The Continental Divide is an area, imaginary line if you will, separating rivers that flow into the…read moreAtlantic and Pacific Oceans.

This marker points out that from this point, water flows either west into the Pacific Ocean or east…read moreinto the Atlantic Ocean. And while there is a Continental Divide in the Appalachian Mountains, the water there still flows into the Atlantic though some goes into the Gulf of Mexico first. There is plenty of room to stop. Look out for snakes. [Review 21062 overall - 110 in New Mexico - 25 of 2024.]

Don't bother. The "pueblo" is just a bunch of mis-matched houses patched with modern materials like…read morevinyl windows, concrete blocks, bricks, and tar paper. Window air conditioning units abound. Cars are parked willy-nilly everywhere so there is no way to take a decent photo. The tour was supposed to be at least 45 minutes but the tour guide (not very informative) was shooing us back onto the bus at 25 minutes. The history of the pueblo is interesting but the present-day reality, not so much. Serious disappointment.

The most striking of the Pueblo villages, and perhaps the oldest continuously occupied community in…read morethe USA, is Acoma Pueblo, and more particularly, Sky City. 60 miles west of Albuquerque, N.M., the "People of the White Rock," first established their adobe homes atop this isolated butte 360 feet above the arid plain below sometime in the 12th Century, long before the invading Conquistadors in the 16th Century. A perfect fortress against marauders, the few thousand locals who worked the land below and maintained the hidden stairways and tunnels to the 70 flat acres above, were prosperous farmers and traders with indigenous groups as far away as the Aztec and Mayans in Central America, with established trails from ocean to ocean. For anyone who has visited Israel and climbed Masada overlooking the Dead Sea, Acoma Sky City feels like a brother citadel. The climb is not as long, but the sense of history and humanity is as powerful. You can now take a motorized vehicle to the summit, but that would be cheating you out of a most challenging and unique experience. Go on foot, from narrow stone step to the next; grabbing handholds where strategically placed, and duck down to squeeze through narrow vertical shafts to the next level, until emerging on top where ancient adobe homes and wide dusty plaza greet you. Walk around allowing your imagination to return you to the 14th Century when Acoma was a center of civilization, and you could see 100 miles in all directions from the rim.

Wonderful park with a 2 mile scenic scenic loop trail taking you by inscriptions in the rock dating…read moreback to the 1800's.

El Morro is an unexpected and therefore under visited national park site. Because of this, it is…read moreeven more worth the visit. Well off the modern beaten path, it was much less so over 150 years ago. Travelers of all kinds "pasó por aqui" (passed through here), leaving inscriptions on the rock face while seeking refuge from the harsh desert environment. The water pool oasis at the base of the jutting rock face fills only from precipitation and never dries. It's been a waypoint for at least a millennium. If you are less inclined to the post-colonial history, you'll still be happy to visit here. Pueblo dwelling walls of stone still remain just beside the Headland/Mesa Top Trail that takes you up to the top of this landmark for a high view over the surrounding plains and even down into the so-called Box Canyon. The original carvings in the sandstone predate settlers as petroglyphs featuring animals that once roamed here. The visitor center is very informative with friendly staff, a small museum, and a short film about site history. Naturally, a gift shop seals the deal with plenty of gifts and books to send or carry back home. With no fee entry, it's absolutely worth a step off the beaten path to "pass through here".

It was a cold and windy day when we visited the Window Rock Tribal Park. The clouds were low and…read moreit was spitting rain off and on, the park was completely empty except for the two of us. Window Rock is one of two prominent features in the park. This rock arch is located on the far side of the park from the parking lot. The hole in the red rock would frame the blue sky behind if you were here on a sunny day and make for some impressive pictures. There is also a super-sized bronze statue of a Navajo Code Talker, honoring those individuals that served in this vital role during the second world war. The statue is detailed and depicts the patriotism and bravery of these individuals as they served in the United States military. The park is surrounded by the tribal offices of the Navajo Nation. It is quite impressive to see the different services that the tribe provides. If you are just driving through Window Rock, you should take the time to visit this park and see the towns name sake and the Veteran memorial.

Quick 15-20 minutes here and you can see this cool Window rock and the memorial that surrounds it…read more They also have park bathrooms that were clean if you need them. Was worth the stop.

