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I N T H E S P O T L I G H T By Suzanne and Craig Sheumaker August 16, 2007 - The American Southwest is arguably one of the most spectacular and diverse places on earth. But therein lies a dilemma for many travelers: the variety of choices can be overwhelming. Where to go? What to see? We recommend that you focus on north-central New Mexico, northern Arizona and southern Colorado. This region is certain to open your eyes, excite your senses and touch your soul. You can walk in the footsteps of ancient Pueblo Indians and see where they built a remarkable culture over a thousand years ago. You can explore the world of early Spanish settlers and learn how Spain’s colonial empire flourished here for more than two centuries. You can see some of the most awesome scenic wonders our planet has to offer. You can also shop, dine and enjoy modern pleasures in bustling cities that blend the past and present in unusual ways. For a trip that is both fun and educational, we suggest the following itinerary. It fits well into a two-to-three-week schedule and is only 970 miles round trip (about 22 hours of driving). Three side trips can be easily added: Petrified Forest National Park and the south and/or north rims of Grand Canyon National Park. Pueblo Indians. Spanish Heritage. Dramatic Scenery. We used the book America’s Living History-The Early Years as a guide to key historical destinations. As a result, this trip includes three World Heritage Sites, four National Monuments, two to four National Parks (depending on whether you take the side trips), two Pueblos where Native Peoples still live the old ways, a tram ride to spectacular mountain views, an interesting collection of Native American and Spanish Colonial historic landmarks, tours in Navajo land, and a premier living history park where the past comes to life.
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1 Old Town, Albuquerque, New Mexico In the early 1600s, when the Spanish began to settle New Mexico, the Native population was around 100,000 in this region. Albuquerque was established in Indian territory as a farming village and military outpost. Today the original Old Town is a popular place to shop and dine; yet it still retains much of its Pueblo-Spanish architecture and ambience. Check out the traditional Southwest arts and crafts. Also take a guided walking tour offered Tuesday-Sunday mornings from the Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Road NW (at 19th Street). 2 Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico This unique museum is owned and operated by the 19 Indian pueblos that still exist in New Mexico. Here you will learn from the Indians themselves about the remarkable history and accomplishments of Pueblo People - including their distinctive pottery styles and sacred dances - from the distant past to contemporary times. Located at 2401 12th Street NW (one block north of I-40). 3 Petroglyph National Monument, Albuquerque, New Mexico This is one of the largest and easiest-to-see “rock art” sites in North America. It stretches 17 miles along a basalt escarpment and includes an estimated 20,000 images that were carved not only by Native Peoples (beginning about 1000 B.C.) but also by the early Spanish settlers. Three walking trails take you to some of the best examples. 4 Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, north of Albuquerque, off I-25 Ride the 2.7-mile tramway high into the rugged Sandia Mountains to enjoy thrilling vistas, fine dining and maybe some exercise. In the winter, the 10,378-foot peak is a skiers’ resort. In the summer, 24 miles of trails welcome hikers and bikers. 5 Acoma Pueblo near Acomita, New Mexico Appropriately known as “Sky City,” Acoma Pueblo is located on a 370-foot-high sandstone mesa. It was built around A.D. 1150 and remains little changed despite decades of warfare with Spanish soldiers during the 1600s. The streets are narrow and winding; the homes are flat-roofed adobe, multiple stories high, with common walls and communal courtyards; and the views high above the plains are outstanding. It is accessible to visitors only on a guided tour from the cultural center and museum at its base. Afterwards, continue your journey by way of Gallup, New Mexico, where you can take Side Trip A to Petrified Forest National Park (a total of 140 miles; about 2-1/4 hours of driving). 6 Canyon de Chelly near Chinle, Arizona Canyon de Chelly (deh-SHAY) is more than a national monument. It is also part of the Navajo Reservation and one of the longest-inhabited landscapes in America. As such, it provides unique insight into both the past and present life of southwestern Native Peoples. Ancient pueblo dwellings and rock images are visible from lookout points. Fields of alfalfa and corn, small fruit orchards, sheep and traditional Navajo hogans dot the canyon floor. And a trail beckons visitors to walk down for a closer view of the White House pueblo remains. Indian guides will be glad to show you more. (Ask for details at the park visitor center.) In addition, artists at roadway pullouts sell Navajo crafts. From here, travel by way of Kayenta, Arizona, where you can take Side Trip B to the south rim of Grand Canyon National Park (310 miles roundtrip; about 6 hours of driving) and Side Trip C to the north rim of Grand Canyon National Park (an additional 150 miles round trip; about 3-1/3 hours of driving). 7 Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Monument Valley, Arizona Visually spellbinding, this sacred Navajo land has been the subject of countless artistic photographs as well as the setting for numerous cowboy movies and TV commercials. The best time to visit is in the morning or late afternoon when the angle of the sunlight accents the red-rock pinnacles, mesas, buttes and plains. (Sunset is a particularly extraordinary time.) Ask about self-guided and guided tours at the visitor center four miles southeast of US 163. Note: RVs longer than 25 feet are not allowed on the self-guided drive. 