|
(4-6 hours,
40-60 miles, 64.4-96.6 kilometers)
New Mexico was
home to some of the earliest residents of North America (Sandia
Man 20,000 B.C., Folsom Man 8,000 B.C.). By 1,000 A.D., the
Native American people of New Mexico had developed complex
cultures with multi-storied dwellings, solar observatories, a
system of roads, and extensive trade contacts.
Albuquerque
offers a marvelous opportunity to follow the development of
Native American culture in the Rio Grande Valley from prehistory
to the present. Start at the Petroglyph National Monument on
Albuquerque's west side, where five extinct volcanoes stand
silhouetted against the sky.
For thousands of
years, hunting parties camped at the base of the lava flow,
chipping an estimated 17,000 petroglyphs into the rocks. No
camping is allowed, but picnic shelters and water are available.
Four walking trails, from easy to moderately difficult, wind
through the petroglyphs.
Petroglyph
Park
is on Atrisco (Unser) Boulevard NW, at the foot of the lava
escarpment. The park is open daily from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. September
through March, and from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. April through August.
Admission: $1 per vehicle.
From Petroglyph
Park, go east on Montaño Road to Coors. Turn left on Coors and
proceed north past the campus of the Southwest Indian
Polytechnic Institute, and through the farming community of
Corrales to Coronado State Monument. The
Monument preserves the ruins of Kuaua Pueblo, where the Spanish
explorer Coronado is thought to have spent the winter of 1540-41
looking for the fabled "Seven Cities of Gold." In
addition to extensive ruins and an excellent interpretive trail,
visitors can enter a restored kiva (sacred ceremonial chamber
normally off-limits to non-Indians). This kiva is unusual
because of the many layers of paintings discovered on its walls.
Some of these are reproduced in the kiva, while the originals
hang in the visitor center.
From the grand
portal of the visitor center, the majestic Sandia Mountains and
the Rio Grande offer their best profiles to photographers.
Coronado Monument is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and closed on
state holidays. Admission: $2 adults, children 15 and under
free.
Return to
Albuquerque via US-85 and Rio Grande Boulevard. Much of this
route follows the Camino Real (Royal Road), which linked the
pueblos and their attendant Spanish settlements to Chihuahua in
Old Mexico. The route leads through some of the loveliest parts
of the Rio Grande Valley, beneath which some 15
Indian pueblos lie unexcavated.
Back in
Albuquerque, visit the striking Indian Pueblo Cultural
Center at 2401 12th St. NW. The Center echoes the
design of Pueblo Bonito, the high point of Chaco Culture
architecture (1100 A.D.). The best of arts and crafts from all
of New Mexico's 19 pueblos can be seen here, as well as
interpretive displays. Indian dances are held on weekends from
May to October, and photography is allowed.
The Center also
houses a gift shop and a delightful restaurant specializing in
Native American-style cooking. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
daily. Admission: $2.50 adults, $1.50 senior citizens, $1
students, children 4 and under free.
OPTIONAL:
Isleta
Pueblo.
To visit a living Indian pueblo, take I-25 south to Isleta
Pueblo. Isleta has one of the oldest mission churches in the
Southwest, the church of San Augustine (1613-1630 A.D.).
Picture-taking is restricted to buildings (not people) in the
plaza area, which can be approached from either NM-47 or US-85.
The Pueblo also
runs a thriving water recreation area, Isleta Lakes.
Isleta Lakes Water Recreation Area is approached from NM-47 only
(take Broadway exit south from I-25). Picnic and camping
facilities are available at very reasonable rates. State fishing
licenses are not required if a pueblo fishing permit is
purchased. Isleta Pueblo is open during daylight hours, and
Isleta Lakes is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
OPTIONAL:
Acoma
Pueblo.
An hour west of Albuquerque on I-40 is the exit to "Sky
City," or Acoma Pueblo. One of the state's most dramatic
landscapes, Acoma sits on top of a steep mesa overlooking the
desert.
For a small fee,
an Acoma tour guide will take visitors on a walking tour through
the pueblo. This takes anywhere from half an hour to an hour and
includes the plaza and mission church. Still photography permits
are available at $5 per camera; video and movie cameras are not
permitted.
Below the mesa,
visitors can tour the free museum and refresh themselves at the
cafe in the visitor center from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. A wooded
picnic area is also available about a mile down the road on your
way out. Rising majestically, the ancient formation called
Enchanted Mesa provides the perfect resting spot before moving
on.
Acoma Pueblo is
open year-round, but is closed for private ceremonies July 10-13
and the first or second weekend in October.
OPTIONAL:
Jemez
(Hay-mes) Pueblo.
Just one hour northwest of Albuquerque, at the gateway of the
majestic Cañon de San Diego lies a single puebloan village
known as Walatowa. Take I-25 to Bernalillo, exit 242; Highway 44
to San Ysidro; State Route 4 approximately 5 miles; watch for
signs to "Walatowa Visitor Center."
The Walatowa
Visitor Center provides information about the pueblo
and other attractions throughout the "Jemez Mountain
Trail." The gift shop has a selection of arts and crafts
created by Jemez artisans. A small museum features a
photographic display depicting the ancestral Pre-Jemez domain. A
nature walk around the center is designed to inform the visitor
of indigenous vegetation, and features a replica of a
traditional fieldhouse. Interpretive tours are offered with
advance arrangements and can include dance performances,
artists' demonstrations, and a traditional feast.
Experience the
beauty of the Jemez Red Rocks picturesque
scenery where unique rock formations contrast the blue New
Mexico skies. Enjoy traditional Jemez foods, and arts and crafts
which can be purchased at roadside stands in the beautiful Red
Rocks area. Jemez Pueblo has recreation areas where visitors can
picnic, fish and enjoy the great outdoors.
The Walatowa
Visitor Center is open year-round: Weekdays 8a.m.-5.p.m.
Weekends: Oct 16 - Mar 31, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Apr 1 - Oct 15 10
a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information, call (505) 834-7235.
|
