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.

Whether you'd like to observe animals in their natural, riverside habitat, walk beside antique tractors, explore Farmington's history . . . or let the kids loose on exhibits designed just for them, this is your museum. The Farmington Museum at Gateway Park is four museums in one and has plenty for everyone to do.

Whether you like big-band music, jazz, or old fashioned country, the Flickinger Center is sure to have a performance. Check out their schedule for the season and pick out what appeals to you.

An art gallery and cultural hub, Gallery 408 houses music and workshops as well as art. Visit during their auction if you like, and certainly walk through their sculpture garden.

The Gallup Cultural Center is largely a center for Southwestern Native American culture, and there are Native dances held nightly in the summer. Don't miss the Storyteller Museum, which not only collects Native artifacts, but relays their history through story and song.

Ancient and modern history exist side by side in this museum. The heritage of many peoples who have lived locally is presented in this room, and a large collection of fossils in the next, and that's just a small portion.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park safeguards the world's finest example of a fossilized reef, a surprisingly complex and unique assemblage of flora and fauna, and West Texas' only legally designated wilderness. Here, one can experience solitude, tranquility, and the joy of finding plants and animals...

Taos is very much a community of artists and the Harwood Museum of Art is very representative of its past and present. The Harwood Museum was an art colony of sorts and today hosts a range of pieces from the well-known local artists, a host of photographs of how the city was once, and a collection of Hispanic artwork, including the famous Barela sculptures.

Once a church, this historical building is also where a number of historical artifacts reside. Admission is free, so browse the displays, from stained glass windows to guitars to saddles, as often as you like.

Enjoy the best Las Vegas style casino in the Southwest. From penny slots to a complete complement of table games including Blackjack, Craps, Poker, Three and Four Card Poker, Mini Baccarat, Roulette, Pai Gow Poker and Let it Ride ... plus great gaming promotions which never end!