Salinas Pueblo Mission

Posted by admin  at August 26th, 2013

The Salinas Pueblo Mission is a set of ruins in Central New Mexico that includes Spanish Missions where Don Juan de Onate tried his mightiest to convert the ancestral puebloans to Christianity.  Unfortunately, this is an example of Christianity’s conquest that proved unsuccessful.  The ancestral puebloans couldn’t survive the germs brought by the Europeans and hence the natives that did survive the onslaught of the conquest were assimilated into other tribes throughout the region. The Salinas Pueblo Mission is now a reminder of the people that once lived in this part of the world and how their lives were so radically changed by the Spanish.  The Pueblos are worth the trip to visit. The largest and best example of the Pueblo is Gran Quivira which includes a large Mission chapel and Pueblo Ruins.

Gran Quivira ruins is located south of Mountainair, NM in a desolate high mountain range of New Mexico overlooking the Chupadera Mesa.

Chupadera Mesa

Driving from Albuquerque to get to the Salinas Pueblo Mission is a journey by itself.  The drive is worth it, but make sure that you bring snacks, and fill up your gas tank before you start on Highway 60.

There is a single stop light in Mountainair, NM and there aren’t too many facilities.  The Shaffer Hotel does have a restaurant that many locals from the region frequent.  The best thing that ever made it to Mountainair, NM was the Blue Springs Mountain Cafe which has since closed.  Many remember the Blue Springs for the best Calzone’s in NM.

The National Park Service maintains the monument, and it is one of the best examples of how good our Park Service is even with remote destinations like Salinas Pueblo Mission.  The bathrooms are spotless, and the entire Gran Quivira facility is handicap accessible.  You can’t beat the price of the admission which is free except for your taxes that are supporting the Park Service.