8 Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez, Colorado A showcase of Ancestral Puebloan culture (formerly known as Anasazi), this World Heritage Site is one of the most extensive and well preserved archaeological attractions in America. It offers excellent examples of almost every stage of Ancestral Puebloan development - the single-family subterranean pithouses of A.D. 500, the mesa-top apartment-style pueblos built between 750 and 1100, and the sprawling cliff cities constructed during the 1200s. Twenty-four contemporary Native American tribes trace their ancestral lineage to this remarkable area. 9 Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec, New Mexico This surprising archaeological site near downtown appears to have been a center of administrative, trade and ceremonial affairs during the 1100s and 1200s. Clearly important, it was laid out according to a grand design, with purposeful landscape modifications to elevate large buildings, to formally define the space and to provide roadways. Ultimately it included at least three monumental public buildings (Great Houses), the last of which consisted of about 450 contiguous rooms and several circular ceremonial chambers (kivas). Perhaps its greatest attraction today is a stunning, reconstructed Great Kiva. 10 Chaco Culture National Historical Park near Nageezi, New Mexico A visit to this World Heritage Site will broaden your understanding and appreciation of America’s Native Peoples. From the mid-800s to the 1200s, nine planned towns plus monumental public buildings and numerous villages grew up along a nine-mile area. Over 400 miles of arrow-straight roads, 30 feet wide, undulated across the landscape and radiated to outlying communities and resource areas. Broad stairways, cut into sheer cliffs, provided access into high terrain. The largest and most important area was Pueblo Bonito. Its beautifully shaped stonework rose four stories high and extended in a huge sweeping arc that encompassed more than 600 rooms and 40 kivas. Take a ranger-led tour before exploring on your own. If you’re adventurous, hike up the plateau to view Chaco Canyon from above. (Although situated in the middle of “nowhere,” Chaco is surprisingly accessible. The last 13 miles to the park boundary are unpaved, but the road is generally well maintained.) 11 Bandelier National Monument near Los Alamos, New Mexico Centuries ago, thousands of villages and cliff dwellings were built in the area now protected by Bandelier National Monument. The most accessible are located in Frijoles Canyon near the visitor center and were inhabited from the 1100s to mid-1500s. Excavated and partially restored, they include cave rooms hewn out of the soft volcanic tuff, stone houses built on the talus slopes, and a multistoried village on the valley floor. Climb up a log ladder to look inside some of the rooms. Also see the museum exhibits, which include two life-size dioramas about Pueblo life. 12 Taos Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico Native Peoples have lived in Taos Valley for nearly 1,000 years and most likely constructed the main parts of this village between A.D. 1000 and 1450. Even today, the Pueblo is a living community. Families of Native Americans continue to live the old ways here, preserving their cultural heritage so that all might learn and enjoy. Much photographed, Taos Pueblo has two five-story, terraced communal dwellings and many flat-topped houses built side-by-side and in layers. The Pueblo is made entirely of adobe - earth, water and straw mixed together and made into sun-dried bricks. Outside surfaces are regularly replastered with thick layers of tan mud, and interior walls are coated with thin whitewashes to keep them clean and bright. The easy, self-guided walking tour will enable you to take your time, see much of this World Heritage Site, chat with some of the people and get a good sense of what life was like before the Europeans came. 13 La Hacienda de Los Martinez, Taos, New Mexico An interesting place to visit, this striking hacienda is a reminder that much of America still belonged to Spain well into the 1800s. Built between 1804 and 1827, it served as both a private home and trade center for the northern boundary of the Spanish-American empire. Its 21 rooms and two inner placitas (courtyards) have been restored beautifully and furnished with period re-creations as well as more than 400 artifacts. They provide a rare glimpse into the everyday world of a powerful family when New Mexico was still a rugged frontier. (Open daily from May-October.) 14 Historic Santa Fe, New Mexico Founded in 1607, Santa Fe was once the seat of power for the entire Spanish-American empire north of the Rio Grande River. The central plaza and surrounding area offer a delightful mix of shopping, dining and historic ambience. Be sure to see the Palace of the Governors, built in 1610. This long, low adobe structure now houses history exhibits and the Palace Print Shop and Bindery, which operates nineteenth-century printing presses and other equipment. Under a covered porch facing the city’s central plaza, modern Native Americans present their handcrafted artwork and jewelry for sale. You will find quality pieces here - a committee with high standards reviews all of the artists. Also see the Mission of San Miguel of Santa Fe, which is one of our country’s oldest, continuously operating churches and noteworthy for its historic Spanish Colonial artwork. 15 El Rancho de las Golondrinas, Santa Fe, New Mexico During the 1700s and 1800s, Las Golondrinas was a welcomed stopping place on the road linking the Spanish capitals of Mexico City and Santa Fe. Today, 200 acres of “The Ranch of the Swallows” have been restored. Interpreters dressed in period clothing provide an in-depth look at what life was like when a rural farming valley was an integral part of Spanish and Mexican rule. In addition, special festivals and theme weekends enable you to experience much of the music, dance and lifestyle which comprise our nation’s Spanish American heritage. (Open Wednesday-Sunday from June-September. Many fun special events are held off-season.) From here you can return to Albuquerque, if you came to the Southwest by plane, or continue your explorations through other parts of America’s wonderland. © 2007 Suzanne and Craig Sheumaker - All rights reserved. http://www.AmericasLivingHistory.com Please feel free to use all or part of this article in your newspaper or newsletter, post it on your blog or email it to friends, family, whomever. We ask only that you credit the authors and include a link to our website. | |||
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