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HILLERMAN
COUNTRY
5 days / 4 nights Departing from and returning to the Phoenix metro area |
Tour
Highlights
-Grand Canyon National Park
-Hopi Mesas
-Canyon de Chelly Tribal Park
-Chaco Culture National Historic Park
-Zuni Mission
-Sedona
CANYON DE CHELLY JEEP TOUR
Click
here for Hillerman article from 'The Los Angeles Times'
Click
here for Hillerman article from AAA Magazine - 'Highroads'
Click
here for Hillerman article from 'New Mexico Magazine'
Click
here for Hillerman article from 'Albuquerque Magazine'
An introduction from Tony Hillerman-
My
first encounter with the friendly high, dry, big sky landscape
of the Four Corners world was in 1945--just back from the dismal,
wet, cold unfriendly landscape of World War II Europe.
It was love at first sight for me and I have been getting acquainted
with its mountains, canyons and interesting cultures ever since.
Its big country with long views and a wealth of empty places
populated with Navajos famous for their endurance and their
sense of humor, and a variety of pueblo tribes noted for their
artistry and their complex mythology. The Navajos once
called this center of their tribal existence in America
"The Glittering World" and in less poetic language, the land
between the Four Sacred Mountains . I'm happy this tour project
makes enjoying it easy and comfortable and I'm sure the landscape
and its people will make it memorable.
Experience Tony Hillerman's Southwest with an up close and personal
look at the lands and people who inspired the actions of NTP
officer Jim Chee and the "Legendary Lieutenant" Joe Leaphorn.
We will bring the Hillerman fiction series to life for you with
memorable touches. Our guests will meet a Navajo silversmith
whose name appears in the The Wailing Wind, and The
First Eagle, and visit the lands that serve as a backdrop
and inspiration for the prolific fiction
series.
Day 1 Our tour begins with an early am departure from Phoenix
as we climb through the Sonoran desert on our way to the red
rock country of Sedona, the home to many western movie classics.
Sedona's sandstone sculptures represent the spectacularly eroded
southern edge of the massive Colorado Plateau. We proceed upward
through Oak Creek Canyon to the top of the Colorado Plateau.
As we pass historic Flagstaff , Arizona , the San Francisco
Peaks catch our eye and we can enjoy them all the way to the
Grand Canyon . These volcanic peaks represent the highest point
in Arizona at 12,633 feet and are the home of the Hopi Kachinas.
We are welcomed to Grand Canyon National Park by a Navajo elder
who's name appears in The Wailing Wind . James Peshlakai
is a silversmith and a traditional Navajo who even spent some
time as a Navajo Tribal Police officer. James is a personal
friend of Mr. Hillerman, and will share stories and insights
to the Navajo way of life. His presence is a perfect introduction
for our tour and a once in a lifetime experience. Spend the
afternoon by selecting additional activities at the Canyon,
perhaps a helicopter ride over the Canyon or walking along the
rim. Overnight stay is at Grand Canyon tonight.
Day
2
The tour departs Grand Canyon village after breakfast to travel
the scenic East Rim Drive on our way to Desert View. Our Grand
Canyon experience is a well timed teaser for Hillerman fans,
asthe newest novel, The Skeleton Man , is set here in
the national park. The final scenes of The Skeleton Man take place about 4800 feet below our spectacular viwepoint. We descend Gray Mountain to the 100 mile
vistas of the Navajo nation to make our way to the Hopi Mesas.
High above the desert floor in ancient villages, we will visit
one of the oldest continuously occupied settlements in America
, Old Oraibi. We leave the Hopi Mesas with peace in our hearts
and cross the desert to Canyon De Chelly. Our visit to Canyon de Chelly includes a Navajo-Guided jeep tour of part of the 30 mile long sandstone canyon system. On our way, we visit
a Roman Catholic church built as a large Hogan, where we can
witness and experience the merging of two religions. We greet
the setting sun overlooking Spider Rock. Overnight is in Chinle
tonight.
Day
3
This morning features Canyon de Chelly from the canyon floor
with Navajo guides and their stories of life in this sacred
place. As we bid farewell to Canyon de Chelly, we pass near
the spot where Hillerman's story, The Fallen Man, has
it's surprise ending. Teec Nos Pos and Mexican Water are featured
in many Hillerman novels and are near our route. Ship Rock pinnacle is on the horizon, where we will
see the place where The Fallen Man got his name. Overnight
accommodations in Farmington , New
Mexico.
Day 4 Today
we are surrounded by the scenery of the "empty lands" that act as a character themselves in Hillerman's writings.
On our way to Chaco Culture National Historic Park, commonly
known as 'Chaco Canyon,' we pass Nageezi and Blanco, trading
posts featured in A Thief Of Time. Chaco Canyon was a
place of commerce, a spiritual-religious center, temporary living
quarters and perhaps a gathering place for early astronomers.
A real treasure of the Southwest, Chaco Canyon contains one
of the largest excavated pre historic ruins in North America.
Chaco Culture features towering, 6 story structures and kivas
from an era long past. This mystic place is visited in A
Thief of Time, Coyote Waits, and Sacred Clowns.
We leave Chaco Canyon with all of it's secrets and journey to
Crown Point, a location often mentioned in our novel series.
Next we drive past Standing Rock, from People Of Darkness and
Sacred Clowns and through Coyote Canyon on our way to Gallup,
New Mexico for our overnight stay.
Day
5 With
an early departure from Gallup , we make our way to Zuni. Zuni pueblo is a site from Tony's thriller,
Dance Hall of the Dead, and today's feature location.
The pueblo is referred to as the "Sistine Chapel of the West." This 1629 Catholic mission is adorned with the Zuni Kachina
and Shalako, life size images painted by Zuni artists Alex and
Ken Seowtewa. These larger than life images represent the seasonal
lifestyles and overall history of the Zuni people. This pueblo
can be considered the focal point of Zuni culture and an amazing
overview of an enduring society. When standing in front of it,
you will know that you are witnessing something truly special. We arrive back in Phoenix tonight at approximately 7:00pm.
Our goal has been to experience
the places and inspiration for Tony Hillerman's novels. We want
to showcase the interweaving of all of the southwest's natural
beauty with the spiritual and cultural aspects of the the Native
American - Navajo, Hopi and Zuni people.
2008 Tour Dates From Phoenix -So Far, more to come.
Guests will be picked up for their tour at most hotels and resorts in Phoenix, Scottsdale,or Tempe.
June 23 - 27
September 22 - 26
October 13 - 17
Call for other avaliable dates.
Groups
of 6 or more can choose their own departure dates.
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| Adults |
$1100.00/guest
Double Occupancy
$1350.00/guest
Single Occupancy |
| Includes |
Transportation,
4 nights of lodging. Guide Services, Park entry fees,
Added for 2006! Canyon de Chelly jeep tour.
((meals
are not included in tour price)) |
| Additional Costs |
Hotel accomodations before
and after the tour, for those flying to Phoenix. All meals during the tour and Grand
Canyon helicopter tours. |
| REQUEST
A RESERVATION FOR THIS TOUR! |
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