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ANCESTERAL
NATIVE AMERICAN ADVENTURE TOUR
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From
about 400 AD until 1,400 AD, the beautiful and intriguing
American Southwest hosted a flourishing culture called
the Anasazi or Ancestral Pueblos. Hundreds of villages
were constructed, trading routes established, crops
of corn, beans, melons, and cotton were planted and
harvested; outstanding panels of rock art were created;
and kivas and other buildings built for practicing
the religious beliefs Mysteriously, the culture disappeared
near 1, 400 AD, leaving vast remnants of a once thriving
culture scattered throughout the whole area.
The
Hopi and other pueblo tribes claim the Anasazi as
their ancestors and continue some of the traditions
initiated 100's of years ago.
Today,
many of our national parks and monuments in the area
contain relics of this once great culture. The Grand
Canyon, Chaco Canyon, Canyon de Chelle, Monument Valley,
Zion and Sedona are places where we can go and still
see and remnants of the Anasazi culture.
Join
us as we visit many of these important historical
sites and meet the Hopi, the Navajo, and Apache who
now live in or near the magnificent national parks
and monuments originally populated years ago and learn
about their culture, history, and modern-day challenges.
Day
One:
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Pick
up in Las Vegas at the Stratosphere Hotel at 8 00
am and depart directly for the South rim of the
Grand Canyon.
We visit the South Rim of America's most popular
park and have lunch in the Grand Canyon Village,
Not only are the views of the canyon spectacular,
we also get to observe an experience the masterful
architectural work of Mary Colter, designer of several
of the nearby buildings as well as a walk through
the famous El Tovar hotel.
We
also will visit several of the more magnificent
viewpoints on the Canyon Rim.
Dinner
and lodging will be at or near the historic Cameron
Trading post, located on the Western edge of the
Navajo Nation and overlooking the Little Colorado
River and Gorge.
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Day
Two:
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In
the morning, we visit Wupatki National Monument,
once home to the Anasazi and Sinagua ancestral
puebloian cultures and still contains remains
of a number of masonry buildings, a great museum
filled with artifacts and the most northerly located
ball court in the Southwest.
We
pass by Sunset Volcano Crater, the youngest volcano
on he Colorado Plateau with its 1.000-foot high
cinder cone. After passing through Flagstaff,
we drive through spectacular Oak Creek Canyon,
one of the most popular destinations in Arizona
and known for its beauty and serenity. Lunch will
be in Sedona.
In
the afternoon, we explore the Tuzigoot National
Monument and Montezuma's Castle, former Sinagua
Indian communities. We have dinner and spend the
evening in beautiful Sedona.
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Day
Three:
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We
will visit Walnut Canyon, another former Sinagua
community with some very interesting ruins. Later,
we stop at Meteor Crater and witness the effects
of a iron and nickel meteor hitting the earth some
50,000 years ago traveling at about 40,000 miles
per hour. Nasa used this location as a training
site for the Apollo Space program.
The
afternoon will be spent on the Hopi Tribe's reservation.
A member of the Hopi tribe will introduce us to
the culture, history, and contemporary challenges
the community faces. We will spend the night in
Chinle.
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Day
Four:
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A
Navajo guide will take us into this historic home
of the Anasazi and Navajo for a close up view
of the ancient structures still existing in the
various canyons. Hear about the Canyon del Muerto,
Kit Carson, the Navajo resistance to being destroyed
by the American government and the trail of tears.
Visit
to the historic Hubble Trading Post, the oldest
continual operating business in Arizona.
We
will be having dinner and stay in Gallup, New
Mexico. Gallup is the largest American Indian
Center in America with great shopping opportunities
for hand woven rugs, pottery and various artifacts.
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Day
Five:
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Chaco
Canyon is the historic center of the Anasazi
civilization. A World Heritage Site, Chaco represents
the ceremonial, trade and administrative hub
for this once great civilization. At one time,
there were 150 communities associated with Chaco.
There has no place like Chaco and we will spend
the day touring this ancient community.
Dinner
and the evening will be spent in Farmington,
New Mexico.
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Day
Six:
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After
a brief visit to the Four Corners (the only place
in the United States where four states intersect
at the same location), we depart for Bluff, Utah,
which has some exceptional Anasazi rock art panels
near the San Juan River and then have lunch.
After
lunch we stop at the Goose Necks State Park
for a really good overview of the San Juan River
as it meanders towards the Colorado River and
then head for Monument Valley. Local Navajo
guides will take us back into several seldom-visited
parts of the Monument Valley for a view of interesting
rock formations and Anasazi petroglyphs (including
ancient drawings of Kokopeli).
We
spend the evening in Kayenta, Arizona.
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Seven:
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Today
we travel to Page, Arizona, and visit Antelope
Canyon, one of the world's most beautiful
slot canyons. We later walk to the Horseshoe
Overlook of the Colorado River and then
have lunch. In the afternoon, we walk to
a seldom visited part of the Grand Staircase
Escalante National Monument to see some
really unique rock formations and later
in the day we visit Zion National Park.
Dinner and lodging will be in Springdale,
Utah. |
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Eight:
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After
an early morning hike in Zion, we visit
some recently discovered dinosaur tracks
in St. George Utah and visit a wholesale
Indian Jewelry outlet store and then return
to Las Vegas. |
DATES
OF DEPARTURE
March
22, 2004 August 23, 2004
April 20, 2004 September 21, 2004
May 24, 2004 October 19, 2004
June 21, 2004 November 16, 2004
July 20, 2004 December 6, 2004
COST:
$1,599 plus tax per person double occupancy
We
reserve the right to cancel or change tours,
schedules, or prices without notice
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Southern Utah
Scenic Tours,
Lc
Phone: 435- 867-8690 or 888-404-8687
PO Box 1113 Cedar City, Utah 84720
Questions or comments? Send
us an Email!
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Full
Service Tour Operator
