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In the southwest and other places with little rain, like our sweet home here in Albuquerque, Christmas trees tend to be replaced with Christmas cacti and succulents. But just because we don’t have the traditional Christmas tree doesn’t mean we can’t decorate our cactus like a champ! What a lot of people don’t realize is there are a lot of different types of cacti, and there are different techniques for doing so. So we thought what better way to get in the holiday spirit than with a quick DIY cactus decoration. So, if you’re apartment is too small for a big tree or you just want to do something different this year, check out our tips for decorating your Christmas cactus! Illuminating Desert Plants for the Holidays: It's a bit more time consuming and a specialized task to adorn cacti, succulents, yucca, and unusually-shaped desert plants with string lights. Here are a few tips and tricks: Invest in a good pair of gloves, ones that won't allow spines and needles to penetrate. For taller cactus or hard-to-reach branches, consider getting a reaching, grabbing, or pick-up tool. Net lights draped over a cactus are much easier than wrapping with string lights, although they have a different effect and don't outline the shape as much. Use a light hand while decorating--don't stretch the light strand or wrap it tightly around a cactus. Barrel Cactus Decorated With Lights: Barrel cactus looks best wrapped with one color of string lights, like red or white, so that they sound out. Size: up to 5 feet high by 2 feet wide which can really give the Christmas tree effect. Flowers bloom on old growth, and are up to 3 inches wide and grow in a ring around the top. So it gives the effect of ornaments. Go For The Cactus Garden Look: This is pretty simple if you’re not into getting a large cactus. Twist lights throughout the garden, be sure not to tangle them too much for simple removal. Now that you have a couple of solid ideas for decorating your cacti, choose which one would be fit your living lifestyle! If you’re looking for a new ride that can fit your cactus we invite you to check out our inventory and schedule a test drive today! Happy holidays! Find The Perfect Ride For All Of Your Holiday Needs!

If you’re looking to hit the road and tap into your adventurous side, we have some pretty cool places that you might want to check off your bucket list if you've never been before! And since the weather has cooled down, this might be the best time to hit the road and take on those harder adventures you wouldn’t be able to handle in the summer heat! So whether you visiting or taking some time to hit up some of the beautiful places this state has to offer, check out our list below! If you’re from the surrounding area and you need to service your vehicle before hitting the open road, stop into Galles Chevrolet and let our trained professional get your vehicle into tip-top shape! El Malpais National Monument: New Mexico is home to 11 national monuments, and several are an easy drive from Albuquerque Best known for its lava tubes and lava flows created millions of years ago There are three exits off of I-40 that take you to different parts of the park Highway 53 out of Grants takes you to lava tubes and park headquarters, where you can obtain a mandatory, but free, cave permit. Admission is $12, $6 for children 6-12. Tours are seven days a week, starting at 8:30 a.m. with the last tour at 3:30 p.m. Acoma Pueblo's Sky City: The longest-inhabited city in North America, dating back to 1150. Both the Mission and Acoma Pueblo are Registered National Historic Landmarks and are on the National Register of Historic Places Sky City can be accessed only by 1.5-hour guided educational tours, which start at the cultural center, and a permit must be purchased for photography, which is restricted Tour fees are $23 for adults, $20 for seniors, military and students, and family rates also are available. Camera permit is $13 About 55 minutes west of Albuquerque Tent Rocks: You can drive to an overview of the rocks, or for a more interesting and interactive journey, park at the lower lot and wiggle your way through the narrow slot canyons on a hike up through the balanced rocks themselves To get there, head north on I-25, then take the Highway 22 exit toward Cochiti Reservoir. Follow the signs to Cochiti Pueblo and the monument. Vehicle entry fee is $5. Madrid: Has evolved into its current funky artist colony, hippie-southwest vibe with everything from art boutiques to coffee shops to a gypsy festival and a fourth of July parade. Service Your Ride Here!

