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Travel Advisories

Weather, road and other conditions change rapidly in the southwest. In addition, museum exhibitions change from time to time and National Park Service facilities are upgraded when resources are available. Local events are scheduled when their hosts think appropriate while Hopi,Navajo, Pueblo and Ute activities are not always well publicized. And, unfortunately, many parks and monuments face budgetary restrictions that may limit operations.

This list is updated whenever changes are brought to my attention. I monitor several sites for updates and and welcome input from other travelers. If you encounter unanticipated situations, please email the details to updates@AnasaziAdventure.com.
Canyon de Chelly
Winter rates		 Now through the end of February, the Thunderbird Lodge offers nightly rates that are more than 40 percent below summer's high-season rates. For additional details, see the National Parks Traveler.
Dragoon, Arizona
November 27, 2009		 The Amerind Foundation Museum will offer free admission on November 27 in recognition of National Native American Heritage Day.
Flagstaff, Arizona
November 6, 2009		 The Canada Free Press has published a nice summary of information about Wupatki National Monument.
Ft. Collins, Colorado
Sept. 17 – Jan. 22, 2010		 The Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising in the Colorado State University Center for the Arts at 1400 Remington Street will display Hopi and Navajo textiles in an exhibition titled "Woven to Wear." The opening will include an informal gallery walk by the guest curator,Jeanne Brako from Ft. Lewis College. For additional details and information about the Center's lecture series, please see the press release.
Montezuma Canyon, Utah
October 11-17, 2009		 Southwest Ed-Ventures will host an seven-day educational excavation in Montezuma Canyon. The program is open to 15 people who will work with professional archaeologists to learn and practice field excavation skills. The trip is co-sponsored by Elderhostel and costs $943 per person including all meals from dinner on day one to breakfast on day seven, transportation from/to Cortez, Colorado airport, expert staff and guides, group equipment, and fees. For additional details, see the prospectus.  
Arizona State Parks
July 29, 2009		 A posting on the Arizona State Parks Foundation website warns that the entire park system is in jeopardy as a result of budget cuts.  According to the posting, money taken from the parks to plug other holes leaves the  State Parks with only $8.4 million in operating revenues for the fiscal year compared to $30 million needed for bare bones operations. For additional details, see the Arizona State Parks Foundation website.
Taos Pueblo, New Mexico
July 10-12, 2009		 The 24th annual Taos Pueblo pow wow  featuring songs and dancing will be held at the Pueblo. For additional details, see the pow wow web site.
Flagstaff, Arizona
July 4 and 5, 2009		 The Museum of Northern Arizona will host the 76th Annual Hopi Festival of Arts and Culture, “the Oldest Hopi Art Show in the World”. Over 75 artists from the 12 Hopi villages will present centuries-old art traditions as well as contemporary innovations. For additional details, see the announcement in NAZ Today.
June 30, 2009 Citing a budget shortfall, the Phoenix Museum of History will close. For additional details, see the brief story in The Arizona Republic.
Boulder, Colorado
June 9, 2009		 The University of Colorado Museum of Natural History launched a one-year exhibit, "Navajo Weaving: Diamonds, Dreams, Landscapes," displaying about 100 pieces from the museum's Joe Ben Wheat Southwest Textile Collection. Steve Lekson, associate professor of anthropology and the museum's anthropology curator, "The last major exhibit of this collection was almost 20 years ago, and many of the pieces in the current exhibit have never been displayed," said "This is one of the best collections of textiles anywhere."

For additional details, visit the exhibits home page. 
Albuquerque, New Mexico
June 9, 2009

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science a new exhibition, Space Frontiers. The exhibit includes a variety of artifacts on long-term loan from the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo as well as an interactive component interpreting the Sun Dagger of Chaco Canyon. For additional details, see the museum's Web site. 
Santa Fe, NM
May 24, 2009		 The New  Mexico History Museum will open to the public. Located directly behind the Palace of the Governors, the new museum was built at a cost of $44 million and consists of a 3-1/2 story, 96,000-square-foot building with plenty of exhibit as well as state-of-the-art storage.

For additional details, see stories in the Victoria Advocate and Los Angeles Times or visit the Museum's web page.
Flagstaff, Arizona
May 19, 2009		 The Museum of Northern Arizona offers summer discovery programs including "Archaeoastronomy Kids Camp-Out" and related programs designed to appeal to kids of all ages. For additional details, see the announcement in NAZ Today.
Cambridge, Mass.
May 15, 2009		 Ongoing exhibits at the PEABODY MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY include "Painted by a Distant Hand: Mimbres Pottery From the American Southwest," "Encounters With the Americas," and "Hall of the North American Indian: Change and Continuity." Admission is $5-$7.50 and you can call for additional information: 1-617-496-1027.
St. George, Ut
May 8, 2009		 Brian Passey writes an interesting local news column in The Spectrum and occasionally describes hikes that will appeal to glyph fanciers. This week's column describes an easy hike to the Land Hill Petroglypyh Site and includes directions to the trail head as well as way points.
Tularosa, NM
May 8, 2009		 The First Tularosa Basin Archaeology Conference begins tonight and will feature 20 professional presentations geared to a lay audience. Over 80% of the 12,400 archeological sites in the Tularosa Basin date from the Ancestral Puebloan era.

