Bluewater – Bluewater, NM

Bluewater http://newmexico.hometownlocator.com/nm/lincoln/bluewater.cfm

Area near Bluewater

Bluewater is named for Bluewater Lake, which is located in Bluewater Canyon. In 1850, a Frenchman, Martin Boure, had a small farm above the present lake; the ruins still stand. His farm was 15 miles from the present town, but was the beginning of the settlement of Bluewater Valley. Bluewater lies just east of the Continental Divide. Recovered artifacts from 600 ad to 1600 ad, including stone tools, beads, and ceramics, are linked back to the Anasazi.

Nearby Locations

Grants – 13 miles http://www.grants.org

Grants is the seat of Cibola County, and is located between Mount Taylor and El Malpais, on the east side of the Continental Divide. Grants is near many of the scenic and cultural attractions of northwest New Mexico, such as Acoma Pueblo (the famed Sky City), the Pueblo of Laguna, Chaco Canyon, El Morro, the Zuni Mountains, El Malpais National Monument, and sacred Mount Taylor.

The city also straddles historic Route 66, and there are vestiges of past glory evident in the fading neon signs for cafes and motels that once served westbound travelers on the legendary highway. Good New Mexican food can be found in several locally run restaurants like Grants Cafe, El Cafecito, and El Ranchero. Travelers will also find reasonably priced accommodations at chain hotels and funky independent motels still hanging on along Route 66.

Local area information can be found at the Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center, just south of Exit 85 off I-40. This center is operated by the Forest Service, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Numerous free maps and other travel information are available, and staff can help travelers enjoy the varied attractions of the area’s public land.

Gallup – 52 miles http://www.gallupnm.org

Many of the wonders of Native America can be seen while roaming the town of Gallup. Surrounded by one of the largest Native American tribes and central to several compelling land features such as Canyon De Chelly, the sacred Mt. Taylor, and Shiprock, Gallup spawns nostalgic moods that bring many back to the legacies of the past.

From traditional Native American jewelry to the surrounding array of vibrant colored high desert mesas, one can easily find themselves a bit closer to the town’s unique blend of indigenous cultures. The rich assortment of art, music, ceremonials, pow-wows, and cuisine shared in town by the Zuni, Hopi, Acoma and Laguna pueblos, Navajo tribe, and Hispanics creates the essence of Gallup.

Gallup was founded in 1891 as a railhead for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. The City was named after David Gallup, a paymaster for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. It is the most populous city between Albuquerque, New Mexico and Flagstaff, Arizona. Gallup is sometimes called the “Indian Capital of the World”, for its location in the heart of Native American lands. One-third of the city’s population has Native American roots.

Albuquerque – 88 miles http://www.cabq.gov

Albuquerque, New Mexico is a high desert city nestled up against the Sandia Mountains. The one-of-a-kind character of Albuquerque is the result of many different forces, perhaps none as important as the centuries of history that have shaped the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Starting with the Native Americans who have lived here for thousands of years and continuing through Albuquerque’s official founding in 1706, the city has grown into a multi-cultural metropolis of nearly 800,000 people. While the modern city of Albuquerque is a center of high-tech industry and research, it retains vital connections to the past, such as the ancient rock carvings at Petroglyph National Monument, the historic Old Town Plaza, and the trail of vintage neon signs along Route 66 spanning the city.

As one of the oldest cities in America, Albuquerque has provided a home for humans in the Rio Grande Valley for many centuries and is rich with history and culture. More recently, the city has worked hard to earn recognition as one of the best places to live, work, and do business.

Visiting Albuquerque allows you to experience the authentic Southwest. Albuquerque boasts a unique multicultural heritage and history where Native American, Hispanic & Latino, Anglo, and other cultural influences are a part of everyday life. Nowhere is the confluence of past and present more dramatic than in Albuquerque, where the modern city skyline is set against a backdrop of the ancient Sandia Mountains and an endless, timeless blue sky.

When visiting Albuquerque, you’ll find its spectacular weather — 310 days of sunshine - perfect for outdoor activities. The unique weather features also make Albuquerque the hot air ballooning capital of the world. Balloons dot the clear blue skies almost every morning, revealing a myriad of colors year-round. While visiting Albuquerque at night, you’ll notice the city is bathed in the glow of neon signs, relics of Albuquerque’s place on historic Route 66.

Today, Albuquerque is a major Southwestern city with a diverse population and some of the nation’s leading high-tech research facilities including Sandia National Laboratory, Intel, and University of New Mexico. At the same time, its cultural traditions continue to be an essential part of everyday life in the city. With one foot in the past, one foot in the present and both eyes on the future, Albuquerque is a fascinating place to visit and an even better place to call home.

Area Attractions

Bluewater Lake http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/Bluewater.htm

Bluewater Lake is situated on the north flank of the Zuni Mountains in the Las Tusas Basin. The reservoir is located in a valley carved in shale and limestone, the latter of which contains snail and brachiopod fossils. Rolling hills studded with pinon and juniper trees encircle the lake, which is stocked with trout and catfish.

Bluewater Lake State Park is popular for boating and year-round fishing. The park is host to many of nature’s feathered friends. Bird watching, whether by the expert or novice, is a must at the lake with at least 68 different species of birds calling the park home or a savory resting spot. Other popular activities at the park include boating, waterskiing, sailing, viewing wildlife, camping, and picnicking. Short trails lead to several scenic overlooks, offering views of the lake and dam.

