Monuments and Mesas

• Day 1

  Depart Sacramento this morning for Albuquerque. Lunch is hosted in historic Old Town with leisure time to follow to visit some of the shops and galleries before checking into your hotel just steps away. Hotel Albuquerque (L)

• Day 2

  Travel north into Colorado this morning for a visit to Durango. Take a walking tour of the historic district, home to award winning restaurants, art galleries and eclectic shops. Mesa Verde National Park offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people. The park protects over 4,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the best preserved in the country. Your hotel is located inside the Park. Far View Lodge – 2 nights (B,D)

• Day 3

  Today a local guide will tell the story of the people that lived here on top of the Mesa and in the spectacular cliff dwellings. You will have an opportunity to enter the Spruce Tree House Ruin and climb inside a Kiva (a spiritual structure). Visit the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum as well as attend a park ranger program. (B)

• Day 4

  The Four Corners Monument is the only place in the U.S. where four states meet. A great photo opportunity, as you can be in four states at the same time. How limber are you? Your hotel in Monument Valley is a new property that boasts views of the famous sandstone buttes. From your private balcony, experience the ever-changing colors at sunset and sunrise! The View Hotel (B,L,D)

• Day 5

  Monument Valley provides perhaps the most enduring images of the American West. Take a tour this morning with Navajo guides that were all born and raised in the valley. Secluded off-roads let you discover the backcountry that once served as real-life backdrops for countless western movies. Stop for a few scenic photos en route to your accommodations in Bluff, Utah. The Desert Rose (B,D)

• Day 6

  Visit Edge of the Cedars museum which houses an excellent collection of Anasazi pottery. This afternoon we will travel to Moab situated right in between Arches & Canyonlands National Parks. You will have the best accommodations located on the banks of the Colorado River with towering red cliffs surrounding you. Red Cliffs Lodge – 2 nights (B)

• Day 7

  Start the day with one of the most beautiful vistas in the west at Dead Horse Point State Park. You will be 1,500 feet above the Colorado River, the views are awesome! Arches National Park has over 2,000 cataloged arches (the greatest concentration in the world). It is a photographer’s dream and a day you won’t soon forget. (B,L)

• Day 8

  Thanksgiving Point offers a surprising combination of attractions, one of which is 55 acres of beautiful themed gardens. We will have lunch followed by a tour before heading to Salt Lake City and our afternoon flight to Sacramento. (B,L)

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