Visiting Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Chaco Culture National Historical Park near Farmington, New Mexico, is a place that must be seen to be believed. It’s not easy to get to, but it’s definitely worth the trip. Located in the high desert of Northwest New Mexico, Chaco Culture is the site of the largest buildings built in the United States prior to the 19th century.

In addition to being a national park, Chaco Culture National Historical Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the USA’s most important and comprehensive examples of pre-Columbian architecture.  Thousands of people lived and worked in these massive pueblos between 850 and 1250 A.D.  Chaco Canyon was the center of the ancestral Puebloan world with dozens of great houses connected to roads leading to 150 more throughout the region.

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Bandelier National Monument

On our recent New Mexico adventure, one of our first stops was Bandelier National Monument. Bandelier National Monument is 33, 677 acres of national park land located near Los Alamos, New Mexico. The fifty square mile site preserves the ancient dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloans who made their homes in and around the canyon in two different eras,  from 1150 to 1600 A.D.

President Wilson designated Bandelier as a national monument in 1916, making it one of the oldest national monuments in the country. With 50 square miles of undeveloped land, 70% of which is wilderness, Bandelier National Monument has over 70 miles of hiking trails.  It’s the perfect spot to explore ancient dwellings and view wildlife all at the same time.

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Exploring the Ruins of the Southwest

Have you ever been surprised with a weekend getaway? This winter, Meghan and Joe surprised me with a weekend getaway to some of the historic ruins of the Southwest in New Mexico and Colorado.

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