Albuquerque - American Southwest - page 263

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poker room in the state, and blackjack, roulette, and craps tables. It's open from 8am to
4am Sunday to Wednesday and 24 hours Thursday to Saturday.

11 TOURING THE JEMEZ MOUNTAIN TRAIL

Ten Native American pueblos are within an hour's drive of central Albuquerque. One of
them, Acoma, is discussed in chapter 10. If you'd like to combine a tour of the archaeo-
logical sites and inhabited pueblos, consider driving the Jemez Mountain Trail . Head
north on Interstate 25 to Bernalillo, where you can visit the Coronado State Monument.
Continue west on US 550 to Zia Pueblo. Six miles farther on US 550 takes you to NM
4, where you'll turn north and drive through orchards and along narrow cornfields of
Jemez Pueblo. Farther north on NM 4, you'll find another archaeological site, the Jemez
State Monument. You'll also find Jemez Springs, where you can stop for a hot soak. The
road continues to the Los Alamos area, where you can see the spectacular ruins at Ban-
delier National Monument. From there you have the option of returning the way you
came or via Santa Fe.
ZIA PUEBLO
Zia Pueblo, 135 Capitol Square Dr., Zia Pueblo, NM, 87053 ( & 505/867-3304 ), which
has 720 inhabitants, blends in so perfectly with the soft tans of the stone and sand of the
desertlike land around it that it's very hard to see—it's like a chameleon on a tree trunk.
The pueblo is best known for its famous sun symbol—now the official symbol of the
state of New Mexico—adapted from a pottery design showing three rays going in each
of the four directions from a sun, or circle. It is hailed in the pledge to the state flag as “a
symbol of perfect friendship among united cultures.”
Zia has a reputation for excellence in pottery making. Its pottery is identified by its
unglazed terra-cotta coloring, traditional geometric designs, and plant and animal motifs
painted on a white slip. Paintings, weaving, and sculptures are also prized products of the
artists of the Zia community. Their work can be viewed at the Zia Cultural Center
located at the pueblo. Our Lady of the Assumption, the patron saint, is given a celebra-
tory corn dance on her day, August 15.
The pueblo is about 17 miles northwest of Bernalillo, just off of US 550. It's open to
visitors daily during daylight hours, and admission is free. Photography is not permit-
ted.
JEMEZ PUEBLO
The more than 2,500 Jemez Pueblo natives—including descendants of the Pecos
Pueblo, east of Santa Fe, abandoned in 1838—are the only remaining people to speak
the Towa dialect of the Tanoan group. The Jemez are famous for their excellent dancing
and feast-making; their feast days attract residents from other pueblos, turning the cele-
brations into multitribal fairs. Two rectangular kivas are central points for groups of
dancers. However, in recent years the pueblo has been closed to visitors, though visitors
are allowed on dance days. However, visitors can partake of the crafts at local shops along
NM 4 and at the Walatowa Visitor Center (see box below). The primary craft is Jemez
pottery.
On weekends April through mid-October, weather permitting, arts and crafts and
traditional foods are sold across the street from the visitor center at the Jemez Red Rocks
Open-Air Market.

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