Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
64
where Native Americans and others once
mined turquoise. See “The Southwest in 1
Week: Days 6-7,” above, for pointers on
how to spend days 2 and 3. On day 4,
head north to explore
Bandelier
National
Monument
(p. 193), or take the
High
Road to Taos
(p. 193) for a visit to
Taos
Pueblo
(p. 220). Your choice will depend
on whether you prefer to see ancient ruins
or Native Americans' current lifestyles.
Day
5
: Acoma Pueblo
Today you'll head south and then west to
Acoma Pueblo
(p. 274). Take the bus and
walking tour, but then hike down on your
own to get a good sense of this mesa-top
village, where people still live as their
ancestors did hundreds of years ago. If you
have energy and time afterward, visit
El
Morro National Monument
(p. 279) to
see inscriptions left by visitors for hun-
dreds of years. Be sure to climb up to the
Anasazi (Ancestral Puebloan) ruins. Spend
the night in Grants.
Day
6
: Chaco Culture National
Historic Park
Though it's a long, dusty drive to
Chaco
Culture National Historic Park
(p. 135),
the combination of a stunning setting and
expansive ruins makes the park worth-
while. Chaco is the Holy Grail for South-
west history buffs. Be sure to hike up the
Pueblo Alto Trail
to get a full view of the
grand kivas and amazing network of dwell-
ings. Spend the night in Farmington at
Casa Blanca
(p. 133).
Day
7
: Mesa Verde National Park
& Monument Valley Navajo
Tribal Park
Though similar to Chaco,
Mesa Verde
(p. 88) presents an entirely different style
of living and architecture. Sign up for a
ranger-led tour to get a close-up view of
some of the best ruins. When you've fin-
ished wandering, head for
Monument
Valley Navajo Tribal Park
(p. 115), arriv-
ing in time to see the sun set on Mitten
Buttes. Stay the night at
Goulding's
Lodge
(p. 118).
Day
8
: Canyon de Chelly National
Monument
Get an early start and drive to
Canyon de
Chelly National Monument
(p. 109). See
“The Southwest in 2 Weeks: Day 9,”
above.
Day
9
: The Hopi Mesas
After leaving Canyon de Chelly, head
south to Ganado and visit the historic
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic
Site.
Then head west across the Hopi Res-
ervation and stop in the village of
Walpi
(p. 102), where you can take a guided tour
of the ancient mesa-top pueblo. Also be
sure to stop at
Tsakurshovi
(p. 104), a
tiny crafts shop that specializes in tradi-
tional Hopi kachina dolls. Continue south
to Winslow and stay at the historic
La
Posada
hotel (p. 99).
Day
0
: Sedona
Although Sedona is best known for its red-
rock scenery and art galleries, the area has
several small Sinagua ruins and an impres-
sive rock-art site. Get an early start and
head first to
Montezuma Castle National
Monument
(p. 502), a Sinagua cliff dwell-
ing. From there, head north to
Monte-
zuma Well
(p. 502), then continue to the
V Bar V Petroglyph Site
(p. 508), which
has a small rock wall covered with fascinat-
ing petroglyphs. After a picnic on the
banks of Beaver Creek or lunch in Sedona,
visit the remote cliff dwellings at
Palatki
Ruins
(p. 507). If you have time, visit the
partially reconstructed hilltop ruins at
Tuzigoot National Monument
(p. 503),
in nearby Clarkdale.
Day
!
: Phoenix
Today, head south to Phoenix and visit the
Heard Museum
(p. 434), Arizona's fore-
most museum of Native American art and
culture. This museum can help you make
sense of what you've been seeing during
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