El Malpais http://www.nps.gov/elma

El Malpais means the badlands but this volcanic area holds many surprises. Lava flows, cinder cones, pressure ridges and complex lava tubes dominate the landscape. A closer look reveals high desert environments where animals and plants thrive. Prehistoric ruins, ancient cairns, rock structures, and homesteads remind us of past times. Visitors need to be prepared for exploring this rugged place.

Mount Taylor http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Taylor_(New_Mexico)

Mount Taylor, northeast of the town of Grants, is the high point of the San Mateo Mountains and the highest point in the Cibola National Forest. Mount Taylor was originally called “San Mateo”, to be renamed in 1849 after General Zachary Taylor of Mexican War fame (and later 12th President of the United States of America). Prior to that, it was called Cebolleta (tender onion) by the Spanish; the name persists as the designation for the northern portion of the San Mateo Mountains. Mount Taylor is largely forested, rising like a blue cone above the desert below. Its slopes were an important source of lumber for neighboring pueblos. It is visible from points in the Navajo country as far as Chuska Peak, 100 miles west. Projecting to the south and north-east are large lava flows which sheer off from their forested tops in irregular and ragged escarpments. The peaks retain their snows until late in the spring.

Sky City (Acoma Pueblo) http://sccc.acomaskycity.org/overview

The adobe houses, plazas, and walkways on the 367-foot tall mesa have been used for nearly one thousand years, making Acoma Sky City the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States. Throughout the year, Acoma residents provide tours of Sky City, including the 17th century church San Esteban del Rey, introducing visitors to the art, history, and culture of the pueblo. Acoma Sky City is a National Historic Landmark and an official project of Save America’s Treasures.

El Morro http://www.nps.gov/elmo

A reliable waterhole hidden at the base of a sandstone bluff made El Morro (the headland) a popular campsite. Ancestral Puebloans, and Spanish and American travelers carved over 2,000 signatures, dates, messages, and petroglyphs for hundreds of years. A ½-mile loop trail leads to the historic pool and past hundreds of inscriptions and petroglyphs.

The Headland Trail is a 2–mile loop path that includes the Inscription Trail, and continues to the top of the bluff. There, you will be rewarded with spectacular views of the Zuni Mountains, the volcanic craters of the El Malpais area, and the El Morro valley. Another reward for hiking the Headland Trail is the Ancestral Puebloan ruin, Atsinna, or “place of writings on rock”. Between approximately 1275 to 1350 AD, up to 1500 people lived in this 875-room pueblo. The location was strategic—it was near the only water source for many miles and located atop a nearly impenetrable bluff. Atsinna was partially excavated in the 1950s and masons and archeologists continue to work towards its stabilization.

Chaco Canyon http://www.nps.gov/chcu

Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park and it is a portion of a UNESCO World Heritage Site hosting the densest and most exceptional concentration of pueblos in the American Southwest. The park is located in northwestern New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Farmington, in a relatively inaccessible canyon cut by the Chaco Wash. Containing the most sweeping collection of ancient ruins north of Mexico, the park preserves one of America’s most fascinating cultural and historic areas. Between AD 900 and 1150, Chaco Canyon was a major center of culture for the Ancient Pueblo Peoples. Chacoans quarried sandstone blocks and hauled timber from great distances, assembling fifteen major complexes which remained the largest buildings in North America until the 19th century. Evidence of archaeoastronomy at Chaco has been proposed, with the “Sun Dagger” petroglyph at Fajada Butte a popular example. Many Chacoan buildings may have been aligned to capture the solar and lunar cycles, requiring generations of astronomical observations and centuries of skillfully coordinated construction. Climate change is thought to have led to the emigration of Chacoans and the eventual abandonment of the canyon, beginning with a 50-year drought in 1130.

Located in the arid and inhospitable Four Corners region, the Chacoan cultural sites are fragile; fears of erosion caused by tourists have led to the closure of Fajada Butte to the public. The sites are considered sacred ancestral homelands of the Hopi and Pueblo people, who continue to maintain oral traditions recounting their historical migration from Chaco and their spiritual relationship to the land. Though park preservation efforts can conflict with native religious beliefs, tribal representatives work closely with the National Park Service to share their knowledge and respect the heritage of the Chacoan culture.

Sandia Peak Tramway http://www.sandiapeak.com

A trip on the world’s longest aerial tramway transports you above deep canyons and breathtaking terrain for a distance of 2.7 miles. See some of nature’s more dramatic beauty unfold before you. At sunset the desert skies produce a spectacular array of color, and your vantage point from the observation deck atop 10,378 foot Sandia Peak in the Cibola National Forest affords an 11,000 square-mile panoramic view of the Rio Grande Valley and the Land of Enchantment. The tram is located on the eastern edge of Albuquerque in the Sandia Foothills at the end of Tramway Road.

Sandia Mountains and Cibola National Forest http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/cibola/districts/sandia.shtml

Just east of Albuquerque are the most visited mountains in New Mexico. Millions of people journey into the Sandia Mountains each year. The Sandias are part of the signature of Albuquerque’s unique sense of place. They serve as a premier open space refuge to a population of over 700,000 people in the extended metropolitan area. Over one-third of the State’s school-age population lives within an hour’s drive of the Sandias, and there is a great demand for fire prevention, fire ecology, and other environmental education programs.

Sandia Mountain is a landmark in the spiritual universe of many active traditional Indian beliefs. It is regularly visited for ceremonial purposes by the Sandia Pueblo and at least annually by many other pueblos. It also has direct ties to Spanish land grant communities established by the King of Spain in the 1700’s and Mexican land grants from the 1820’s. Some Spanish land grants adjoining the Sandias are still active.