Discover the American Southwestwith archaeologist, Tom Windes
September 1 - 9, 2012
The Four Corners area of the American Southwest is one of the most spectacular regions in the world. It is an enchanting land of painted deserts, verdant forests and towering mesas, with breathtaking landscapes visible for miles under the brilliant sunlight. The ancient Anasazi ruins, Spanish colonial missions, and Native American pueblos (villages) reflect a proud heritage intimately in tune with nature and rooted in tradition.
Join Far Horizons for an extraordinary nine-day tour of the Four Corners Region. Our trip begins and ends in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 
We spend a day in Chaco Canyon; then move north to the rarely visited Hovenweep, and the fabulous ruins at Mesa Verde. In both the Ute Tribal Park and Canyon de Chelly, local Native guides take us on specially-arranged tours to out-of-the-way sites rarely seen by tourists. Visit Acoma, the oldest continuously occupied town in the United States; Zuni’s Mission Church with its murals depicting the full Kachina cycle, and end with a visit to the Salinas Mission churches built in the 16th century.
Join us on this unique itinerary through a truly enchanting part of the United States!
Click here to request a Southwest USA brochure
(B) breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner
Day 1: Arrive in Albuquerque by noon. Transfer to the hotel is supplied by the Best Western Rio Grande Hotel. After a light lunch, drive to the outskirts of Albuquerque and spend the afternoon exploring Petroglyph National including a hike into Rinconada Canyon. As we hike, a plethora of prehistoric and historic petroglyphs carved along the escarpment await the discerning eye. We may see birds, snakes, circles, spirals, stars, masks, and handprints pecked into the black boulders. Some 20,000 images have been identified and are protected within this area. Gather this evening for a traditional welcome dinner. Overnight in Albuquerque for two nights in the Best Western Rio Grande Inn, located in Old Town. (L/D)
Day 2: Today will be a long but memorable day as we explore Chaco Canyon. An archaeological survey has recorded over 2,000 ancient sites within the valley and nearby areas. This arid, treeless arroyo was the center for the Pueblo culture a thousand years ago, and magnificent building complexes still stand as mute testimony to its former grandeur. An important hub for commerce, the immense road system branching out from Chaco Canyon shows the importance of trade to the area. In complexity of community life, in social organization and architecture, the inhabitants of Chaco Canyon reached heights rarely matched and never surpassed by their kindred in the Four Corners Region. Overnight at the Step Back Inn in Aztec, New Mexico. (B/L/D)
Day 3: Begin the day in the multi-storied Aztec Ruin, situated on the north bank of the Animas River. This five-hundred-room complex was built almost 11000 years ago and contains a large and beautifully restored kiva (an indigenous underground ceremonial room) in the central plaza. This thousand-year-old village is also claimed to be the terminus of Chaco Canyon’s Great North Road. Continue to Chimney Rock, located on San Juan National Forest land surrounded by the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. Of great spiritual significance to these tribes, their ancestors built over 200 homes and ceremonial buildings high above the valley floor, probably to be near the sacred twin rock pinnacles. Continue to Cortez, Colorado where we overnight at the Holiday Inn Express for two nights. (B/L/D)
Day 4: Rise early today in order to drive to southeastern Utah and Hovenweep National Monument, where prehistoric Pueblo people built small buildings, often accompanied by freestanding towers. As we wander along the trails, examine a series of masonry walled "castles" built by the Anasazi to guard water sources at the heads of shallow canyons. Continue to Mesa Verde National Park, the first national park set aside for its archaeological treasures. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural site in 1978. Around 600 AD a group of Native peoples built cliff dwellings in the canyons and occupied them for more than 700 years. During the centuries they built elaborate stone multi-storied "apartment houses" in the sheltered recesses of the towering canyon walls. (B/L/D)
Day 5: Drive to the Southern Ute Tribal Park, where we spend the day on a private tour with a Ute guide. This area is just south of Mesa Verde and has similar architecture, but is untouched. The sites in the park have received only minimal stabilization and are less developed than many of the ancient sites in the Southwest. Their “undiscovered” feel is one of the park’s appealing attributes. As we hike into the backcountry, we see various cliff dwellings as well as historic Ute wall paintings and ancient petroglyphs. Continue on to Chinle, Arizona and overnight at the Best Western Canyon de Chelly Inn. Time permitting, we will stop at Four Corners National Monument. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)
