with Michael Lawson, Ph.D.
Chaco culture National Historical Park
Courtesy of John L. Wiley http://flickr.com/jw4pix
Experience a custom guided tour of Chaco Culture National Historical Park located in arid northwest central New Mexico between Albuquerque and Arizona, in a remote canyon cut by Chaco Wash.
“The center of this landscape is now known as Chaco Culture National Historical Park, a concentration of the most exceptional Ancestral Puebloan sites in the United States, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site” ( Ernie Atencio, New Mexico Program Manager for National Parks Conservation Association).
Along four miles of this canyon rise massive sandstone buildings– Great Houses–of several stories. Decades of archaeology reveal that these Great Houses were built between AD 900 and 1150.
Descendants of this major cultural center of Ancestral Puebloans live today in the Pueblo villages of New Mexico and Arizona.
(Image courtesy National Park Service)
An administrative and religious center linked by a sophisticated road system and outlier communities of Great Houses and Great Kivas (ceremonial centers), Chaco has earned the title “Chaco Phenomenon” and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Chaco remains remote today. In place of a long 13 hour round-trip day trip from Santa Fe or Albuquerque, we recommended an overnight or a three-day, two-night SW Journey.
Day One
Explore the Chaco exhibits of the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico…
OR the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (depending upon the day of the week your Journey begins).
Afterward, journey west along an ancient trade route to Halona Idiwan’a—the Middle Place–Zuni Pueblo as guests of the Zuni People visit the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center. Cultural Educator/Museum Technician Curtis Quam (Zuni) narrates the sacred Zuni (A:shiwi) origin and migration stories. Following lunch–traditional Zuni entrées available–walk with Zuni archaeologist/guide Kenny Bowekaty along the Middle Village’s time-worn paths and learn the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Mission Church’s history.
Overnight accommodations offer three options:
- Distinctive Cimarron Rose Bed and Breakfast
- Inn at Halona located in Zuni Pueblo, or
- Intimate cabins located near El Morro National Monument
Day Two
Full day exploration of Chaco Culture Historical National Park (picnic lunch included in your SW Journey Package).
Return to Santa Fe, Albuquerque, OR, the Cimarron Rose Bed and Breakfast’s distinctive charm and relaxation for the evening.
Day Three
Enjoy a leisurely morning over breakfast, bird watching, walking among the Ponderosa pines, or shopping distinctive Zuni handmade arts & crafts. Then, a brief, scenic journey to Acoma “Sky City,” one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the U.S.
At the Acoma Cultural Center and Haak’ku Museum, an Acoma leads you along the ancient narrow pathways of this mesa-top village and into the spectacular Esteban del Rey Mission Church, dating to the early 1600s.
Along the way, meet Acoma artisans, famous for their pottery and fine arts, sample a fresh-baked fruit-filled turnover, or nibble roasted piñons–a tasty southwest staple only recently adopted by haute cuisine.
Enjoy a traditional Puebloan lunch at the Y’aak’a Cafe upon your descent from the mesa village before returning to your hotel or airports in Albuquerque or Santa Fe.