“All over the sky a sacred voice is calling your name.”
~ Black Elk
Southwest Adventure
Santa Fe, New Mexico is a magical, exuberant, colorful journey. The legendary history and culture will fascinate and inspire you.
Santa Fe lies on a tributary of the Rio Grande on the southwestern slopes of the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains.The fun and fascinating city, gains its particular atmosphere from the mingling of Native American, Spanish/Mexican and Anglo-American cultural influences. Its picturesque streets and lanes, low adobe houses, beautiful Spanish colonial churches as well as the profusion of Native American arts and crafts and contemporary art, have long been a sightseeing attraction for tourists. We will also visit Bandelier National Park which rests on the slopes of the Jemez Mountains and is famous for Ancestral Pueblo Indian Cliff dwellings
Abbreviated Itinerary
We will make our own way to Santa Fe and check into our hotel. Housed in the landmark 300-year-old hacienda of New Mexico’s Ortiz Family, our hotel in the Historic Plaza on Santa Fe, captures the rich cultural heritage and romance of the Southwest. Our hotel is within walking distance of amazing cultural attractions like the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, the Santa Fe Community Convention Center and fantastic shopping and dining venues.
We will rise for an early breakfast today and have our morning spiritual practice before driving north to Bandelier National Park which rests on the slopes of the Jemez Mountains, with an altitude range of 5,000 feet at the Rio Grande to 10,000 feet at the peak of Cerro Grande.
We will follow paths that lead upstream to the main ruins. Frijoles Canyon Trail, also known as the Main Loop, is by far the most popular hike in the park. Although only 1.2 miles in length, there is much to see along the way. The path encounters a large kiva, followed by the main ruin-site on the valley floor (Tyuonyi), then climbs slightly to the base of the cliffs on the north side of the canyon, where numerous cliff dwellings can be viewed close-up. These extend for a third of a mile and include several rooms that may be entered, via ladders.
After our breakfast, we will have our morning spiritual practice, which will focus on discovering our native state and clarity of vision. After lunch (on our own) we will tour the Georgia O’keeffe Museum near the hotel.
The galleries of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum honor the artist’s achievements and her continuing legacy. Her story is presented in nine galleries tracing a journey that spans the twentieth century and the rise of American Modernism. O’Keeffe’s paintings, drawings, pastels and watercolors from each decade of her life are always on view.