Farmington, NM

[NCTrees]

I’ll be rambling around the NW corner of NM this fall and it looks like Farmington is the biggest town in the area. Hopefully all my time will be spent hunting but if not I hear this is a great place to ask for some local knowledge. With that, your advice is appreciated. Info on archaeological sites / historic places / cool or unique ecosystems of interest to visit, good food, good fishing, etc. Places to avoid. Any reasonably priced places to stay…appreciate any and all of it. Thanks in advance, feel free to DM anything you don’t want to broadcast.

 

[mflo]

Chaco Canyon (Chaco Culture NP) and the Bisti / De-Na-Zin Wilderness would be at the top of my list in that area.

 

[dtrkyman]

Aztec ruins and Rock Garden are cloes. Fly fishing the San Juan is the biggest attraction.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Agree, San Juan for fishing. It's only. a short drive to four corner monument. You can put one foot in one state and the other in a different one. You can then say, I was in two different places at the same time.

 

[fngTony]

Places to avoid-Fudruckers

 

[ericF]

Si Senor for good New Mexican food. Smothered shredded beef burrito plate with green Chile. No rice, no beans, just meat, cheese, tortilla, and green Chile. My wife likes the stuffed sopapillas too.

 

[Bluumoon]

Not far from Durango and Cortez just to the north. Canyons of the ancients around Cortez has some great hiking/biking and ruins once the weather cools down a bit. The Mountian Utes do a tour of their part of Mesa Verde which is supposed to be amazing. You can be in the La Platas pretty quickly, maybe find some grouse if you have a small game license.

 

[roadrunner]

You can make a loop to Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, and FC monument. Be a 1-1/2 day trip to get it all in, maybe 2 days. Chaco is a day long event. Fishing on the Juan is usually really good in the fall.

The Chile Pod is good New Mexican - Mexican food. Local brewary/restaurant is 3 Rivers Brewary. Most any reputable hotel is where I'd stay.

If you really get bored, there is the Chama or Durango/Silverton narrow guage rail you can spend the day with.

 

[Rusty Shackelford]

If you stop at the Blake’s lotaburger in Bloomfield make sure to pack an extra roll of tp in your pack.

 

[butcherboy]

Yep, all good suggestions. Chaco, Bisti, salmon ruins, Aztec ruins, Mesa Verde, four corners. San Juan for fishing. A little further north and you can fish the Animas, Piedra, Florida, pine,Hermosa, La Plata, Dolores, etc. plus all the little creeks that run into these rivers and creeks.

Eating:
3 Rivers Brewery, Si Senor, Los Hermanitos, Dads Diner. Then there are all the fast food places of course and the big chain restaurants like red lobster, chili’s, Applebees, fudruckers, outback, Texas Roadhouse. Best private Hamburger joint is Hometown Hamburgers, best chain would be Blake’s Lotaburger and there are about 8 of those. Spudnuts has good donuts, steak fingers, and hamburgers. Purple cow cafe is good. Lots of other places I can’t even begin to remember. Plus all the places in Durango.

If you are early enough then I recommend going to Bar-D Wranglers just
North of Durango. They usually close Labor Day weekend though.

I’ve lived here for 46 years and there really is a lot of things to see and do despite what all the teenagers say!

Also forgot to add Spare Rib BBQ Co. for places to eat and Serious Texas BBQ is in Durango.

 

[butcherboy]

A few further drives and you can fish the Rio Chama, ride the cumbres and Toltec train or the Durango silverton train. The Cumbres train is amazing in the fall when the leaves change. If you ride this one then take the bus from Chama to Antonito, CO and then ride the train back to Chama. It stops in Osher for a midday meal included with your ticket.

 

[ZDR]

Spudnut donuts….been there for many decades. Donuts made from potato flour and man, they bring out my inner Homer Simpson

 

[roadrunner]

Blake's has gone downhill since it changed ownership. Don't waste your time.

 

[ZDR]

Blake's has gone downhill since it changed ownership. Don't waste your time.

exactly right…used To be special but now are just one of the many sub-par burger joints

 

[hunting1]

Go fish the San Juan river!

 

[butcherboy]

Blake’s has definitely changed but I still
like a Lotaburger with GC and seasoned fries. Or, their sausage breakfast burrito with GC. Another good place for a breakfast burrito is Burritos y Mas or Nena’s restaurant but that is in Kirtland about 6-7 miles west of Farmington.

Adding places to eat just because I drove by them this afternoon. Wecks for breakfast and lunch. KB Dillons is pretty good as well. If you are a coffee drinker then go to Durango Joes. There are a few of them around town.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Places to avoid-Fudruckers

I don’t know why I’m laughing so much about that comment.

 

[fngTony]

I don’t know why I’m laughing so much about that comment.

You probably know someone that regretfully ate there

 

[NCTrees]

Places to avoid-Fudruckers

The only reason I’ve heard of that place was from that Mike Judge movie Idiocracy. If you seen it there’s a joke to be had here but I don’t know how to make it less than deeply R rated. Yeah, avoid.

 

[butcherboy]

Despite the jokes which I know I have made plenty. Fudruckers has a pretty decent burger, fries, and milkshakes. It’s in the Animas Valley Mall. Heck I was there on the 4th of July after watching the movie Sound of Freedom.