In the 1950s, a local found uranium in the hillside that led to a booming economy when the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission came to mine the yellow ore. Uranium reserves still exist today and were one of the largest in the world, leading Grants to earn the nickname of Uranium city. Although uranium mining has since come to a halt, you can see how this interesting city developed by starting your trip at the Ancient Puebloans ruins, where Hopi and Zuni Indians and the Puebloans created a civilization around the present day Four Corners. These ruins are best known for their adobe and sandstone dwellings built along cliff walls. You’ll also see hillsides lined with petroglyphs and pictographs.
After living as Native Americans did in the 1200s, you can fish or boat at one of the lakes that once served as their water source. Bluewater Lake at Bluewater Lake State Park is set in a pinon-juniper landscape with views towards the Zuni Mountains. You can camp, fish, boat and hike here while taking in the beautiful New Mexico scenery. As you make your way through town to go to the lake, go to the ancient ruins or to downtown, you’ll see several icons that remain from old Route 66. Vintage signs for Grants Café, the closed Lux Movie Theatre and Trail Drive-in Theatre and more will make it seem like you stepped out of your modern hotel room and into the past. When you book with Choice Hotels in Grants, NM, you can enjoy your time travel with ease while having a place to recharge at the end of the day. Book online now!