Farmington, NM makes a surprisingly comfortable multi‑week base: compact, affordable, and surrounded by dramatic canyon and river scenery with great hiking, mountain‑biking, fishing, local breweries and a small but active downtown—easy to fill evenings and weekends with outdoor escapes or community events.
Within about an hour you can reach Durango, CO for a lively mountain‑town scene, plus Mesa Verde National Park and the Four Corners Monument for world‑class archaeology and weekend adventures.