Are you planning to take a summer road trip? Perhaps, you're like me and get very impatient and can’t help but ask “are we there yet,” every five minutes. Well, if you are or maybe you’re traveling with children, you’ll need some entertainment to keep everyone’s mind off miles still left. We have listed out some of our favorite road trip games in this week’s blog! Take a look below and let us know what your favorite games to play on those long trips are! I Spy: great for trips with little kids! One person spots something and describes it (“I spy with my little eye something….”) and everyone else has to guess what it could be. First person to guess what the object is gets to start the next round! The license plate game: everyone knows this, but it involves trying to spot a license plate from each state of the 50 states, at least once on your road trip. Depending on where you’re headed, you could also include the provinces of Canada! Name Game: Pick a category (it can be foods or animals or anything) and the first person names something (i.e. Popcorn). The next person then has to name something in the same category whose first letter is the last letter of the previous name/ word (i.e. Noodles). Stories: one person starts a story with “Once Upon A Time” and then a single sentence. The story continues sentence by sentence, with everyone in the car contributing one sentence of the story at a time. The story is over when someone says “The End!” To spice it up, you could also start with “It was a dark and stormy night...” 20 Questions: everyone knows this one as well, but one person thinks of something and everyone else can ask 20 questions to try and find out what that thing is. The first person to guess the correct item/ thing, gets to start the next round! Are you ready to head out on your trip? Now, that you have your game list, all that is left to do is pack up the chevy and hit the road! Take A Road Trip In A New Chevrolet

If you are anything like me, your pooch goes anywhere and everywhere with you - hikes up the mountain, road trips, weekend camping trips, you name it, he’s there with me. But it’s important to know how to travel with your best pal. Crating for travel - Your dog may not mind being crated while you are traveling, some dogs even feel safer during the journey. Don’t feel bad if Fido is in a crate, it’s the safest place for him. Exercise your dog before putting him in the crate, they will be more likely to rest if they have burned off all their energy. Keep a soft blanket and a toy or two in the crate to ensure they are comfy. Do not leave things like leashes or hazardous objects inside or near the crate. Stay positive and happy, don’t treat the crate like a prison. Your dog will think something is wrong and become anxious if that is the energy he reads from you. Driving With Your Pooch - It is a good idea to crate your dog during travel, you will be less distracted and will keep your pooch safe if you have to breakfast. Don’t feed your dog during your travels, wait until you stop and let them enjoy a small snack. Spend some time playing during that break, your dog will have some energy they’ll want to get rid of and this is a great opportunity to do so. NEVER leave your dog in a locked car, especially in extreme temperatures or even if it’s a little warm out. Exploring On Your Travels - Along the road, you will come across a lot of new smells, sights, and sounds, be vigilant and aware of what your pooch might have set his sights on. It is important to pay extra attention to what your dog could be getting into when you are in a new place. Keeping Calm, Travel On - Bring items that are familiar to your dog, toys, a bone or a blanket are good easy tricks to keeping your pal calm during your journey. Anything familiar will keep them calm and relaxed during your trip. It’s a good idea to have your veterinarian programmed in your phone in case you happen to run into any problems along the way. This will ensure the safety of your pooch and will help you stay worry-free! Pooches Love Chevy Specials

How friendly are you with your engine? How often do you lift your hood and top off any fluids your car may need? If you are like me, the answer is never. A huge part of car maintenance is making sure you have the correct fluids to keep your vehicle working properly. Regardless of your skill level, there are five fluids that you should know! Don’t stress - I got you covered. Take a look below and test your knowledge. Engine Oil: This is one of the most important fluids you will put into your vehicle. This is really what makes your car go and lets you get to all those summer concerts you’re planning on attending! Your Oil should be changed from 3,000 to 5,000 miles but differ depending on make and model. Engine oil keeps your vehicle performing how it should. This is a must know! Brake Fluid: We all need to use our brakes once or twice, brake fluid is vital in that process. If your car tends to run low on brake fluid it could mean there is a leak somewhere in your system or your brake pads are wearing thin. A proper inspection can reduce the risk of brake failure; replacing brake fluid depends on your make and model. It may be easier to leave this one to the pros, our service department can help with that. Windshield Wiper Fluid: Oh, baby, this one I can handle! When it comes to cleaning your windshield, this is your go-to. Having a clean windshield is a vital part of driving, give your windshield some TLC with this fluid and rid the glass of any gunk or dead bugs that have made your windshield their home. Top it off regularly so you don’t have a dirty windshield. Power Steering Fluid: This fluid is the one people often forget - I know I sure do. This fluid plays an important role in allowing your steering wheel to turn. If you run low on this fluid you could find yourself stuck with a stiff steering wheel. Our service department can help you change out the old and bring in the new, fluid that is. Coolant: Another very important fluid, here. There is a lot of friction that happens under the hood, which leads to a lot of heat. Coolant works to keep everything, you guessed it, cool. The fluid absorbs engine heat and dissipates through the radiator. Keeping the right amount of coolant in your vehicle will help prevent overheating. It’s a good idea to have this checked with each oil change. Our service department specialist can help with all your fluid needs, stop by or give us a call today! Service Your Car With Galles

