Three sites, one unfinished argument

Tucked away in the middle of New Mexico, **Salinas Pueblo Missions National
Monument** is made of three distinct sites. Together they show a
particular period: one entrenched with **cultural borrowing, conflict and
struggle** between Spanish and Pueblo peoples.

The monument's own framing is worth keeping, because it is unusual for a
historic site. These places "continue to stand as reminders of the Spanish and
Pueblo peoples' early encounters **and prompt exploration of today's
interactions among different people**." The past tense is not where the
exhibit stops.

Getting there

To the Mountainair headquarters, the direct route: I-25 south from
Albuquerque to Belen, then NM 47 diagonally to US 60, then **east 21 miles to
Mountainair**.

The historic highway route (the Turquoise Highway), from the north: I-40
east from Albuquerque to NM 337, south 47 miles (76 km) to the junction
with NM 55, right (west) on Highway 55 for about 16 miles (26 km), then
right on Highway 60 and one block to headquarters. Information on the ruins
and the surrounding area is available there.

Conditions, and the closures to plan around

The monument sits at 6,100–6,500 ft (1,860–1,980 m) in an arid climate,
with about 15 inches of rain a year.

Two of the three sites are reachable in any weather; **Abó is the one that
gets cut off**, so check before making it the first stop of the day.

Location: National Monument, New Mexico. Source: U.S. National Park Service.