Although few readers will be able to attend the three-day conference, the schedule of presentations is a good check list of important themes in current research and the expected conference proceedings will be valuable reading for those who are interested.
Winslow, Arizona
May 4, 2009		 The Arizona Legislature continues to struggle with an anticipated $3 billion budget shortfall for fiscal 2010 and Homolovi Ruins State Park may be closed as a budget cutting move. For details, see AZCentral.com
Flagstaff, Arizona
May 19, 2009		 A free symposium focusing on 100 Years of Research at Navajo National Monument to be Held at Nprthern Arizona University. Featured speakers will include George J. Gumerman, Larry V. Nordby, Francis E. Smiley, Steve Hayden, and Jeff Dean. For additional details, download the pdf describing the event. 
Utah
May 2-9, 2009		 This is Utah's annual prehistory week with activities for adults and children alike. For a complete list of statewide events, visit the state's Archeology Page. There is also an informative narrative article in Desert News.
Glendale, Arizona
May 1-3, 2009		 The three day Chasing the Sun Race and Pow Wow will be held at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The event is a celebration of native cultures and the general public is invited to attend. For details, see the extended article in Indian Country Today.
Sedona, Arizona
April 30, 2009		 Fires along the Mogollon Rim have been largely contained. According to the Camp Verde Bugle,  the Dripping Springs Fire has been 90% contained and The Bear Fire is about 60% contained.
Sedona, Arizona
April 25, 2009		 A fire continues to burn along the Mogollon Rim north of Sedona and the Secret Mountain Wilderness. Dubbed the Bear Fire, it has consumed 20 acres and is now 60% contained. Firefighters are preparing to ignite a 300 acre back fire as soon as winds calm down according to KTAR News.
Salt Lake City, Utah
April 24, 2009		 Today's Desert News has a very attractive article on Native American mountain shrines in the West. The article by Lynn Arave describes several Navajo shrines and explains some access conditions.
Sedona, Arizona
April 24, 2009		 The current issue of The Arizona Republic has a short article about Palatki. If you plan to visit the area, the article may be a helpful introduction to the site.
Aztec, Chaco and other Parks/Monuments
April 24, 2009		 Aztec Ruins, Chaco Culture, Mesa Verde and other Parks or Monuments in the four corners region are slated to receive modest amounts of money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In most cases, funds will be used for maintenance of park facilities but there is a chance that some visitor activities will be disrupted. The money must be spent by September 30, 2010 and the Farmington Daily Times has additional information and links to government sites with a complete list of grants.
For information about spending at other parks and monuments in New Mexico, see a short article in The Victoria Advocate.
Four Corners
April 23, 2009		 The monument at the Four Corners misses the mark by 2.5 miles according to recently released survey data. According to a widely reported Associated Press story, the original surveyors used equipment that is not as accurate as today. As a result, in 1868, they marked the meeting point of the four states about 1,800 feet away from the true location. This probably won't have much impact on your vacation planning, but it is an interesting curiosity and you can read the Associate Press account as well as a briefer explanation in The Washington Post.
Window Rock, Arizona
April 22, 2009		 If Navajo President Joe Shirley, Jr. signs the measure, drivers on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah will be prohibited from using cell phones that are not equipped with hands-free devices. Declaring cell phone use to be a public safety issue, the measure passed by the Navajo Tribal Council will impose a $20 fine for the first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses. For more details, see the Associated Press announcement.
Farmington, New Mexico
April 10, 2009		 Highway 491 is one of the primary north-south routes through the four corners region and many of your adventures will probably involved driving portions of it. Details are still a bit sketchy but driving along the route is likely to be disrupted this summer as the State of New Mexico undertakes a series of facelifts. Nearly $50 million worth of improvements funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and work is scheduled to start within 30 days according to a Daily Times article.
Mesa, Arizona
April 3, 2009		 Park of the Canals is about to receive a major face lift thanks to $61,000 in grants funded by the Home Depot's Foundation and its non-profit affiliate KaBOOM! The Park has fallen into disrepair in recent years and I have cautioned people to exercise care when visiting. The situation may change with the upgrades scheduled to begin on May 28, 2009 according to an article in The Arizona Republic.
Cortez, Colorado
April 4, 2009		 The Archeology Channel has posted a new video entitled "THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE GREAT SAGE PLAIN." Running for 19 minutes, the video focuses on the area near Cortez, Colorado and portrays the ancient civilization that grew up on the plains intersected by small canyons and surrounded by snow-capped mountains. To view the video, you will need either Windows Media Player or Real Player.
Camp Verde, Arizona
June 11-13, 2009