Zuni Pueblo National Park: adventure to see, history to witness, views to appreciate. Zuni Pueblo…read moreis truly a hidden treasure in the New Mexico desert that I stumbled across quite by lovely accident. My imagination could not have captured the unique spirit of Zuni Pueblo. This is a great place to stop and walk around for 2-3 hours. I walked around the entire site, which took at least an hour, and admired the extensive graffiti: from native Zuni, Spanish Conquistadors, Gold Rushers, Wagon Trailers, even early 1900 teenagers. A one-mile trail will take you straight up to the top of the pueblo where you can appreciate the extensive views. The Zuni tribe initially lived up on the mesa, a flat land overlooking the entire area. I was told that the Zuni tribe migrated 30 miles away from here possibly because their water source had dried up. There is a grotto filled with water at the base of the mesa. The archaeological sites of former housing is still accessible. Unfortunately, because of winds and tourists, the archaeological digging had to be ceased altogether. On the day I saw the pueblo, there were no other tourists. I was able to experience the magic of Zuni Pueblo alone. A short 30 mile drive away will take you to the modern day Zuni reservation. Keep your eyes open for locals selling their own handmade Zuni fetishes for a quarter of the price that the American-owned shop sells them for.

Although Zuni Pueblo is a bit more remote than other native American pueblos along Interstate 40 or…read more25, this friendly village is well worth the trip. Zuni features a number of art and native jewelry shops along its 'Main Street.' The Zuni Visitor Center (also on the main street) is helpful and friendly and will provide information on visiting local artist studios; assist in finding a local guide to show you the old section of the village; and provide information on discounts to local businesses. Definitely a good place to start. We were here the first weekend in May and thoroughly enjoyed the Zuni Main Street Festival and Art Walk. Everyone we met were incredibly friendly and welcoming. Although not advertised to the general public, we were invited by local artists to attend the incredible evening plaza kachina dance. An unforgettable experience. Zuni is close to the El Malpais National Monument and is a great place to enjoy lunch after exploring the sites of El Malpais.

Worth the drive if you take the tour up the hill. Visiting the center itself good to see the…read morehistory and culture.

As local New Mexico residents, we have driven by this exit so many times. Had a house guest from…read moreTaiwan and decided to take the short ride to Sky City and visit the Acoma Pueblo. It was amazing, our tour guide Gayle, was outstanding...so well informed and was able to relate the history and lifestyle on the pueblo. We all enjoyed the visit. Many vendors offer local goods and artworks. I highly recommend look for Gayle as your tour guide.

This marker is located along Main Street aka SR 606 just south of I-40. It points out the history…read moreof the area. It reads, "This community was founded in 1894 on the site of an earlier homestead and stage coach stop. Irrigation from Bluewater Lake and its proximity on the railroad and Route 66 allowed development of extensive agricultural fields, which earned Bluewater the title, "Carrot Capital of the World." The region became known as the "Uranium Capital of the World" after uranium was discovered nearby in 1950." The marker was erected by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division. There is room to pull to the side to read it and look around. [Review 21063 overall - 111 in New Mexico - 26 of 2024.]

Great stop on the way to Bandalier National Monument. It was under construction when we were there…read moreso we couldn't see all of it but they have a museum and a map to guide you around the site.

If you want to get a little lesson in culture and go back in time, this is a nice stop to do just…read morethat. Nice walk with a lot of information on the history. I walked through kinda quick but, I should of took my time, as afterwards I realized I had enough time to see it all. The church was probably the most beautiful part of the whole site. Huge and sitting there I felt as if I would hear someone speak.

Clearly, for at least a short time, the people running San Felipe de Neri church in Old Town had no…read moreidea what was gathering dust in the back parking lot. I originally found an online post about this wood carving back in, say, 2012, researching funky, unique landmarks in the 505, and the next day I went on a hunt to find it. Sure enough, tucked away in a corner of the asphalt, this gorgeous little work of art sat, unloved. Several years ago the church moved it to a prominent spot on the property. Go to the northwest corner of North Plaza st and San Felipe and you'll see a colorful, hand carved stump featuring Our Lady of Guadalupe, grab a selfie, it's a great backdrop. Word has it that in 1970, a parishioner carved this icon into the heart of the tree. I'm happy it's back, and glad disco remains buried.

Cities that put up Veterans memorials like this one are to be recognized. This one is right in…read morefront of the county courthouse and consists of a long walkway between tall columns the are in timed sequence displaying the names of the wars and the lost people in those conflicts. Very thought provoking and I always am moved.