Buy a Navajo rug. Sources of rugs within Navajo Nation are covered in that region's own article, but if you're less adventurous, there are dealers in Gallup and Farmington, with several on the road from the latter to Shiprock. Good rugs aren't cheap; expect to spend $500 or more for work of reasonable quality. If you're in the area on the second or third Friday of every month 2007 - July 13; August 17; September 14; October 12; November 16; December 14, Crownpoint hosts the Crownpoint Rug Auction. The Crownpoint Rug Auction gives buyers the unique opportunity to purchase Navajo rugs directly from the weavers themselves, at prices well below retail. Before the actual auction, you can hold rugs in your hands and appreciate them up close. Some sell for $50 or less, and some sell for thousands of dollars. Even if you don't buy anything, you are in for a treat. No two rugs are alike!!
Visit the Gallup Flea Market on any given Saturday. You can try authentic native foods and buy art and jewelry directly from the artist at reasonable prices.
Aztec Ruins National Monument
(http://www.nps.gov/azru/h...), north of the town of aztec near farmington on nm sr 516, is another significant archaeological site. day use 8-5 in winter, 8-6 summer, closed major holidays with the usual short trails to some of the major ruins. fee; park pass applies.
Mount Taylor
Northeast of grants, is the highest mountain in this region summit elevation about 11,300' and offers outdoor recreational opportunities more typical of the mountainous north central region. hiking, fishing, and camping are all possible on its flanks, and during the winter, it is the scene of a highly regarded "quadrathlon" competition, in which competitors run, cycle, snowshoe and ski to the summit and back.
Zuni Pueblo
For a different kind of American Indian artwork, visit the pueblos. Zuni Pueblo is located in the extreme southwest corner of the region. Zuni pottery, jewelry and fetishes are highly regarded and can be found in the shops along Highway 53 in the Pueblo. If there is a religious event during your visit, be mindful of the signs - be quiet, respectful, and leave your cameras and video recorders in your vehicle. Also see the Acoma Pueblo, off of I-40 east of Grants, which is a historic settlement perched high atop a mesa. Nearby is Laguna Pueblo. Both of these pueblos also operate casinos, the Dancing Eagle Casino of Laguna and the Sky City Casino near Acoma, both along I-40 a short distance from each other.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park (http://www.nps.gov/chcu/), far out in the boonies between Farmington and Grants, has an exceptionally large and interesting array of archaeological sites. Most can be seen from the main road or via short hikes, but if you have time and inclination, take the longer half-day trail to Peñasco Blanco, a more remote site that includes a pictograph considered by many to be one of the few Western Hemisphere accounts of the great supernova of 1054. Fee the National Park system's "Park Pass" is applicable; car camping is possible, but if you're a non-camper, the nearest developed lodging is all the way back in Farmington.
El Morro National Monument
El Malpais National Monument, south of Grants, preserves a recent lava flow and a series of lava-tube caves that beckon the desert hiker. The smaller El Morro National Monument is nearby, with shorter trails to interesting archaeological sites, as are the privately-operated Bandera Crater and Ice Cave.