Going on a road trip this season? Well, there are some things you’re bound to need on the way, whether you’re heading to Grandma’s or to an adventure in another state. Check out our list of must-haves for any driver/passenger combo, and share your own with us on our Facebook! In The Car Blankets and pillows Music Folding chairs Reading material Camera Cash for toll roads GPS Binoculars Wet wipes Puzzle books and quiet toys for kids Pen, pencil, notepad Tissues, paper towels, toilet paper Small bags for garbage Vehicle Emergency Kit Flashlight, roadside signal flares or reflective cones/warning signs First aid kit Booster cables, wrenches, screwdrivers (basic toolkit) Gallon jug of water Extra washer fluid, oil, transmission oil, brake fluid8 Rags, workshop towels, old blanket Gloves Spare belts (alternator, fan and air conditioner belts) Candle, warm clothes, heavy blanket (for winter travel) Duct tape and WD40 Our Best Road Trippin’ Vehicles

You know that old statement that goes something like “the nose knows”? Well, it’s totally right. The nose DOES know a lot of stuff, but your brain just might not be caught up to exactly what it knows. That’s what this blog is for! If you smell something weird in your car, there’s probably a reason for the smell, but you just might not know exactly what that reason is. So, voilà, here is a list of smells that can come out of your car, and what they mean, and what you can do about them! The nose says: Sulfur The car says: When you smell sulfur in your car all the time, you can assume that it’s gear lubricant leaking from the manual transmission, transfer case, or differential housing. There are sulfur compounds in the oil that serve as extreme-pressure lubricants for the gears, and after being in use for a few years the lubricant can get funky. Look for odiferous puddles of oily, viscous liquid under your car. If you see the aforementioned puddles, you should take your vehicle into the shop. The nose says: Maple syrup The car says: It’s coolant! One of the main ingredients in coolant is ethylene glycol, which is very sweet smelling… kind of like maple syrup but not tasty at all. Mostly because if you taste it, it’ll kill you. If you can smell it coming from your engine, that means there is probably a leak in your system somewhere. You should get your vehicle looked at ASAP, but this is definitely one of the easier fixes. The nose says: Rotten eggs The car says: Your catalytic converter is on the way out and is putting hydrogen sulfide into your exhaust. It could either be a fuel injection problem, or your cat is actually failing. Unfortunately, this is an expensive repair. You should take your car into the shop to have someone look at it… if the problem isn’t actually the cat there’s a chance that the issue could be fixed by someone who knows what they’re doing. The nose says: A gas station The car says: Raw gasoline leaking from somewhere in your engine. Unless you are actually at a gas station, you should not be smelling this. If you have an older car (like, from before 1980) then this smell is regular just because of how the engine works. If your car is newer than that, the smell probably means that you have a leak in your fuel injection line or a fuel tank vent hose. Take your car in to get looked at ASAP! The nose says: Hot oil The car says: ….hot oil. This probably means that there’s oil leaking onto the exhaust manifold, which heats up when your engine is running. You don’t want the smell, or the reason for the smell, to continue so you should open up the hood and look for smoke in your engine. If you can find the oil leak, wait until the engine is cool and then try to plug it up. Then you should take your car into the shop as soon as you can. If you need repairs, remember that Galles Chevrolet always has you covered. From questions to replacing parts, we can do it all! Exclusive Service Coupons At Galles Chevrolet