Afternoon: Hotel Check in after 3:00PM. Rooms may be available earlier based upon demand, call hotel for request. Northern Arizona University Road Scholar program registration from 4:30-5:15 PM in the hotel meeting room.

Dinner: Enjoy a New Mexican food buffet dinner in the hotel conference room.

Evening: Introductions and orientation in the hotel meeting room following dinner. Get to know your fellow participants, review the schedule, and get prepared for the action packed adventure you are about to embark on.

Lodging: Albuquerque Best Western Rio Grande Inn

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: Hot buffet breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Depart for Sky City Acoma Pueblo (approximately 1.5 hours). After checking in at the Sky City Cultural Center the group will join a local guide for a walking tour of the Acoma Pueblo. The Acoma Pueblo is perched atop a sheer-walled, 367-foot sandstone bluff in a valley studded with sacred, towering monoliths. Since 1150 A.D., Acoma Pueblo has earned the reputation as the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. The mesa-top settlement is known worldwide for its unique art and rich culture. The tour will include the history and cultural traditions of the Acoma people presented by a native guide and a visit to the massive San Esteban del Rey Mission, a Catholic mission built in 1629.

Lunch: Experience a taste of local fare at the Y'aak’a Café, located within the Sky City Cultural Center.

Afternoon: Continued exploration of the Acoma people and culture with time in the Haak’u Museum. The museum exhibits some of the most stunning Pueblo pottery and Southwest Indian art created by renowned Native American artists. Permanent exhibits in the main hall take visitors on a historical journey of Acoma Pueblo, while special exhibits display Indian artifacts and historical Native American pottery. Depart for Gallup.

Dinner: Dinner at King Dragon Chinese Buffet. Enjoy a wide selection of Chinese and traditional items at one of Gallup's newest restaurant.

Evening: Enjoy an interesting evening presentation on a topic of regional significance.

Lodging: Comfort Inn Gallup

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Village of Zuni Mission Tour / Traditional Lunch / Ashiwi Museum Murals

Breakfast: Continental breakfast buffet at hotel.

Morning: After breakfast, depart for Zuni Pueblo. The Zuni Pueblo has stood for over 900 years and is situated in a picturesque valley at the base of "Corn Mountain". Meet a Zuni guide for a presentation on Zuni culture inside the historic Mission church. The Zuni Mission, originally built in 1629, houses the fantastic katchina murals painted by Zuni artists Alex and Ken Seowtewa. The murals depict the intricate and colorful ceremonial cycle of the Zuni people. Visitors from around the world have come to gaze upon and marvel at these murals. Following the guided tour, a demonstration on Zuni jewelry making will be offered.

Lunch: Traditional Zuni lunch presented and served in a "Shalako" house. A unique opportunity to visit and interact with Zuni residents makes this a memorable experience.

Afternoon: Enjoy a docent lead tour of the Zuni / Ashiwi Museum. The Zuni migration story is represented and interpreted on a spectacular wall size mural. View artifacts from the relic village of Hawikuh, one of the "Seven Cities of Cibola". An opportunity to shop for Zuni crafts and goods from a reputable dealer will be offered.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant, offering a wide selection of tasty entrees and lively atmosphere.

Evening: After dinner, a presentation on Chaco Canyon and its significance in the larger ancient puebloan world will serve as a prep for our Chaco Canyon visit the next day.

Lodging: Comfort Inn Gallup

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Chaco Culture National Historic Park / Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl and Casa Rinconada

Breakfast: Continental breakfast buffet at hotel.

Morning: After an early breakfast, embark on a full day field trip to Chaco Canyon. Chaco Culture National Historical Park preserves one of America's most significant and fascinating cultural and historic areas. Chaco Canyon was a major center of ancestral Puebloan culture between AD 850 and 1150. It was a hub of ceremony, trade, and administration for the prehistoric Four Corners area - unlike anything before or since. Please note that this will be a very full day with an early departure and late return. At Chaco Canyon your knowledgeable field guide will conduct a walking tour of Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl, two of the parks "Great Houses". Pueblo Bonito represents the zenith of "Anasazi" culture and is the largest and most famous ruin in Chaco Canyon. Pueblo Bonito reached five stories in height along its back wall and may have contained as many as 800 rooms. Pueblo Bonito stood as the largest structure in North America until the 1800's. There will also be the opportunity to explore the Petroglyph Trail with its many fascinating and often whimsical rock art images.

Lunch: Box lunch in the field.

Afternoon: After lunch we will visit the ruins of Chetro Ketl - one of the largest pueblos in Chaco Canyon. This pueblo contained over 500 rooms and 12 kivas including a Great Kiva within the central plaza.The walls of Chetro Ketl are embedded with ancient wooden vigas, or beams - which had to be carried from distant forests by hand and prepared with stone tools. It is estimated that over 5,000 trees were cut for Chetro Ketl alone. Chacoan "banded masonry", the meso-american influenced "colonnade", painted room plaster and "key hole" kivas are just a few of the architectural gems contained in Chetro Ketl. The afternoon tour continues with a stop at Casa Rinconada, which stands as the largest "Great Kiva" in the southwest! Casa Rinconada is believed to be the impressive venue for ceremonial activities of old. A visit to the park visitor center museum, bookstore and exhibits will be planned.

Dinner: After returning to motel around 5:30 pm, we will have a later dinner at Don Diego's Mexican Restaurant a favorite among locals. Time to enjoy and a well deserved rest and reflect on the events of the day.

Evening: Free evening.

Lodging: Comfort Inn Gallup

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Continental breakfast buffet at hotel.

Morning: NAU Road Scholar vans will drop participants at the Albuquerque airport for return flights by 11:00 AM. Participants not needing an airport drop will be transported to the Albuquerque hotel where program ends.

Meals Included: Breakfast