Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
130
Historic Art Stroll
Northwestern New Mexico's lush green fields and (mostly) mild climate are
attracting more and more artists. A great place to sample some of the lively work
is
Artifacts Gallery,
302 E. Main St. (
&
505/327-2907;
www.artifacts-gallery.
com) in Farmington. Set in a Victorian-style lumber building is a collection of art
studios whose artists are often on hand to discuss their work. Just down the
street, step into
Andrea Kristina's Bookstore & Kafé,
218 W. Main St. (
&
505/
327-3313;
www.andreakristinas.com). This lively place, in a historic building with
tables set amid bookshelves, has a great selection of books and offers live music,
poetry, and films on Friday and Saturday nights from 7 to 9pm. A range of coffee
drinks and soups, salads, sandwiches, and pizza dress the menu. It's open Mon-
day to Friday 7am to 9pm and Saturday 8am to 10pm. In nearby Aztec, stop in at
Feat of Clay,
107 S. Main St. (
&
505/334-4335
). A cooperative gallery, it holds
the work of 14 local artists and has great prices. Look for “Molten Treasures,” glass
jewelry by Jinx Bolli. While in Aztec be sure to take some time to stroll through
the town's newly renovated 19th-century
historic district.
examples of Anasazi ceramics and basketry. Add another half-hour if you plan to watch
the video that imaginatively documents the history of native cultures in the area.
6
Essentials
GETTING THERE
Aztec Ruins is approximately a half-mile north of US 550, on
Ruins Road (C.R. 2900), on the north edge of the city of Aztec. Ruins Road is the first
street immediately west of the Animas River Bridge, on NM 516 in Aztec.
VISITOR INFORMATION
For more information, contact
Aztec Ruins National
Monument,
84 C.R. 2900, Aztec, NM 87410-0640 (
&
505/334-6174,
ext. 30; www.
nps.gov/azru).
ADMISSION FEES & HOURS
Admission is $5 for adults; children under 17 are
admitted free. The monument is open daily from 8am to 6pm Memorial Day through
Labor Day and 8am to 5pm the rest of the year; it's closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and
New Year's Day.
Camping
Camping is not permitted at the monument. Nearby,
Bloomfield
KOA,
on Blanco
Boulevard (
&
800/562-8513
or 505/632-8339; www.koa.com), offers 83 sites, 73 full
hookups, tenting, cabins, laundry and grocery facilities, picnic tables, grills, and fire-
wood. Recreation facilities include arcade games, a heated swimming pool, a basketball
hoop, a playground, horseshoes, volleyball, and a hot tub.
Camping is also available at
Navajo Lake State Park
(
&
505/632-2278
).
SHOPPING
Downtown Farmington shops are generally open from 10am to 6pm Monday through
Saturday. Native American arts and crafts are best purchased at trading posts, either
downtown on Main or Broadway streets, or west of Farmington on US 64 toward
Shiprock. You may want to check out one of the best in the city:
Fifth Generation Trad-
ing Company
, 232 W. Broadway (
&
505/326-3211;
www.tannertrading.com),
