As we leave Canyon de Chelly, we realize that once again we aren’t on what one would call a “main” highway, but a scenic route heading to Gallup. Even though it’s not a highway, the landscape is beautiful and once again see some wild mustangs in the field.
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Window Rock
The first town we came to is Window Rock which is the capital of Navajo Nation. The biggest attraction here is the “Window Rock”. The actual name is Window Rock Tribal Park & Veteran’s Memorial. This small park has the famous Window Rock and a beautiful monument of the Navajo Code Talkers. The rock itself is an amazing rock formation. If you have time for more exploring, The Navajo Nation Museum and the Arts & Craft Enterprise are in Window Rock. If you’re a Tony Hillerman fan, you will recognize the town from many of his books.
Ganado, AZ
The next town is Ganado, AZ. This is the home of the Hubbell Trading Post. This is a National Historic Site and part of the National Park Service. Not only does this have a lot of history, but the trading post is still open! It is the oldest operating trading post on the Navajo Nation. You can do self-guided tours or with a park ranger. The trading post has a large collection of Navajo rugs, jewelry, and art for sale. Besides the trading post, you can also tour the farm and hogan. Needless to say, I love shopping here. Their rug collection is amazing as is all of their merchandise.
Sky City, NM
From Ganado we get on Interstate 40 and off we go… only to stop in Sky City. It seemed like a good stopping point for gas and of course we had to check out the casino. Sky City is part of the Acoma Pueblo. The “city” itself is on top of a rock formation. It is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in New Mexico. Tours are available for the pueblo and museum. We didn’t do the tour this time, but on my previous visit here, I did go up. It is amazing! The history here alone is worth taking the tour. We didn’t stop at the casino on my previous visit, so I wanted to check it out on this trip. If you love going to casinos, there are plenty from Acoma to Santa Fe so be sure to check them out. If you’re taking a road trip through New Mexico and heading to Sante Fe, another great place to stop is Albuquerque. I did do a blog about things to do here, but we aren’t stopping on this trip.
Heading to Sante Fe
Onward to our destination. Since it’s already been a long day, we decided to head for our hotel rather than stop in Santa Fe. It’s a bit early to check in, so we stop at the Tesuque Pueblo Casino. We are staying at the Hilton Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino while in Santa Fe area which is 15 minutes north of Santa Fe. The Pueblo of Tesuque is between Santa Fe and Buffalo Thunder in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The Tesuque is owned and operated by the Pueblo of Tesuque. We always wanted to stop here, and we are glad we did. There are over 800 slot machines and gaming tables, a couple restaurants and beautiful views from the casino floor.
Conclusion
Road trips offer so much leeway to stop when you see something that interests you. These are just a few of the places you could explore on Interstate 40 from Gallup to Albuquerque and Interstate 25 to north of Santa Fe. We hope to inspire you to go explore and find things you never knew were there. You can find new adventures close to home or far away. Take time to enjoy! If you are interested in other places, check out the rest of our website to read about more of our adventures. To see some gaming videos from the casinos we visited today and Buffalo Thunder, click the link below:
Really resonates with the rug element! I’ve shared similar experiences at https://howeber.com/choosing-the-right-tools-to-hang-a-navajo-rug/, might give some inspiration.
thanks