Road trips have a way of making you stop for the most unexpected treasures, and for me, it all started with a sign advertising homemade cookies a few miles back. You already know I had to pull over! From the moment I walked into Bowlin's Aleka Flats, the staff greeted me with genuine warmth. The store itself is such a fun place to browse--filled with unique Southwestern treasures like shirts, ponchos, serapes, moccasins, souvenirs, and so much more. Even if you only come for the cookies, you'll probably end up wandering the aisles for a bit. Speaking of cookies... I could see the staff constantly rotating fresh batches, so I knew they weren't sitting around getting stale. I also appreciated that they offered options with and without nuts. We ended up grabbing a dozen because, let's be honest, the price made it an easy decision. Individual cookies are just $0.99 each, but a dozen is only $9. We picked up six original chocolate chip, three sugar pecan, and three chocolate chip pecan cookies. One thing that stood out was watching the employee preparing the cookies while wearing gloves. It's a small detail, but it shows they take pride in food handling and cleanliness, and I always notice those things. The staff was incredibly friendly and even thanked me for stopping by... even though cookies were literally the only reason I came in. And yes, I'm on a road trip, so don't judge me! My kiddos thanked me the second they took their first bite, and that was all the confirmation I needed. These cookies were soft, chewy, fresh, and absolutely worth the stop. If you're driving through, do yourself a favor and pull over. Grab a dozen--you'll thank yourself later. I'll definitely be making this one of my regular road-trip cookie stops! read more

Bowlin's Akela Flats - Homemade chocolate chip pecan cookies - Jewelry Near Me - Deming, New Mexico

Doc encouraged me to get out of the car cuz I love Black Hills Gold jewelry. Begrudgingly I did and of course she was right cuz I did make a purchase. I looked at a BHG hummingbird earrings but I didn't want to spend over $200. I did buy the tiniest BHG earrings, an Indian design ring, a copper hoop earrings and a bundle of sage. The white buffalo jewelry looked nice but the pieces were larger than I'd like. 3+ hours more til we reach Tucson. Let's get on the road again. read more

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If you ever find yourself on the 10 like we were, the stores get less frequent and less wonderful as you drive out more west. This place was much welcomed as a pit stop for both our gas & hybrid vehicles. The store has such wonderful souvenirs, gifts, & quite the display of fireworks that were affordable and a great sale (even before the 4th). I know we got some good ones for the nephews and nieces to surprise them with :) The service was wonderful, the lady was fun to get to know and was genuinely interested in how we were doing as well as our trip out west. read more

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Yes we got suckered into going here by the billboards. We all know the billboards as we are driving down I-10 and there is about 10 billboards advertising the many different travel plazas in southern New Mexico. I actually never stopped at one of these before because when I was younger my grandparents always flew through New Mexico and never would stop for anything. What made me stop this time around? Because my boyfriend saw that billboard for the desert bot which too him looked too much like a transformer so like a child he begged me to stop so he can see the robot. I'm not gonna lie, the robot was pretty good and he has his own little merch going on there. The billboard mentioned homemade cookies, which I actually did try and while they may not be world famous, they taste really good for gas station cookies. Their snack selection is pretty limited and their drink selection you will miss it if your not actively looking for it. It definitely wasn't crowded and the workers there were friendly. You do have to pay pretty far from the cashier though so don't be shocked if your cashier is at the register and your two counters away checking out. Overall its a nice stop and I recommend if the kiddos are acting up, to stop here and let them see the desert transformer. read more

Bowlin's Akela Flats - Desert bot - Jewelry Near Me - Deming, New Mexico

The perfect tourist stop. Huge. Lots of stuff to buy and eat. Isolated location but accessible off I10. Welcoming staff Clean bathrooms and sales floor. Fun all-around. read more

Bowlin's Akela Flats - the front of the store - Jewelry Near Me - Deming, New Mexico

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This trading post has been a part of family trip tradition for my whole life. ...this time im so disappointed...I bought a bit of dinosaur bone mark 5.99 and then at check out it was $9 and change and I was give the product price sticker recovered i want to call her out but I just felt like crying child hood place turned crooked. ( she did the same when my nephew checked out) with i could remove a star you brake my heart read more

Akela Flats is a refreshing place to stop on the open road in New Mexico. It's a little off the main highway, but you will be glad you stopped. The gift shop is impressive. There is a little something for everyone's budget. I am fascinated by the large selection of Native American jewelry and knives. The salesperson has excellent stories about the history and rarity of the pieces. Akela Flats has one of the most significant fireworks sections on the road. One of the most important reasons to stop by is that they have Clean bathrooms and a massive variety of gifts and souvenirs. read more

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Cute store with plenty of decorative objects to peruse. Of course the advertising billboards coaxed is into stopping. Nice to take a break from the desert highway and walk around for a bit in an air conditioned building, gotta say! The staff was very friendly and considerate, inviting any questions we might have or assistance we might need. I found a perfect housewarming gift for my mother and the employee took the time to find a box of suitable dimensions and package it up with lots of newspaper and taped it shut, safe and secure for the remainder of our journey. This was highly appreciated. This location also has a large selection of fireworks. Cool thing? There's a way to scan the item at a TV kiosk and it will give you a preview of what to expect from the firework! Now there's some smart technology. read more