The first biennial Conference on Archaeoastronomy of the American Southwest will be held in Camp Verde. The area was selected for its proximity to National Monuments including Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well and Tuzigoot as well as National Heritage sites of Honanki, Palatki and V-Bar-V, with abundant collections of rock art and many archaeological and astronomical sites. The even is sponsored by the Arizona Archaeological Society and registration must be received by June 1st. For additional details, see the conference website.
Chaco Canyon
May 18-23, 2009		 Southwest Ed-Ventures is hosting a trip to Chaco Canyon. I have no personal knowledge of this group, but they say their trips are "For travelers with a bent towards history or for anyone who enjoys a good mystery,Southwest Ed-Ventures offers the ultimate experience. Small groups led by insightful guides with a focus on hands-on learning; these are the hallmarks of each Southwest Ed-Venture." Contact information includes   Janet Ross TEL: 800-525-4456 E-MAIL:  jross@fourcornersschool.org
San Juan River
March 29, 2009		 The current Arizona Daily Sun has a nice article about rafting along the San Juan River, including a link to the permitting office and contact numbers for local outfitters.
Window Rock, Arizona
2009 & continuing		 Today, the Navajo occupy much of the four corners area. Visitors who respect their culture find the Navajo to be gracious hosts and and current exhibitions at the Navajo Nation Museum  can help visitors avoid blunders. See the Museum's website for information about current and continuing exhibits.
Puye Cliff Dwellings
May 2009 		The Puye Cliff Dwellings have been a tourist attraction for over a century, but closed to visitors in 2000. Limited guided tours resumed in 2008 and drop-in access should be available beginning in May 2009. Tickets will be sold at the Puye Cliffs Welcome Center at a Valero gas station on N.M. 30 about 2 miles southwest of Española. The ruins are located about seven miles west of there. Because the opening date is still tentative, call ahead to be certain tours are available: (505) 753-73267326
Durango, Colorado
March 21, 2009		 The Colorado State Parks maintains that it does not have the resources to develop an archeologically informed visitors center at Lake Nighthorse. However, in what appears to have been a moderately contentious board meeting, the Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District has announced its desire to help support a center which would display artifacts recovered during excavations on the site.

Lake Nighthorse will be formed when Ridges Basin Reservoir, located three miles southwest of Durango, is filled. Archeologists from SWCA Environmental Consultants recovered more than 800,000 artifacts dating to between 750 and 825 AD during five years of excavation. For additional details, see the article in  the Durango Herald News. 
Clovis, New Mexico
March 19, 2009		 The Blackwater Draw Archaeological Site between Clovis and Portales, New Mexico preserved large quantities of Paleo-Indian and Archaic era artifacts. Many are now displayed in a museum along US Highway 70. For a brief description of the site and museum, see  the "area attractions" piece by Carrie Pendleton.
Sears Kay Ruins
March 19, 2009		 The Sears Kay Ruins, a small Hohokam site, gets less press than many other sites, but a recent piece by Debe Branning includes directions and an attractive slide show. See the examiner.com site to view the piece. 
Tucson, Arizona
February 7 -- July 3, 2009		 The Arizona State Museum is hosting  "Circles Of Life: Katsina Imagery in Hopi Basketry," a traveling exhibition highlighting the katsina [kachina] religion is Hopi culture. For details, see the Museum's website.
Homolovi Ruins St. Park
February 4, 2009		 A brief story in the Gallup Independent notes that Homolovi Ruins State Park near Winslow, Arizona is among the five state parks officials are considering closing to help eliminate a revenue shortfall. Subsequent stories have noted that the closue has been overruled, but it may be a good idea to call ahead or check the park website before planning a visit.
Scottsdale, Arizona
January 11 - April 11, 2009		 At the outdoor amphitheater in the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall Native Trails presents a "sensory journey" highlighting the first nations of Arizona and North America.  Musical performances feature traditional instruments including flutes, gourds and drums while tribal dancers and cultural ambassadors tell traditional stories.  Native American food and arts and crafts are also available. For additional details, see the Native Trails website. 

Cuba, New Mexico
January 1, 2009

The Visitor Center is now closed. Fortunately, their website continues to provide directions to Bluebird Mesa, Nogales Cliff House Ruins, Rattlesnake Ride Ruins, and Guadalupe Ruin. 
Monument Valley
December 2008		 A new hotel, The View, has opened adjacent to the Monument Valley Tribal Park Visitors Center. It is the only hotel in the Park and features spectacular views as well as a restaurant, business center with Internet access, and a fitness room. For rates and reservations, visit the hotel's website.

© Eric Skopec, 2009