New Mexico features 26 recognized State Scenic Byways

(continued from Page 28) forest. From ancient ruins, to naturally carved stone and rock monuments, to cave drawings and ceremonial sites, the journey is a feast for both the eyes and the mind. It is also best avoided during heavy rains and in the winter months.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will transport you to what was the commercial, religious and government center of the Southwest more than 1,000 years ago. Residents of the region, known as the Chaco Anasazi, were linked by roads spanning the Four Corners area. They were the ancestors of about 20 of today’s Native American tribes in Arizona and New Mexico. Composed of the ruins of massive stone buildings and hundreds of petroglyphs, the site is one of the most important pre-Columbian archaeological areas in the country and among the most sacred sites for indigenous peoples to this day. Structures and artifacts date as far back as the 200s A.D., though Chaco’s heyday dates closer to the years between 850 A.D. and 1250 A.D. Based on approximately 4,000 prehistoric and historic archaeological sites, Chaco represents more than 10,000 years of human cultural history in the Chaco Canyon. Campsites are available, and hike and bike trails offer plenty of opportunity for those wanting a mix of exercise and education. A Visitor Center Museum provides a sampling of artifacts from the 3,600+ prehistoric and historic sites identified to date and gives a detailed but easily digestible history of the area. No matter the time of year you visit, take a hat, plenty of water, and wear sunscreen. Unless you’re prepared for some cold camping in winter months, plan to stay in the nearest towns of Bloomfield, Aztec and Farmington, all about 60 miles away. For more: https://www.nps.gov/chcu/index.htm.

The next stop heading south is the town of Crownpoint, best known for its monthly auction of handmade Navajo rugs. Auctions are held on the second Friday of each month, attracting collectors and tourists seeking to buy the fine textiles directly from the weavers.

El Malpais National Monument is the southernmost attraction on the route, followed by Bandero Volcano and Ice Cave and El Morro National Monument on the way back north. All provide excellent chances to get some exercise and enjoy the woodlands. El Malpais is a jagged, molten lava landscape of lava tubes, cinder cones, pressure ridges and caves formed more than a million years ago. Visit https:// www.nps.gov/elma/planyourvisit/conditions.htm for road conditions and trail/cave closures. The Bandero site, too, was formed by volcanic eruption. Here, visitors can experience an ice cave where temperatures never rise above 31 degrees. At El Morro, see a great sandstone promontory where, for hundreds of years, Spanish and American travelers rested and carved their signatures, brief messages and the dates they passed through.

A brief diversion from the main highway takes you to Zuni Pueblo. It was settled in 1699 and is the largest of the 19 New Mexican Pueblos, with more than 700 square miles and a population of over 10,000, according to the NM transportation department. The vast majority of residents make culturally-relevant art that can be purchased on site, including inlay silver jewelry and pottery. However, the Zuni people are best known for their fetishes, small carved animals the indigenous people use for their powers of protection.

If you’re traveling in August, the annual Inter-Tribal Ceremonial celebration held mid-month in Gallup is among the state’s premier Native events, with parades, dances, a marketplace, rodeo, and Native foods.

Also, if you missed the rug sales in Crownpoint, you’ll have another opportunity any time of year at both Toadlena Trading Post at Newcomb and Two Grey Hills trading post before you reach Farmington. Both have played an important role in Navajo weaving for more than a century. Two Grey Hills remains the primary source of the authentic Two Grey Hills style of Navajo weaving, considered among the finest.

Before heading east to Farmington, Shiprock on the Navajo Nation is worth a photo opportunity. This prominent landmark was produced by volcanic activity millions of years ago and appears like a ship’s bow rising 1,800 feet above the desert. Shiprock is sacred to the Navajo people, playing a significant role in their culture.

Farmington, known for its oil and gas industry, is the largest locale along the byway, with a population of about 50,000. Stop at the Farmington Museum and Visitors’ Center at Gateway Park for exhibits and information.

If you have time, head north a bit toward Aztec, where you can visit another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Aztec Ruins National Monument. The Aztecs, an ancestral Puebloan people, were active in the 12th and 13th centuries. This site offers a chance to see a reconstructed Great Kiva, composed of more than 400 rooms.

Authentic 11th- century Puebloan ruins and a Chacoan great house can be viewed in Bloomfield at the Salmon Ruins. There are also replicas of a sweat lodge, hogan, tipi and pit house. You might also ask about the off-site "pueblito" and rock-art tours hidden within Largo Canyon.

Rounding out your trip, do not miss the federal wilderness area known as the Bisti De-Na-Zin Wilderness. The area is desolate, but that only adds to the magic and mystery you’ll