If there was an option for a negative star rating that would be more accurate. This place is an absolute rip-off! I had this purse that I purchased there for a whopping ONE DAY and it's already falling apart. It was only $29.99 but honestly I have bought purses from Walmart for a quarter of the price at way better quality. BUYER BEWARE!! read more

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We stop here almost every time we are traveling through Arizona. It's a great place to stretch your legs, grab a snack, take a break, use the restroom and shop for some very unique and in some cases unusual items. They have a little bit of everything and some things that you generally will not see elsewhere. read more

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I'm kicking myself for not taking any photo's of this place while we were there, because the inside is something to behold! This is a place to stop more for a stretch of the legs and use of the bathrooms (clean) than for gas as there are few pumps. The inside though will keep you occupied because it is just a plethora of touristy trinkets and Crap You Need!!! The people are friendly, and they have authentic Indian jewelry galore. If you like turquoise and silver this is your place. There are hand crafted knives, hats, Indian blankets, sculptures, kids toys and so on. So when you're on that long lonely highway, with the kid kicking the back of your seat for the hundredth time as you look out the window and imagine life before you were married; stop by here to give them and your nerves a rest before you end up on Snapped. read more

Okay, we've driven by this tourist stop dozens of times, but we were a bit desperate for a stop, so in we went! The exit from the freeway was a bit different, but it met our needs. The store is pretty big! And the restroom was clean. Gas prices were not too bad. Now, if you are interested in some serious fireworks, this is your place! read more

More of a shit shop, then a gas station. Don't even go near that firework section unless you are prepared for a high pressure sales tactic to get you to spend a lot more than you planned on. Even if you walk away and say no, they will have it for you at the register trying to ring it up to your ticket. I would just steer clear of this place. read more

What a great store. Definitely worth the stop. It's right off the freeway so it's really convenient. They have clothes, jewelry, Southwest decorations and keepsakes, hot sauce, cookies, fudge, toys, fireworks....even aliens! I used the restroom and they were really clean and we'll maintained. My hubby got a fresh cup of coffee for our drive. Cool stop, check it out! read more

Bowlin's Akela Flats - Such a cool store! - Jewelry Near Me - Deming, New Mexico

Clean place and great prices on everything we bought. The restrooms were well maintained and their drinks were delicious.

We love stopping at this neat little shop. They are always so friendly and have some of the best fudge in the state. Today we bought cookies too and they were yummy! The store has a large collection of authentic native American Indian products as well as niknaks from all over the world. Full of fun quality t-shirts, blankets, fireworks and moccasins it's worth the stop. read more

Bowlin's Akela Flats - Jewelry Near Me - Deming, New Mexico

Loved this store! Was passing through New Mexico with the family and stopped to stretch our legs when we happened upon this diamond in the rough. It has all the trinkets and unique souvenirs one could desire, from higher to lower priced items...so bring your wallets and an open mind. I found socks, shot glasses, sombreros, jewelry, silver, magnets and more. A great place to stop and bring the family to create and make memories. Oh, and there's a gas station if you need a fill up too. read more

Love this stop off! I always enjoy looking at the souvenirs AND especially the locally hand crafted items! read more

Bowlin's Akela Flats - Jewelry Near Me - Deming, New Mexico

My family has been stopping at Akela flats on our way to Texas since I was kid. We always knew that on the way to visit relatives, we would be stopping there. Now, I have my own family and we are continuing this tradition. This store has a little bit for everyone. A nice kids area, clothing, and fireworks! The bathrooms are clean and the staff are extremely friendly. I would recommend this store to everyone traveling on I-10! read more

A great place to stop in the middle of nowhere, along I-10 in New Mexico. Great selection of fireworks available year round along with kitchy souvenirs, and typical gas station snacks read more

Had the absolute BEST experience here, gentleman with white hair and glasses was the most helpful worker so attentive and informative. He was really the sweetest guy to us. The store has a HUGE selection and super cool fireworks ended up getting a ton of fireworks for a great price. Will definitely return next time we pass through read more

There are a lot of places like this throughout the Southwest. It appears that this is also one of in a chain of similar stores in Arizona and New Mexico. Akela Flats, with an Exxon and old west town saloon is a pretty good made-in-China Native American crafts store. They have some jewelry and other things that are locally made. They have a good selection of Southwestern/Native American/New Mexico souvenirs. They sell some possibly fresh made goods, unlike the other store we went in. And they have a wide selection of the year-round explosives obligatory to stores like this in New Mexico. read more

My husband and I work campers and live in TorC right now. On the way to Las Cruces we stopped Akela Flats and got Moccasins to each other for Christmas :) This store has lots of quality stuff, everyone who works there is very polite and helpful. Service was above and beyond. Love it!! read more

