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Santa Fe
- All Day: Arrivals to Santa Fe, NM
- 6pm: Orientation meeting
- 6:30-7:30pm: Lecture: Ancestral Pueblo Culture History
- Overnight in Santa Fe
Sept 6 - 13, 2025
The Ruins of Ancestral Pueblo Civilization - Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Other Ruins of the Four Corners --- An itinerary designed by Dr. Ed Barnhart
This one week journey will take you through the most famous of the Ancestral Pueblo ancient ruins. Starting and ending in Santa Fe, the expedition's path will lead up into Colorado, touching Utah, and then returning to New Mexico.
Participants will fly into Santa Fe and attend the first lecture that evening. Visit Bandelier and Chimney Rock on the way to Cortez, where the group will stay three nights to visit Hovenweep, Canyon of the Ancients, and Mesa Verde. Returning to New Mexico, visits to Aztec and Salmon Ruins will proceed the big final day at Chaco Canyon. The group will start at dawn to have as much time in Canyon as possible before heading back to Santa Fe.
A final friday night gathering will bring the adventure to a ceremonial close. Participants will fly out the next morning or stay to explore more on their own.
Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, Canyon of the Ancients, Aztec, Salmon, and Chimney Rock
Itinerary
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Day 1: Saturday, Sept 6
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Day 2: Sunday, Sept 7
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Bandelier
- 7-9am: Breakfast at hotel and check out
- 9-12pm: Transport to and tour of Bandelier
- 12-4pm: Transport to Pagosa Springs and lunch on the road
- 6-7pm: Lecture: Ancestral Pueblo Archaeoastronomy
- Overnight in Pagosa Springs
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Day 3: Monday, Sept 8
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Chimney Rock
- 7-8am: Breakfast and hotel check out
- 8-12pm: Transport to and hiking up to Chimney Rock
- 12-3pm: Transport to and lunch break in Durango
- 3-4pm: Transport to Cortez and hotel check in
- Evening: Free time in Cortez
- Overnight in Cortez
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Day 4: Tuesday, Sept 9
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Hovenweep and Canyon of the Ancients
- 7-9am: Breakfast at hotel
- 9-12pm: Transport to and tour of Hovenweep (Utah)
- 12-2pm: Lunch on the road
- 2-5pm: Hiking and ruins in the Canyon of the Ancients
- Overnight in Cortez
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Day 5: Wednesday, Sept 10
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Mesa Verde
- 7-8am: Breakfast at hotel
- 8-9am: Transport into Mesa Verde
- 9-12pm: Tours of Cliff Palace and Long House
- 12-1pm: Lunch at Visitors Center
- 2-4pm: Canyon of the Ancients Museum
- Overnight in Cortez
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Day 6: Thursday, Sept 11
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Aztec and Salmon Ruins
- 7-9am: Breakfast and hotel check out
- 9-12pm: Transport to and tour of Aztec Ruins
- 12-2pm: Lunch in Farmington
- 2-3pm: Food shopping for Chaco Canyon
- 3-4pm: Exploring Salmon Ruins
- 4-5pm: Transport to Cuba and hotel check in
- Overnight in Cuba, NM
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Day 7: Friday, Sept 12
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Chaco Canyon
- 7am: Depart for Chaco Canyon
- 7-8am: Transport to Chaco Canyon
- 8-12pm: Tour of Pueblo Bonito and Casa Reconada
- 12-1pm: Packed lunch break
- 1-3pm: More Great Houses of Chaco Canyon
- 3-6pm: Transport to Santa Fe
- 7pm: Final celebration happy hour at the hotel
- Overnight in Santa Fe
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Day 8: Saturday, Sept 13
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Departure
- Morning: Free time or taxi to the airport
- End of Tour
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Lodging (these hotels or similar)
Santa Fe
El Sendero Inn
Blocks from Old Town. AC, restaurant, bar, telephone, cable TV and wifi.
Pagosa Springs
Quality Inn
Comfortable hotel one blocks from the hot springs. AC, pool, cable TV and wifi.
Cortez
Best Western Turquiose Inn
Located in the middle of town and close to restuarants. AC, cable TV and wifi.
Cuba
Frontier Motel
Staging location to get into Chaco Canyon early. AC, cable TV, and wifi.
Price Includes
All lodging, private ground transportation, breakfasts, archaeologist guide, local
guides, evening lectures, entry fees, and water bottles on the bus
Price Does Not Include
Airfare - Round trip to Santa Fe, lunches, dinners, gratuities (maids, drivers, guides, etc..), and travel insurance - MEC strongly suggests that every tour participant obtain travel insurance for the week
MEC strongly recommends travel insurance. If you don't have a trusted company, InsureMyTrip allows you to compare compare policies from many different companies and make your best choice.
This one week tour will explore the ruins of Ancestral Pueblo Civilization
Participants will stay on the move - four different hotels during the week. Each day will be another adventure, hiking through canyons and across desert landscapes.
8 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES, 2 MUSUEMS, AND THE BEAUTY OF THE FOUR CORNERS REGION
- $500 deposit due upon registration
- 50% balance due 90 days before the trip
- Final balance due 30 days before