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On the Road: Hopi Mesas, Canyon de Chelly, and Monument Valley-Exploring Lands of the Hopi & Navajo |
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Program Number: |
18591RJ |
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| Start
and End Dates: |
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| Duration: |
6 nights |
| Location: |
Scottsdale, Arizona
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| Price starting at: |
$1,099.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city |
| Program Type:
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On the Road; Native American Studies
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| Meals: |
18;
6 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 6 Dinners |
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| Meal
Options: |
Vegetarian |
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On this in-depth exploration of the native cultures of northern Arizona, stay on both the Navajo and Hopi reservations and encounter enduring cultures, native speakers and artisans who share insights into their life ways. Visit either the Hopi village of Old Oraibi or Walpi, each one of the oldest inhabited communities and dramatically situated atop a windswept mesa. At Canyon de Chelly, field trips to both its rims and interior will leave you awestruck. Experience Monument Valley’s exquisite formations and sweeping vistas, scene of many iconic western movies.
Highlights
• Enjoy two Navajo-guided 4x4 adventures – into Canyon de Chelly National Monument and Monument Valley – to see ruins, petroglyphs, hogans, and inspiring natural beauty.
• Enjoy a docent-led field trip to Phoenix' famed Heard Museum, telling the stories of American Indian people and showcasing their art.
• Visit historic Hubble Trading post on the Navajo reservation, and hear from both Navajo and Hopi speakers about their enduring cultures and modern struggles.
Activity Particulars
Walk one mile, uneven terrain. Elevation 7,000 feet.
Itinerary Summary
Arrival Scottsdale, 1 night; Second Mesa, 2 nights; Chinle, 2 nights; Cameron, 1 night; Scottsdale, departure.
Coordinated by Northern Arizona University.
Hopi Reservation
The Hopi Reservation in Arizona is home to the Hopi people, who continue to live on this land where they have long “maintained [their] sacred covenant with the ancient caretaker of the earth, to live as peaceful and humble farmers respectful of the land and its resources.” The reservation encompasses 12 villages spread over 2,531 square miles.
Scottsdale
An affluent city adjacent to Phoenix, Scottsdale enjoys an annual average of more than 330 days of sunshine, a factor that, along with the area’s wide-open desert landscape, makes the city a haven for golfers. Scottsdale’s vibrant nightlife and busy hotel scene are balanced out by its proximity to mountain areas popular with outdoor enthusiasts.
Flagstaff
Nestled at the foot of the San Francisco Peaks in northern Arizona, Flagstaff is a perfect departure point for trips to the Glen and Grand canyons or Sunset Crater National Monument. At 7,000 feet in elevation, this cool mountain city is one of the highest in the nation.
Canyon de Chelly
Canyon de Chelly’s isolation and geology offer a sense of the elemental and serene. Canyon walls rise to 1,000 feet above the flat canyon floor, protecting it from easy discovery and harsh weather, while the preserved ruins of the Puebloan peoples who began building here 900 years ago underscore 20 centuries of near-continuous human habitation.
Petrified Forest National Park
Located in Arizona’s Navajo and Apache counties, Petrified Forest National Park was established in 1962. The park welcomes visitors to examine its globally significant Late Triassic fossils, colorful Chinle Formation and 13,000 years of history. Wildlife includes pronghorns, coyotes, bobcats, snakes, lizards and more than 200 bird species.
Winslow
This stop on historic Route 66 became known to America when in 1972 Glenn Frey of the Eagles famously sang about “a-standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.” Within the town is the famous La Posada Hotel, which has hosted the likes of Ronald Reagan, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and Kirk Douglas, who all appeared in Westerns filmed in the area.
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, covering parts of Arizona, California and Mexico. Plants that thrive in the harsh conditions here include the giant saguaro cactus, which grows nowhere else. Noted Sonoran Desert wildlife includes the Gila monster, western diamondback rattlesnake and desert tortoise.
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Accommodations
Scottsdale: Resort setting. Second Mesa: Hopi Cultural Center, motel on the Hopi Reservation. Chinle: Hotel adjacent to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Cameron: Inn and Trading Post on southwestern corner of the Navajo Reservation.
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| Road Scholar Instructors | | These instructors are participating on at least one date of this program. Please note that changes may occur. | Richard Stephens
| | Rich has been director of Northern Arizona University’s highly popular Road Scholar programs since 2001. He previously spent many years in the field as a program coordinator and group leader, where he honed his skills and learned the importance of detailed, pre-trip planning. Before making his home in Arizona’s spectacular red-rock country, Rich spent 10 years in Yosemite National Park and the Santa Cruz mountains as an environmental educator. | | | | Ray Coin
| | A member of the Hopi tribe, Ray Coin is from the Third Mesa village of Bacavi on the Hopi Reservation in northeast Arizona. His father worked at the Museum of Northern Arizona, and while growing up, Ray and his siblings rubbed elbows with the geologists, archaeologists, ecologists and palaeontologists doing field work at the museum during the summer months. Ray has been sharing his Hopi culture with Road Scholar participants since 1993. | | | | Dorothy Ami
| | Dorothy Ami is a well-respected Hopi potter. Her demonstrations detail the pottery making process — from gathering the clay to tempering, coiling a piece, making the paints from nature, painting with a yucca brush and firing. | | | | William Yazzie
| | William Yazzie is a Navajo from Canyon de Chelly. Arizona, who grew up in both traditional Navajo and modern ways. He has spent the last 24 years working for the National Park Service — specializing in law enforcement — in Mesa Verde National Park, Bandelier National Monument and at Canyon de Chelly National Monument. William learned singing and drumming from his late father, and loves sharing the gift of Navajo music and dance with people of all nations. | | | |
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