Day 6: Created by streams slicing through a large mesa, Canyon de Chelly is located in a breathtaking natural setting. Known as Tseyi, or “the place between the rocks,” by the Navajo, nearly every rock in the canyon holds significance for the Diné, as the Navajo call themselves. Narrow arroyos are framed by sheer red and yellow cliffs and lined with white sand streambeds. Navajo families still live in hogans within the lush valley floors. Above the canyon floor, cliff dwellings and lovely rock paintings and petroglyphs recall the prehistoric canyon dwellers who called this magnificent area home. The grandeur of this locale will be truly appreciated as we ride through the canyons on this specially-arranged tour led by a Navajo guide to out-of-the-way sites rarely seen by tourists. In the afternoon we will drive to Gallup, New Mexico and stop by Richardson’s Trading Post, one of the last of the original trading posts in Gallup, to view the Native American jewelry stored in the store’s vault. Overnight at El Rancho Hotel for one night. This quaint inn, built in 1937 by the brother of movie magnate D.W. Griffith, attracted many of Hollywood's stars who came here to make their films. Their autographed photos adorn the fascinating two-story lobby. (B/L/D)
Day 7: We spend the morning at Zuni, the Pueblo village where the conquest of what is now the Southwestern United States began in 1538. These are the villages described by Fray Marcos de Niza as paved with gold. Stop at the Zuni Mission Church, first begun in the 17th century. By special arrangement, meet with the son of the Zuni mural artist who created the full Kachina cycle depicted on the walls of the church and who will talk about the symbolism of each of the figures represented. The Seowtewa family has been working on this project for more than thirty years, and the fascinating evolution of their style can be seen as we compare the early works to the complexity of their style today. Drive on to Acoma Pueblo, perched atop a striking sandstone mesa 367 feet above the valley floor. Known as "Sky City," and inhabited since the twelfth century, it is reputed to be the oldest continuously occupied community in the United States. In 1629, Acoma Pueblo received its first missionary, Fray Juan Ramirez, and under his direction, the San Estevan de Rey Mission, a monumental adobe structure, was built. Our guided tour of the pueblo takes us into the church and through the village. We learn about the customs and way of life as well as the distinctive and famous black-and-white pottery made here by the people who continue to inhabit the mesa and preserve this ancient and living site. Return to Albuquerque and the Best Western Rio Grande for two nights. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)
Day 8: The role of the missions in the Colonial era of New Mexico's history will be explored during an all-day excursion to the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. Today's exploration will focus on two of the Salinas missions: Quarai and Abó. Originally known as La Purisima Concepcion de Cuarac, Quarai was built in 1630. The surrounding village, consisting of compact apartment complexes built around kivas, or subterranean ceremonial chambers, dates to 1300 AD. The magnificent crimson sandstone walls of the mission church still stand overlooking the settlement. Established in the twelfth century, Abó became the seat of the Mission of San Gregorio with a monastery, orchards, and gardens. The intriguing remains of the church stands next to the crumbling remains of the community, and a kiva within the courtyard of the church leads anthropologists to speculate about the methods used by the missionaries to convert the Tempiro people to Catholicism. Gather this evening for a farewell dinner in one of Albuquerque’s renowned restaurants. (B/L/D)
Day 9: Transfer suppled by the hotel to the airport for our return flight home. (B)
Thomas Windes received his B.A. in Anthropology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and his Masters in the same field from the University of New Mexico. He has been excavating in the Four Corners area since 1969, and has spent 38 of those years on projects within Chaco Canyon National Park. Mr. Windes has published extensively, including Stone Circles of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, Investigations at the Pueblo Alto Complex (3 vols.), Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, and Kin Nahasbas Ruin, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, and many articles on the Southwest in magazines such as the Scientific American, American Antiquity, Journal of Archaeological Science, and for the U.S. Park Service. He has written book chapters in Recent Research on Chaco Prehistory, Great Pueblo Architecture of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, and Pueblo Bonito: Center of the Chacoan World and others too numerous to list. For the past few years, Mr. Windes has been doing research and collection of tree-ring samples from both pre-historic and historic sites including church vigas (support beams) from the 17th century. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including the ‘Educational Excellence in Cultural Resources Award’ by the U.S. National Park Service and ‘Recognition of Outstanding Contributions to the Identification, Protection, and Management of Chaco Cultural Sites’ by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Legendary among the scholars working in the Southwest, Mr. Windes is both knowledgeable and an excellent educator.
