Gila Cliff Dwellings

Come to New Mexico to explore the Gila Cliff Dwellings! These dwellings, which are now a national monument, were built by the ancestors of the Puebloan people who lived in the Mogollon Era over 700 years ago. Hike the natural caves of the Gila Cliff Dwellings, go on nature walks, enjoy fishing, camping, or stargazing while at this national monument. Click here to view park operation hours. This is sure to be a trip to New Mexico you and your family won't soon forget!

Photo courtesy of tlc.howstuffworks.com

While on your trip visiting the Gila Cliff Dwellings, why not stop by our store, Continental Divide located right outside Lordsburg, New Mexico off of I-10, Exit 42. You will find all kinds of Southwest souvenir items that your friends and family back home are sure to love!

Explore White Sands National Monument

Photo by: Zachariah Schnepf

Wanting to visit a different, one-of-a-kind place this summer? Head on over to White Sands National Monument located off of Highway 70 between Alamogordo and Las Cruces, New Mexico. This national monument, proclaimed and established by President Herbert Hoover, features one of the world's most natural wonders. Gypsum sand engulfs approximately 275 square miles of desert, and a major portion of this dune field is preserved along with the plants and animals that live here.

White Sands National Monument features many fun activities for the young and old alike! Whether you want to take a Full Moon Hike, sled down the large dunes, take a sunset stroll, or enjoy getting crafty and experiencing hands-on learning, this monument has something for everybody! To view the full range of activities available, simply click here.


And while you are there, make sure to stop by our Alamogordo Running Indian store located off of Highway 70, 4 miles North of Alamogordo. We have everything from postcards, to New Mexico souvenirs, and even Handcrafted Native American pottery and jewelry. Let us show you what true southwestern hospitality is all about!

Traveling to New Mexico Soon?

Planning a summer trip to New Mexico? Why not stop by El Malpais National Monument located off of Interstate 40 east of Grants, NM. This beautiful national monument offers everything from easy drives, scenic overlooks, and short walks, to strenuous trails and rugged backcountry.

Photo by Facebook Fan Jerry W. Kelley_La Ventana Natural Arch at El Malpais National Monument

To get there, take exit 89 from I-40 east of Grants, onto NM Highway 117. The BLM's El Malpais Ranger Station is located 9 miles south of this exit and is open daily.  And while you're there, make sure to stop by our Bluewater Outpost store, located at Exit 72 off of I-40. Stop on in for a creamy ice cream treat and wonderful shopping! You will want to make sure to pick up some New Mexico souvenir items to share with friends and family!

Bowlin's Gets EVSE at Picacho Peak Plaza

Bowlin Travel Centers is a company that will explore new ideas and embrace change to better serve our customers. One way we have accomplished this in 2012 is by teaming up with a company called GOe3 to get Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) installed at our Picacho Peak Plaza location. This is the first EVSE installed in Arizona! Theoretically, 6 electrical vehicles  (i.e. Teslas, Volts, Leafs, and MiEV) could be charging at the same time using the EVSE equipment installed at our store. So, the next time you are out in Arizona, stop by our Picacho Peak Plaza location (I-10 Exit 219) to check out these state of the art charging stations! We hope to see you soon!

Alamogordo Running Indian Travel Center

Bowlin's Running Indian Store is located on US 70 4 miles north of Alamogordo, New Mexico. At the Running Indian Store, you can browse through the tremendous selection of merchandise offered at all our Bowlin store locations, including fireworks, Native American Handcrafted Jewelry, Mexican Imported Pottery, and many souvenir items.

After you visit our store, enjoy a tour of White Sands National Monument just 15 miles west of Alamogordo. You can also visit the New Mexico Museum of Space History or one of the many other wonderful attractions in this area of New Mexico. 

