Taos Pueblo

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  • Ancient pueblo belonging to the Taos-speaking (Tiwa) Native American tribe of the Puebloan people
  • One of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States
  • The reservation is 95,000 acres and about 4,500 people live in the area
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

White Sands National Monument

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  • 275 square mile field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals
  • The gypsum dune field is the largest of its kind on Earth

 

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

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  • Has the most sweeping collection of ancient ruins north of Mexico
  • Chacoan buildings may have been aligned to capture the solar and lunar cycles, requiring generations of astronomical observations and centuries of skillfully coordinated construction
  • Climate change is thought to have led to the emigration of Chacoans and the eventual abandonment of the canyon, beginning with a 50 drought commencing in 1130
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

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  • Two-thirds of the park has been set aside as a wilderness area, helping to ensure no future changes will be made to the habitat
  • Carlsbad Cavern includes a natural limestone chamber almost 4,000 ft long
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad

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  • Railroad that runs for 64 miles and over 10,015 ft
  • The train crosses back and forth between the Colorado and New Mexico border

 

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  • Layers of volcanic rock and ask deposited from a volcanic explosion that occurred 6-7 million years ago
  • Weather and erosion has created canyons and tent rocks

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

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  • Annual hot air balloon festival
  • The fiesta is a 9 day event that has over 500 balloons each year
  • Largest hot air balloon festival in the US

 

Pueblo Bonito

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  • Largest great house in the park, which was built by Ancestral Puebloans
  • Built and occupied from 828-1126
  • Center of ancestral Puebloan peoples of the Chacoan world
  • 111 jars have been found, as well as 800 rooms

 

Philmont Scout Ranch

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  • Large, rugged, mountainous ranch covering 140,177 acres
  • Formerly the property of an oil baron, now it’s the Boy Scouts of America National High Adventure Base
  • Offers backpacking expeditions and other outdoor activities
  • 1,130 seasonal staff maintain the Ranch’s summer program
  • The only documented Tyrannosaurus rex track in the world was discovered within the camp’s boundaries in 1993

 

 

Costs

all flights $405

food $36/day x 9 days = $390

hotel $46/day x 8 days = $368

tickets (all attractions) $216

TOTAL for whole itinerary $1,379