This place is sweet. Cookies fresh baked for the road. Lots of great souvenirs for every member of your family and wonderful service from the staff.Oh and affordable gas as well. The one stop for your road trip needs. Will stop here again on my next trip to Texas. read more

A fun stop in the middle of nowhere. There were tons of fireworks available here. The bathrooms did not have any toilet paper though :/ read more

Bowlin's Akela Flats - Tons of explosions - Jewelry Near Me - Deming, New Mexico

A must stop each time through. Just like the Thing. Gas, goodies and souvineers from Bowlins. read more

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I give this place 5 stars. Fun place to stop, very clean and friendly people. And you have to have the pecan cookies yum yum. A must stop and see the inside is really fabulous. May not look like much on the outside but awesome on the inside, and reasonably priced , good coffee. And very nice clean restrooms . Very nice people friendly can't help you enough. It's a great Pit Stop read more

SUCH a great experience! Ebony & Shelley helped us and they were so friendly and attentive. They helped us pick out moccasins and we left with 2 pair! I will definitely stop here on all my trips to and from California to NM! P.S. It was clean and well kept, including the bathrooms- which is important on along drive! read more

Clean bathrooms Fireworks year around Nice jewelry, but slightly over priced Very friendly staff read more

Fireworks, fireworks, fireworks! Fireworks for cheap! Wide variety. Nice little shop by the highway with lots of goodies inside and souvenirs. read more

Bowlin's Akela Flats - Fireworks! - Jewelry Near Me - Deming, New Mexico

AMAZING FIREWORKS- EVEN BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE! Exceptional attention to detail from Tom & Adriana. Super helpful in choosing the best ones, GREAT DEALS especially around 4th of July! BEST PRICES! We drive across the country at least 4xs a year and always make sure to stop here and pick some up! Our family & friends love the fireworks we put on and their fireworks create lasting memories and great times! LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS STORE! You can also get quality gas on your way out so it's a win win. Thanks guys, stay blessed! read more

This is my second time stopping here. I have had excellent customer service both times. Shelly and Ebony were so sweet. This is pretty much my favorite stop on the drive from Los Angeles to Las Cruces. I seriously went in to pick up a magnet souvenir for a friend like I got last time and my girlfriend and I ended up each walking out with a pair of moccasins. Yes, you can buy moccasins at this gas station...and fireworks...and gas. Now on with our long drive home. read more

Bowlin's Akela Flats - Jewelry Near Me - Deming, New Mexico

Akela Flats - A Bowlin Travel Center: So glad we stopped!! We saw this place while we were headed east but didn't stop. On our way back to CA we stopped for gas and to take a peek at the store. Such a terrific place!! First of all, it is CLEAN and SMELLS GOOD! That alone made me stay and look longer. :D The exterior "store front" is so fun!! The interior is beautiful with wood ceiling and floors. The signage looks fresh and inviting. Everything is displayed with good taste. A huge variety of items from kids toys, New Mexico souvenirs, fresh coffee and cookies, jewelry and more. We purchased a cute Hwy 66 canvas bag, a key chain, and a beautiful silver and turquoise cross necklace. They have a lot of Christian items, military and family items. The bathrooms are large and very clean. Plus, the two staff members we met (Asst Mgr Ashley and Customer Service Ashley) were very professional and courteous. We loved this stop!! Enjoy the shop, get some gas and drive safe. read more

Such a fun place, and some of the friendliest people that you could ever meet. Clean restrooms, snacks and lots of trinkets and treasures.

Stopped for Exxon gas and attached store was cool inside (from 113 degrees outside), had large, clean restrooms and very friendly staff. Had all kinds of great gifts from clothing, purses, tchotchkes, fireworks (the largest box of fireworks I've ever seen - 6 feet tall and fireworks for days!), and snack food. Fir a great deal, go here! Easy access off hwy 10. read more

We had to stop to use the bathroom and instead found an amazing place to just look around and shop for a little while. This is a great gas station and store!!! read more

This place is a blast! It has all sorts of fun stuff and real Native American goods. You can spend anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour or more in here. You just need to look at things closely, ask questions and the people who here are really friendly and will answer you. Just have fun and look around! read more

Awsome Staff ! Great variety of fireworks and snacks for on the go tourists !! Will definitely come back here 10/10 !!

We loved visiting this place! As soon as we walked in, the staff was very attentive. This place has a lot of great items! From beautiful rocks, to toys, and much much more! The restrooms were very clean, which is a huge deal when you are traveling, especially with kids. The cashier was very informative as we were looking at the beautiful rocks they have and as well as we were checking out. Definitely a place to check out and worth stopping by. read more

We drove from Texas to San Diego. On the way back our 9 month old baby got super fussy and we decided to pull over at this random souvenir shop. When we got there they were actually closing. Thankfully, Thomas was kind enough to let us in. I highly recommended stopping here. Great customer service and they have all sorts of fun things. I was able to get really nice moccasins. read more