Spiny Oyster Shell

Deep purple Spiny Oyster Shell

Spiny Oyster Shell, also known as Spondylus Brodnip Princess, can be found in Baja, California and Mexico. The name Spondylus is a Latin word that means "spines on back." Brodnip was the name of the scientist who traveled with the explorer Cortez when they explored Baja, California. The name Princess was given to the shell when Cortez presented his marine discoveries to the King of Spain. The king's daughter loved the shell; thus, it was named after her.

This stone began to be exported for jewelry making in the Southwest in 1976 before Coral became available.  Spiny Oyster Shell comes in 3 main colors: red, orange, and purple. Sometimes you can also find it in white and yellow, but this is more rare.

Spiny Oyster Shell is said to carry the gentle, peaceful healing energy of the sea. It relaxes and soothes emotions, sensitivities, and stress.

Head to our online store at www.bowlinonline.com to view more pieces that feature Spiny Oyster Shell.

Dry Creek Turquoise

Dry Creek Turquoise, known by the Native Americans as "Sacred Buffalo Turquoise," is truly one of a kind! The Dry Creek turquoise mine is located on the Shoshone Indian Reservation near Battle Mountain, Nevada. Even though this turquoise was discovered in 1993, it wasn't until 1996 that it began to be used in jewelry. Most turquoise gets its color from the heavy metals in the ground where the stones form. However, Dry Creek Turquoise forms where there are no heavy metals present, which is a very rare occurrence. The lack of any color consistency makes this stone distinctive and unique from other forms of turquoise. As of yet, no other vein of Dry Creek Turquoise has been discovered anywhere else. When this current vein runs out, there will be no more. Any jewelry made with Dry Creek Turquoise is extremely rare, and as a result, can be fairly costly.

If you are interested in purchasing jewelry pieces made with Dry Creek Turquoise, head to our online store (www.bowlinonline.com) where we have a few items featured there. If you don't see what you are looking for online, simply click the "Contact Us" link to send us an email, and we will look in our 10 store locations to see if we can find you what you are looking for.

Continental Divide Trading Post

Continental Divide Trading Post is located on Interstate 10 (Exit 42) about 20 miles east of Lordsburg, New Mexico. 

This store has a large selection of Indian made jewelry and artifacts, as well as the tremendous variety of fireworks and porcelain dolls. You will also find a nice assortment of souvenir items that are offered at all our Bowlin Stores. 

When you are at our Continental Divide Store, you are only a few miles from the Shakespeare Ghost Town and Steins Railroad Ghost Town. If you will stay in the area for a few days, you can camp, hike and fish in the 2.7 million acres of the Gila (pronounced hee-la) National Forest. Here you will also find The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. 

So why not make Continental Divide Trading Post a place to stop and shop? We will show you what true southwestern hospitality is all about!

Kountry Krystal Stemware

We have just added online new Kountry Krystal Stemware! Comedian Jeff Foxworthy has long been known for his commentary on Redneck America. Ridge Top Kountry Krystal Stemware celebrates Foxworthy's humor with a 16oz. stemmed Mason jar beverage glass that comes complete with a Redneck coaster that features hilarious quotes from Jeff Foxworthy! Each glass comes packaged in an attractive box which also features Redneck quotes from Foxworthy. This makes a great gift idea...and there are 6 styles to choose from! Simply click on the link below to shop our selection:

http://www.bowlinonline.com/category-s/209.htm

Butterfield Station Travel Center & DQ

The Butterfield Station Travel Center is on Interstate 10 (Exit 62) about 20 miles west of Deming, New Mexico. Butterfield carries self-serve EXXON gasoline and features 24hr. pay at the pump service.  Looking for Diesel Fuel? We have that too!

Be sure to see the large display and variety of Victorian Dolls as well as the mind-boggling selection of merchandise, jewelry, T-Shirts, toys and mementos that we offer at all our Bowlin Stores. 

You can't leave here and head into the southern New Mexico desert without one of the wonderful treats from the Dairy Queen located at Butterfield Station. If you want to look around the area for a couple of days, stay in our RV park. You can use it as a base while touring the Deming and Silver City areas. 

