Lodging and Important Information
The In-Person Experience
While many of our classes are held live and online so that people can attend from the comfort of their homes, we also offer some “in person” classes for those who prefer a face-to-face experience.
Where
Nearly all of our face-to-face classes are held at my office located at 121 W. Broadway in downtown Mountainair, New Mexico.
How to Get Here
From the Sunport (the airport in Albuquerque) you will take I-25 South to Belen, New Mexico. From there, you will drive through Belen and take Hwy 47 South to Hwy 60, which will take you straight into Mountainair.
Points of Interest
New Mexico is known as the “Land of Enchantment.” You’ll find that Mountainair holds many amazing secrets! You may want to come in a day or two early, or plan to stay an extra day or two so that you can explore the three nearby historic sites.
Salinas National Monument
Abo Pueblo, Gran Quivera and Quarai were thriving metropolises from the 1100’s to the 1600’s. Now part of the Salinas National Monument, all three sites are fascinating to visit. Each one has walking paths dotted with plaques containing information, sketches and photographs explaining the particular area or ruin around the plaque. The Forest Rangers are friendly and happy to answer questions. Each site has a gift shop and museum.
Across from the office you’ll find the Forestry Department, containing a gift shop, a museum and a small theatre where a 15-minute film gives you a short background of the history of the area.
Hiking
In addition to the historical places, Mountainair is located at about 6,500 feet altitude in the Manzano Mountains of Central New Mexico. If you enjoy hiking, there are some great hiking trails and campgrounds surrounding the area.
Nearby Cities of Interest
Santa Fe is about 2 hours north, where you can enjoy amazing art and jewelry, history and hiking. Let’s not forget escape rooms and and other fun activities.
Albuquerque is 1 hour 20 minutes to the Northwest. Alamogordo and Ruidoso are south of us, about 3 hours away. The BioPark and Zoo are fun to visit there. There are also big city concerts, excellent restaurants, Old Town antiques and shops, and Indian casinos all around.
Madrid. The funky-fun town of Madrid (where the comedy “Wild Hogs” was filmed) is only 90 minutes away.
Truth or Consequences. If hot springs are something you enjoy, you’d love traveling to Truth or Consequences, which also has the largest lake in New Mexico.
Jemez Pueblo. We love Giggling Springs, located in the amazing historical town of Jemez Pueblo, where native pottery is made in the traditional way.
Where to Eat During Class
Mountainair is tiny. Even so, it has several places to eat, but not are all open at the same time.
B-Street Market. My favorite place to eat is B-Street Market, where owner Nancy McCloud and her adult son Ian prepare a plethora of delicious sandwiches, salads, soup, lasagna, and varying day-to-day specialties. They cater to paleo, keto, vegetarian, vegan and Celiacs alike! The B-Street deli has the best hours, open 8:30 – 6:30 Mon-Saturday. The grocery store is open Sunday, but the deli is closed.
Alpine Alley is a great place to have breakfast and/or lunch. They are sometimes open Sundays, but sometimes not. That’s the way it is in small towns. If you plan to eat breakfast or lunch at Alpine Alley, be aware that speed is not their forte. Plan extra time. And be sure to try the Bobo’s. They are essentially sweet potato fries, but done so well. We love them! And the refillable cup of coffee is always good.
Ancient Cities Café has good hours, is open on Sundays, and has typical diner food. They also have a small salad bar, and offer Mexican choices as well as steaks and chicken. The service is friendly but can be somewhat inefficient.
Last Chance Food Stand is a kiosk on the side of the road near the Rock Motel, offering great gourmet coffee, small-but-tasty salads, and sandwiches. Sometimes he has soup, too. We aren’t sure what the exact hours are, but they seem to be open often in the afternoon and at night.
Where to Sleep
There are two choices of lodging in Mountainair.
The Rock Motel, You can check out the website at www.therockmotel.org. The Rock is very CRV-student-friendly, and we have found the management a delight to work with. Make your reservations there as early as you can, as they are frequently booked up. Melita Carr and her husband manage The Rock. Melita is Native American and very in tune with what we do.
Another place to stay is the Turner Inn, which is located at the opposite end of town as The Rock. The Turner Inn is in the process of remodeling all of the rooms and replacing all of the beds. It is usually not booked up solid https://turnerinnandrvpark.com/.
