Our journey from Santa Fe starts as you travel with your field guide in a Luxury SUV towards the southern entrance of Bandelier National Monument where  evidence of human activity dates back more than 10,000 years. Adolph Bandelier, an anthropologist from Switzerland who first visited in October of 1880 remarked, “it is the grandest thing I ever saw.”

Beneath the shady Frijoles Creek cottonwood trees we will set an epicurean picnic, complete with blanketed tablecloths and enamelware and champagne.

Then after lunch you will explore and hike 1.25 miles through this archeological and wilderness preserve where deep sheer walled lush canyons and wide-open vista mesa tops unveil an ancient civilization that resided within the cliff dwellings of the canyon walls.

As you make your way on the paved path to visit the village of Tyuonyi, you will find the one to two story high cliff dwellings that has the quality of an ancient apartment structure that housed over 100 people. Continuing along the trail you wind your way up into the cliff walled houses, classified as cavates, where most had stone rooms built in front of them called Talus Houses. Our hike culminates alongside the Long House where the people built multi-storied abodes along the cliff base and carved petroglyphs into the cliff.

Finally, you’ll return to the Visitor Center along the nature trail and through the fragrant old growth ponderosa pine forest for your journey back to Santa Fe, where you can continue to learn more from your field guide about the residents of Bandelier as well as the modern-day pueblos of San Idlefonso, Santa Clara and Cochiti.