FX Excursions

FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
Wherever Awards

The Wild West of Gallup, New Mexico

by Rina Nehdar

May 5, 2019

Rina Nehdar

Budget

Hot-air balloons soaring over red rock deserts can be much more affordable in Gallup than in other parts of New Mexico. Families looking to try and tame their finances can get an authentic glimpse of the wild Southwest and our freewheeling past in the town that still lives in them.

 

“This is real cowboy and Indians country,” Gallup Mayor Jackie McKinney told a group of visiting families.

 

An affordable weekend in Gallup could be headquartered in the modest Days Inn by Wyndham Red Rock-Gallup where rooms start at just $66 and include breakfast, Internet and access to the largest indoor pool in Gallup. Plus, you could bring your dog. If you want to spend a little more and immerse yourself in a historical landmark, the El Rancho Hotel, off the famous Route 66, will bring you to the spot where movie stars like the John Wayne, Gregory Peck and the Marx Brothers regularly stayed to film their westerns. Many still have their names hanging on the doors outside their favorite rooms. Walk around and take in the cinematic memorabilia hanging on every available space between the authentic New Mexican decor. Rooms start at $84.

 

Desert in Gallup, New Mexico.

Desert in Gallup, New Mexico. Photo: Rina Nehdar

 

Outdoorsy families will love the hiking trails at Red Rock Park with layers of rose, pink and salmon stone stretching across the towering desert cliffs. Choose from the favorite three-mile, round-trip Pyramid Rock trail with views of the open, sepia landscape or the two-mile Church Rock trail that showcases spires of rock leading to heaven. Yearly rodeos and tribal ceremonies are open to the public. If you go during the first weekend in December, you’ll get to witness the Red Rock Balloon Rally with hundreds of balloons coloring the blue sky. Everything is free but parking is $5 for the day. If you can’t go in December but you’d still like to soar above the cliffs, you can book a ride with X-Treme-Lee Fun Balloon Adventures and owner Bill Lee will promise you the softest landing.

 

Hot-Air Ballooning in Gallup, New Mexico. Photo: Rina Nehdar

Hot-Air Ballooning in Gallup, New Mexico. Photo: Rina Nehdar

 

If you’d rather clink your spurs around saloons, trading posts and a haunted movie theater, downtown Gallup is the place you’ll want to go. Summers also bring nightly tribal dancers. Discover what four generations of family working together to bring Native American art, jewelry and goods can accomplish, including showcasing an exhibit that displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Tanners offers unique memorabilia like hand-spun rugs, gem-quality turquoise and Katsina dolls. You’ll find many shops around town to explore and discover Indian treasure. When you’re ready to cool off, you can stop by Coal Street Pub for a bite and a brew or warm up with some coffee at Gallup Coffee Company with old-fashioned coffee equipment on display. Take the kids to catch an old flick at El Morro Theater, but watch out for the front row of the balcony where they say the ghost of a woman still patronizes the theater in her favorite seat.

 

Hot-Air Ballooning in Gallup, New Mexico.

Hot-Air Ballooning in Gallup, New Mexico. Photo: Rina Nehdar

 

As your family rides out of town with a face full of smiles and a head full of memories, you’ll be happy to know you also saved a wallet full of bills.

#WhereverFamily

Insta Feed
Destinations / North America
Apr 21, 2025

5 Things You Can Only Do in Delaware County, New York

More and more family travelers seek immersive experiences hyper-specific to a particular destination, and spots like Delaware County in upstate New York promises activities the whole family can both enjoy and experience nowhere else.

Madrid: A Destination for All Ages

However one is traveling, what matters is having fun and creating unforgettable memories. Among many ways to travel, multigenerational trips — on which grandparents, parents and children get to spend quality time together — are gaining popularity. Setting out on this sort of adventure? Madrid has something to offer everyone!

Hotels
Apr 18, 2025

Nemacolin Debuts Exclusive Luxury Stay Experience for Guests 16 Years and Older

Family travelers with older kids won’t want to miss this new luxury stay at Nemacolin. This luxury resort reintroduces Falling Rock, the architectural masterpiece inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water, as an exclusive stay for travelers 16 years and older.

Destinations
Apr 18, 2025

Head to Garden in the Woods in Massachusetts for a Springtime Wonderland

Without going far, family travelers in Boston and surrounding towns can step into a serene woodland environment, where the forest floor is carpeted in wildflowers. Garden in the Woods, in Framingham, Massachusetts, is a botanical garden dedicated to native plants, showcasing them on 45 acres of open forest, ravines, ridges and wetlands.

Destinations / North America
Apr 18, 2025

WonderWorks Myrtle Beach Celebrates Spring with Focus on Education, Entertainment

Family travelers know WonderWorks Myrtle Beach provides fun, educational opportunities year-round. But, this spring, the venue takes things to the next level by offering special events, ticket deals and group offerings — with something for everyone.

Destinations / North America
Apr 17, 2025

Experience the Night Sky Like Never Before in Oregon’s Outback

I’ve looked up at the night sky almost every night of my life and have always been fascinated by the way the experience changes from day to day and place to place. But on recent family travel to Oregon, I got to experience it like never before in the Oregon Outback. I was staying at the lovely Brasada Ranch in Powell Butte (not far from Bend) and, as the day came to a close, my group boarded a van with Wanderlust Tours and began the journey into a region of the Oregon desert known as the Oregon Outback.