Landing at Gallup Senator Clark Municipal Airport in Gallup puts you right in the middle of things, with places like Window Rock, Zuni Pueblo, and Grants all close by. Gallup is a Route 66 trading town on the edge of the Navajo Nation, and it calls itself the Heart of Indian Country with good reason. Trading posts and silversmiths line the old highway, red sandstone cliffs rise above town, and the mix of Navajo, Zuni, and Hispanic cultures gives it a flavor all its own.

Standout experiences around Gallup: - Shop for Navajo and Zuni silver and turquoise at the historic trading posts downtown - Stop in at the El Rancho Hotel, where Hollywood stars bunked during Western film shoots - Watch the free summer Nightly Indian Dances in the courthouse square - Attend the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial in August, running since 1922 - Hike Pyramid Rock or Church Rock at Red Rock Park for views over the cliffs - Order a Navajo taco or a bowl of mutton stew with fry bread - Visit the Gallup Cultural Center in the old Santa Fe depot

Gallup is a hub for the high desert around it. Window Rock, the Navajo Nation capital, is 30 minutes northwest, Zuni Pueblo is about 45 minutes south, and the Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado is an hour west. El Morro National Monument and its inscription rock are about an hour, Grants and the lava flows of El Malpais are about an hour east, and Canyon de Chelly is roughly an hour and 45 minutes. Green chile shows up on nearly everything. Gallup is the honest, working heart of the Four Corners region.