Grants, NM is a public golf course that opened in 1994. Designed by William Howard Neff, Coyote del Malpais Golf Course measures 7184 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 123 and a 72.9 USGA rating. The course features 5 sets of tees for different skill levels.