Septermber 1 - 9, 2012
$3,995.00 (per person, double occupancy, land only) includes group accommodations based on double occupancy; meals as noted in the itinerary; airport transfers; entry fees to sites named in itinerary; ground transportation; emergency evacuation insurance for each participant; and luggage handling (where available – see note below).
Cost Does Not Include: Flights to and from Albuquerque, New Mexico; meals other than those listed in the itinerary; food, alcoholic and other beverages not on set menus;gratuity to drivers; airport fees and taxes; excess baggage charges; email, telephone and fax charges; laundry, personal tips; or other items of a personal nature.
Single Supplement: $395.00. Far Horizons will attempt to find a roommate for participants requesting that we do so. However, if one is not available, the single supplement will be charged.
Fuel Surcharges: Far Horizons must pass on price increases when additional fuel charges are levied.
The cost of the tour does not include air tickets into and out of Albuquerque. The hotel offers airport to hotel transfers. You must contact the hotel to confirm your transfersYou are responsible for all flight arrangements and transportation (including airport transfers) to join the group. If Far Horizons must change the trip dates or cancel the trip for any reason, Far Horizons is not responsible for any air ticket you may have purchased. The group tour begins at noon in the hotel.
A deposit of $500.00 is required along with your completed and signed registration form. Upon receipt of your deposit and completed registration form, you will be sent a reading list and tour bulletin containing travel information. Click here to download the Far Horizons Registration Form.
Cancellations received by Far Horizons in writing at least 75 days before departure will result in an administrative fee of $250.00. Cancellations received less than 75 days prior to departure will not receive a refund. If for any reason you are unable to complete the tour, we will not reimburse any fees. Registrants are strongly advised to purchase travel insurance that includes trip cancellation upon registration.
The private tours of archaeological sites and talks by specialists are scheduled in advance and include a donation to each. Specialists working at these sites are excited about showing their work to interested enthusiasts. However, please be aware that there may be times when the director or a member of the staff may not be onsite when our groups arrive due to other commitments, or that the date or time of our visit to their project must be changed.
Changes in our itinerary, accommodations, and transportation schedules may occur. A good book to read as well as a flexible attitude and a sense of humor are essential.
We will be traveling into remote areas of the Four Corners region. The itinerary is designed for energetic people in good health who like to be active and have a spirit of exploration. Even though we have carefully chosen the hotels, they will frequently be simple. They will be clean and comfortable, but may not be five- or four-star, or at times even three-star. Most will not have bell staff, and you may have to carry your own luggage. Meals will not be haute cuisine and several lunches will be picnics or box lunches. During several days we will walk over uneven terrain for a mile or more. The adventurous nature of the itinerary makes it essential that participants be in good physical condition and have the ability to maintain a flexible attitude. Team spirit and a good sense of humor are vital! If you have questions about your ability to handle this sort of challenge, please call us.
THIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL TOUR OF THE SOUTHWEST IS LIMITED TO 15 PARTICIPANTS
