Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
280
Camping
Though it isn't necessary to camp here in order to see most of the park, a nine-site camp-
ground at El Morro is open year-round, with a fee of $5 per night charged from
approximately April to November. No supplies are available within the park, so if you're
planning on spending a night or two, be sure to arrive well equipped.
One nearby private enterprise,
El Morro RV Park, Cabins & Cafe,
HC 61, Box 44,
Ramah, NM 87321 (
&
505/783-4612;
www.elmorro-nm.com), has cabins, RV and tent
camping, and a cafe (see below). The cabins are well appointed, and the bathrooms clean.
5
GALLUP: GATEWAY TO INDIAN COUNTRY
62 miles NW of Grants; 118 miles NW of Albuquerque; 164 miles W of Santa Fe
Gallup has always been a mysterious place, home to many Native Americans, with dust
left from its Wild West days, and with an unmistakable Route 66 architectural presence;
it just doesn't seem to exist in this era. The best way to get a sense of the place is by walk-
ing around downtown, wandering through the trading posts and pawnshops and by the
historic buildings. In doing so, you'll probably encounter many locals and get a real feel
for this “Heart of Indian Country.”
Gallup began as a town when the railroad from Arizona reached this spot in 1881. At
that time, the town consisted of a stagecoach stop and a saloon, the Blue Goose. Within
2 years, coal mining had made the town boom, and some 22 saloons (including the
Bucket of Blood) and an opera house filled the town, most of which was inhabited by
immigrants from mining areas in eastern Europe, England, Wales, Germany, and Italy.
When the popularity of the railroads declined, Gallup turned briefly to the movie
business as its boom ticket. The area's red-rock canyons and lonely deserts were perfect
for Westerns of the era, such as
Big Carnival,
with Kirk Douglas;
Four Faces West,
with
Joel McCrea; and
The Bad Man,
starring Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, and Ronald
Reagan. These stars and many others stayed in a Route 66 hotel built by R. E. Griffith
in 1937. Today, the El Rancho Hotel and Motel is one of Gallup's most notable land-
marks and worth strolling through (see “Where to Stay in Gallup,” and “Where to Dine
in Gallup,” below). Gallup now relies on trade and tourism, due to its central location
within the Navajo Reservation and the Zuni lands, as well as its proximity to the ancient
ruins at Chaco.
Gallup's most notable special event is the
Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial,
held every
August. Native Americans converge on the town for a parade, dances, and an all-Indian
rodeo east of town, at Red Rock State Park. It's a busy time in Gallup, so make reserva-
tions far in advance. If you're not in town for the Ceremonial, try visiting on a Saturday,
when many Native Americans come to town to trade. Best of all on this day is the
flea
market,
north of town just off US 491. Here you can sample fry bread, Zuni bread, and
Acoma bread; eat real mutton stew; and shop for anything from jewelry to underwear.
After the flea market, most Gallup-area residents, native and nonnative alike, go to Earl's
(see “Where to Dine in Gallup,” below) to eat.
10
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
From Albuquerque, take I-40 west (2
1
/
2
hr.). From Farmington,
take US 64 west to Shiprock, and then US 491 south (2
1
/
2
hr.). From Flagstaff, Arizona,
take I-40 east (3 hr.). Gallup is not served by any commercial airlines at this time.