Check out a ghost town or two; get a glimpse of how things were in the1800's by touring The Old Custom House, (designated as a National Historic Site) in Deming; or hike and fish in the huge Gila (pronounced hee la) National Forest.

New Handcrafted Horse Hair Pottery

 We have brand new styles of Horse Hair Pottery from our artist, Tom Vail, that are exclusively for Bowlin Travel Centers, Inc! Take a look at our new John Wayne piece featured here. This piece was just added to our pottery collection, and it already seems to be a hit! Mr. Vail goes through quite a process to make sure each piece he creates is unique and special (see pictures below). 

To create each beautiful piece, "slip "(liquid form of clay) is poured into the mold.  After allowing time to harden, Tom Vail removes the damp clay (which is now no longer in liquid form) from the mold.  Before baking the clay in the kiln, he makes it nice and smooth.  Upon removing the piece from the kiln, Mr. Vail immediately begins to apply horse hair.  The fine lines are created with the hair from the mane of the horse while the thick lines are created from the hair of the tail. Once all of the horse hair is applied, he allows the piece to cool.  After cooling, Tom Vail hand etches each piece.  If stones or turquoise are used to decorate the pottery, those are applied at this time.  Finally, the piece is varnished in order to protect it.  Every piece of horse hair pottery is original and made in New Mexico. 

Step 1: Pouring slip into mold

Step 2: Removing clay from mold

Step 3: Removing piece from the kiln

Step 4: Applying horse hair

Step 5: Etching

Step 6: Applying stones to piece

Step 7: Finished product

Old West Trading Post

 

The Old West Trading Post is located on Interstate 10 (Exit 127) about 15 miles west of Las Cruces in southern New Mexico. Come to this store to find a huge assortment of Mexican pottery, year-round fireworks and the tremendous selection of souvenirs and merchandise that is offered at all of our Bowlin stores. Exxon® fuel is available any time of the day with our 24hr. pay at the pump service. 

While you are in town, why not visit the Las Cruces Museum Of Natural History and the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum? Or,  take a walking tour of Old Mesilla and see San Albino Church that was built in 1906 or visit the many other attractions and historical sites in the Mesilla Valley. 

New Items

New merchandise has arrived! Our 10 stores have been flooded with all of our new merchandise for 2012, but we have also uploaded many of these new items to our web store. 

If you're looking for an affordable yet special gift idea, you might want to take a look at our new heart charm bracelets. These come packaged in a nice gift box with a sentiment included on the box (as shown to the left).  To find these online, simply click on the sub-category Designer Jewelry. There you will find a nice assortment to choose from.

Maybe you are wanting to find something to hang on your walls. In addition to the many new crosses we have added, we have just uploaded decorative wooden signs with numerous sayings on them. Whether you are looking for something funny, inspirational, or even western, we've got quite a selection online.  To view our decorative wooden sign collection, simply click on the category Home Decor. You will find these under the sub-category Wall Art.

The warm weather has arrived-so the perfect addition to our stores are these trendy sun hats! You can find these online by clicking on our category Hats. There you will be able to choose from a variety of colors such as green, blue, pink, brown, white, or black (as featured here).  


These featured items give you a small glimpse into our new merchandise for 2012. To view even more, head to www.bowlinonline.com. Happy Shopping!

Handmade Inlay Jewelry

Step 1: Wax Molds

Step 2: Silver just out of the kiln

Step 3: Silversmith linking the silver                               

Step 4: Shaving and placing the stones in the silver moldings

Step 5: Polishing the piece

There is no other jewelry quite like Inlay.  First, the silver molds are created from wax moldings and melted silver.  After the silver has been hardened, it is linked by a silversmith.  Next, each stone is shaved down by hand to fit perfectly in the silver moldings.  Each color you see is a different stone, and these stones come from all over the world- Brazil, India, Afghanistan, China, and even right here in the United States.  Finally, the inlay piece is polished and is ready for you to wear!  Every inlay piece you will find in our store has been diligently and tirelessly handmade, using exact precision.  When you purchase one of these inlay pieces, know that no one else will have an inlay piece like yours, for no two are alike. Make sure to check the back...there you will find the initials of the Native American artist responsible for crafting your piece.
We do offer a 90-day warranty on all of our jewelry items.  Upon purchasing a piece of inlay, you will receive a certificate of authenticity with our warranty information attached. 

