Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
282
Navajoland
pawnbrokers
in essence are bankers, at least from the Navajo and Zuni
viewpoint. Pawnshops provide safekeeping of valuable personal goods and make small-
collateral loans. The trader will hold on to an item for months or even years before
deeming it “dead” and putting it up for sale. Fewer than 5% of items ever go unre-
deemed, but over the years traders do accumulate a selection, so the shops are worth
perusing.
Most shops are open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm. For a look at
everything from pawn jewelry to Pendleton robes and shawls to enamel and cast-iron
kitchenware, visit
Ellis Tanner Trading Company
(
&
505/863-4434;
www.etanner.
com), NM 602 Bypass, south from I-40 on NM 602 about 2 miles; it's at the corner of
Nizhoni Boulevard. Also try
Perry Null-Tobe Turpen's Indian Trading Company,
1710 S. Second St. (
&
505/722-3806
), a big free-standing brick building full of jewelry,
rugs, katsinas, and pottery.
Sunset Dances
Every evening Memorial Day to Labor Day, dancers from a variety of area tribes sing,
drum, and twirl in a stunning display of ritual from 7 to 8pm. The dances take place at
the
Gallup Cultural Center,
on East 66 Avenue and Strong Street (
&
505/863-4131
).
Admission to the center and dances is free.
WHERE TO STAY IN GALLUP
Virtually all accommodations options in Gallup are somewhere along Route 66, either
near the I-40 interchanges or on the highway through downtown.
El Rancho Hotel and Motel
This historic hotel owes as much to Hollywood as
to Gallup. Built in 1937 by R. E. “Griff ” Griffith, brother of movie mogul D. W. Grif-
fith, it became the place for film companies to set up headquarters when filming here.
Between the 1940s and 1960s, a who's who of Hollywood stayed here. Their auto-
graphed photos line the walls of the hotel's cafe. Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn
stayed here during production of
The Sea of Grass;
Burt Lancaster and Lee Remick were
guests when they made
The Hallelujah Trail.
The list goes on and on: Gene Autry, Lucille
Ball, Jack Benny, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Errol Flynn, Henry Fonda, the Marx
Brothers, Ronald Reagan, Rosalind Russell, James Stewart, John Wayne, and Mae West
all stayed here.
In 1986, Gallup businessman Armand Ortega, a longtime jewelry merchant, bought
the then run-down El Rancho and restored it to its earlier elegance. The lobby staircase
rises to the mezzanine on either side of an enormous stone fireplace, while heavy ceiling
beams and railings made of tree limbs give the room a hunting-lodge ambience. The
hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Rooms in El Rancho differ from one to the next and are named for the stars that
stayed in them. Most are long and medium size, with wagon-wheel headboards and
good, heavy pine furniture stained dark. The beds are comfortable. The bathrooms can
be small; some have showers only, while others have tub/shower combos. All have lovely
white hexagonal tiles. Many rooms have balconies. Two suites with kitchenettes are also
available. My favorite rooms are on the ground floor, which is the quietest part of the
hotel. Light sleepers should be aware that the train can be heard from rooms in the upper
stories.
1000 E. 66 Ave., Gallup, NM 87301.
&
800/543-6351
or 505/863-9311. Fax 505/722-5917. www.elrancho
hotel.com. 99 units. $84-$92 double; $130 suite. AE, DISC, MC, V. Pets welcome.
Amenities:
Restaurant
(p. 283); bar; courtesy computer; outdoor pool (in summer); Wi-Fi (in lobby).
In room:
A/C, TV.
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