Acoma Pueblo, a.k.a. "Sky City," the oldest continuously inhabited pueblo in New Mexico.

The Enchantment Continues in Native-American Indian Country

Explore Northwest New Mexico and find yourself steeped in the rich history of the Native American Indian. Here, the view widens 360 degrees as you look out from an elevated Indian pueblo, or from the window of an ascending tramway car, or from the basket of a hot air balloon. The scope of history widens, as well. See where European explorers from the 1600s chiseled their names into the ages and where ancient nomads left their hand-prints thousands of years ago. Whatever road you take, you're sure to return relaxed, refreshed, elevated.

Albuquerque, N.M.
One of Bugs Bunny's favorite kiss-off words about where he would "see ya" is actually a rich cultural epicenter of ancient North America and a thriving metropolis. Before venturing out into the wilds of art centers, shopping districts and speedy highways, book some treatments at Casa Verde Day Spa (Call 505-881-0464) to refresh from your travels. Then, be sure to check out:

Historic Old Town. If you're into art and jewelry, you'll love this piece of historic Albuquerque, where the 300-year-old city was first founded. The courtyard square offers excellent Mexican cuisine, as well as shops selling jewelry, art, antiques, and even a one-of-kind kaleidoscope shop. This area caters pretty heavily to tourists same as it's sister-center in Sante Fe. However, its narrow streets and stucco, adobe-styled buildings create plenty of Old World charm, and the prices are lower here than Sante Fe. Picture left: San Felipe de Neri Church

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. This gateway center features all of New Mexico's 19 pueblos with extensive histories on each one. On weekends, you can catch some actual Native American Social Dances, such as the one we attended. The one (pictured left) showcases Zuni natives doing their buffalo dance. Admission: $6 adult.

Balloon Rides. Every October, hot-air balloon riders their fill at the 9-day Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the largest of its kind in the world. During the event, as many as 700 to 800 hot-air balloons take flight at Balloon Fiesta Park, on the northern edge of the city. It's also among the most photographed events in the world.

Discover Balloons Gifts and Rides in Old Town offers year-round balloon rides. At $175 per person, a 45-minute ride sounded a little pricey. But if you love balloons, this is the place to get your fill of stained art glass, music boxes, wind chimes and spinners, vintage Godard prints and hand-made pieces — every last bit of it devoted to hot air balloons.

Sandia Peak Tramway. If you still want to make a journey aloft without sky-high prices, opt for tramway adventure that takes you to the top of Sandia Mountains east of town. Grab dinner at High Finance Restaurant and Tavern and witness a gorgeous sunset. The tram is 40-minutes round trip, the longest passenger tramway in the world. Tramway ticket prices: $15 adult, $12 with reservation at High Finance.

New Mexico's Scenic Route 53
From I-40 heading west, take a historic detour State Highway 53 near the town of Grants and head south. The drive covers about 50 miles with at least four historic monuments along the way.

El Malpais National Monument. For thousands upon thousand of years, people have been interacting with this land, rich with lava rock and intricate rock formations. Nicknamed "el malpais," which in Spanish mean "badlands," this area contains 114,000 acres of volcanic terrain, lava flow, lava tube systems and other volcanic features. A must-see for geology hounds. Otherwise, not terribly interesting.

El Morro National Monument. See some of the world's first graffiti artists who chiseled this monument into world-wide fame. Explorers making their way from Albuquerque to Zuni hundreds of years ago stopped at this now-famous rock formation to grab a cool drink and carve their names and maybe a pithy saying on the rock. Some of the oldest inscriptions (picture left) from Spanish conquistadors date back to 1605.

The Ice Caves and Bandera Volcano. Welcome to the land of fire and ice, where you can climb a volcano and then chill out at the bottom of an ice cave. Situated on the Continental Divide among Poderosa Pines, an ancient lava trail takes you down into a collapsed lava tube where the cave keeps it 31 degrees (F) year round. A perfect spot to land if you're craving some refrigeration. From there, brave the heat of the Bandera Volcano that rose up in volcanic fury some 10,000 years ago. Youngsters are invited to pan for actual gem stones back at the visitor center. Admission: $10

New Mexico Pueblos
Nineteen still-inhabited pueblos are clustered together in the northwest portion of the state. Before venturing out, you'll need to know which pueblos welcome tourists and which like to stay private. Along I-40, the Zuni and Acoma pueblos do welcome tourist and sightseers. Among them, the Acoma Pueblo, a.k.a “Sky City.”

Acoma Pueblo a.k.a Sky City. Acoma is both a step up in elevation and a step back in time. Perched atop a 367-foot sandstone mesa, the ancient pueblo is believed to have been established in the 1200s. Life on this tiny pueblo hasn't changed much: some of the pueblo's 30 to 40 residents live in 800-year-old homes; there's no electricity, no running water or indoor plumbing, and no TV (except when the residents crank up the generators to watch ‟The Bachelorette” or ‟Monday Night Football”). Acoma natives took this high ground to ward off invaders. Even Spanish explorer Coronado praised the city for the strength of it's location, when making his tour through the area in the mid-1500s.

The Acoma native religion (which is highly secretive) is believed to be centered on rain. In the photo above, the extended poles on the white ladders are designed to “puncture the sky” and let the rain come down. The guide gave us an eerie chill when joking that locals won't let you leave the pueblo for weeks if you brought the rain with you (this, on the day rain clouds accompanied us). Most people who inhabit the pueblo are holy men and their families who must keep residence there for at least a full year, and have a second home in nearby Acomita. Other unique features on the pueblo were rounded outside ovens/kilns to fire pottery and bake bread. The natives are also very friendly and some even come out of their homes to greet you.

Even if you don't make the tour (last one at 5 p.m.), the ride out is spectacular in itself with wind-swept vistas and stone-henge like rock formations. Admission: $20 adult, includes the hour-and-a-half tour, access to Haaku museum and camera permit. For more information on the Sky City Cultural Center & Haaku Museum and Casinos, call 1 (800) SKY-CITY.