Bluewater Travel Center & Dairy Queen

Our newly renovated Bluewater Travel Center is located on Interstate 40 (Exit 72) about 10 miles west of Grants, New Mexico.This store has the huge selection of gifts, Native American jewelry, and  souvenir items that you will find at any of our 10 Bowlin Stores. But, here at Bluewater, you have to stop to see the tremendous display of fireworks that are for sale year-round! Whether you are simply looking for sparklers or a big BANG with the huge 500 Gram fireworks, you are sure to find all of these and more!

All that shopping can make you tired, hungry, and thirsty, so why not go rest your legs and feed that appetite with a nice, juicy burger, some ice cream, and an ice cold soda to wash it all down?! Attached to our Travel Center is our Dairy Queen which gives you the opportunity to get an Ultimate Burger with french fries, or even one of the other DQ Brazier items such as a Chocolate Dipped Cone, Dilly Bar, or even a Blizzard.

Pay at the pump EXXON® fuel is available to you 24 hours a day. If you are need Diesel, go ahead and fill 'er up here! 

Stay around this part of our great state and visit the area attractions such as El Malpais National Monument. If you time your trip correctly, you can travel west about 50 miles to Gallup, New Mexico and participate in the festivities at the annual Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial. There are many other interesting and historical places to visit in this part of northern New Mexico and Arizona. 

So on your next trip through Interstate 40, plan to make Bluewater Travel Center your place to stop where we can serve you right!

Civil War Re-Enactment

We have 2 stores located on Interstate 10 (Exit 219) between Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.  Our Picacho Peak store not only offers souvenirs, Indian Handmade Jewelry, and other fine gifts, but the Dairy Queen (attached to our store) serves a full selection of Brazier items and DQ Treats all day long. It is a welcome oasis as you travel in the southern Arizona desert. Why not sit for a spell and look out the huge picture windows while you lunch on an Ultimate Burger or cool off with a DQ Blizzard. Scenic Picacho Peak sits directly in front of you, its towering chimney-like presence dotted with Saguro cactus that have lived in this area for hundreds of years. 

Our second store, Picacho Peak Plaza,  is right across the street. Picacho Peak Plaza is the newer, state-of-the-art Travel Center, added to the list of Bowlin stores serving the southwest. It is located directly across from its sister location on Interstate 10 (Exit 219), the Picacho Peak Dairy Queen Travel Center. This beautifully designed store is stunning...and it's stocked full of your favorite Bowlin merchandise as well as a few new surprises. We carry an enormous selection of southwestern gifts and souvenirs. We also have Native American handcrafted jewelry, Mexican Imports, and much much more. When you stop in you will be amazed by our life sized grizzly bear and our homage to John Wayne on his horse. We even have a nice Convenience Store section with tables and chairs for relaxin'.  Bowlin Travel Centers have been a part of the Picacho Peak landscape since 1985 and serve the traveling public for both the north and southbound traffic.

These stores are a perfect place to stop if you plan on attending the 2012 Civil War Re-Enactment on March 9-11. Each year, for the past 150 years, visitors travel from around the country to experience historic battle re-enactments complete with lifestyles of the soldiers in the southwest during the 1860s. Be a part of this exciting event...and make sure to stop and enjoy our beautiful jewelry, Mexican pottery, or souvenir items. Our staff at Picacho Peak Dairy Queen Travel Center and Picacho Peak Plaza will be sure to show you true southwestern hospitality!

Western Boots Just In!

We are very excited to introduce our addition of western boots sold exclusively online! These men and women boots are made by Montana Boots USA.  For over 70 years, the workers and artisans of Montana Boots have used the finest leather and boot making skills to create comfortable, durable and fashionable western boots. These boots are made using exotic leathers from around the world, some with the most intricate inlays, others out of rugged leathers for cowboys riding the range. Montana Boots are authentic in quality, style, and construction. Each boot is hand lasted, hand stitched, and hand cut. The leather soles are cut from leather bends at the factory and genuine leather heels are crafted layer-by-layer. The three-quarter welt boots are hand-pegged with 44 wood pegs, and each boot is hand finished by expert finishers. Each stage of construction is an example of the best possible methods in boot making.  Head to our online store at www.bowlinonline.com to check out our wide variety of western boots!
 Montana Boots USA - The Authentic Western Boot Still Handmade Since 1938

Flying C Ranch

 

Bowlin Travel Centers, Inc. has 10 store locations and 5 Dairy Queens across New Mexico and Arizona.  Most of our stores are along Interstate 10 and Interstate 40.  Our featured store this month is Flying C Ranch, located on Interstate 40, close to the middle of New Mexico.  

Flying C Ranch is not a real "working" ranch, but it is a tremendous place to stop for a while when traveling through the vast expanse of New Mexico.  This store is located approximately 70 miles east of Albuquerque and 40 miles west of Santa Rosa. Flying C Ranch has the original, large selection of merchandise that is offered at all of our Bowlin Stores, but this store has a better than average selection of T-shirts, bajas, Indian and Mexican made blankets, and Native American Handcrafted Jewelry. Exxon® fuel is available along with 24 hr. pay at the pump service. 

In addition to the store, we also feature a Dairy Queen located here. This Dairy Queen® has a large menu of Brazier® items and DQ Treats® available for you any time of the day.  Before you head on down the road, you will want to be sure to fill yourself up too. So on your next trip through New Mexico, why not stop at the Flying C Ranch and let us show you some true southern hospitality!

Hand Painted Ornaments

Christmas is here, and that means many of us are decorating our Christmas trees!  If you want bright, colorful ornaments, visit us online at www.bowlinonline.com.  We offer a wonderful assortment of hand painted ornaments. All of these ornaments are hand painted from the inside!  Each ornament is hand-painted by a skilled artisan using special narrow brushes and pointed sticks. 

The painting begins with the artist carefully outlining the design for the ornament inside the globe.  Next comes the more difficult step of slowly filling in the colors that brings these designs to life using the reverse glass painting technique.

This entire process in creating these ornaments requires several days to complete, and since each ornament is hand painted, no two are alike.  Each ornament is a unique collectible (that comes in its own gift box)!  These beautiful ornaments are the perfect addition to any Christmas tree! 

Native American Artifacts

Our carefully crafted artifacts are modern day replicas of historical artifacts used by the Native Americans.  Take a look at the Medicine Wheel to the right. It represents the circle of life.  The center cross bar symbolizes the four winds, four seasons, four directions and four teachers.  It is considered to be good luck by the Native Americans.  Many Natives display it in their homes for protection. When you purchase one of our artifacts, you will receive a Certificate of Authenticity including the name of the Native American responsible for crafting it.

One of our Featured Artists-Curtis Bitsui
Curtis Bitsui is a great example of a modern Native American Navajo who is preserving his heritage while working in the 21st century world.  The Navajo Nation, where Bitsui and many skilled artisans originate, extends into the states of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. 

Curtis has been making artifacts for over 15 years.  His bows, quivers, and arrows are all made by hand using buckskin with hand stitching and braiding, representing traditional handcrafted Indian artifacts.  Many of his bow and quiver sets also have genuine red fox or coyote fur, real glass beads, and prayer feathers.  Curtis' business has grown from a one-man shop to employing many Native Americans from the Reservation.  As a leader among his people, he offers hand crafted Indian crafts that have become sought after around the world.