Santa Fe

Upon arrival, transfer to our hotel, ideally located within steps of the Santa Fe Plaza. Gather with fellow travelers for a welcome dinner this evening.

Delve into the city’s Spanish, Mexican, and Native American cultural influences during a walking tour.  See the the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the Loretto Chapel, the Felipe B. Delgado House, Saloon of Dona Tules, and the John Gaw Meem Historic Building. End the morning at Museum Hill with lunch at the Museum Hill Cafe. This evening, we are guests at the home of Dr. Lois Ellen Frank, a chef, author, Native foods historian, and photographer who has spent more than 30 years documenting foods and life ways of Native American tribes from the Southwest. Enjoy a special dinner and learn about her work using food as a form of diplomacy to create dialogue and educate people on Native American food.

Drive to Pojoaque Pueblo this morning for a visit to the Poeh Cultural Center, established to preserve and revitalize Pueblo communities of the northern Rio Grande Valley. We meet with Samuel Villarreal Catanach, whose work on language revitalization in Pojoaque Pueblo helps provide a history of the Pueblo and their current struggles. Continue to Nambé Pueblo, located at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and one of six Tewa-speaking pueblos along the Rio Grande River. Enjoy lunch with village Elders, then tour of the village with a community member and meet with local artists. End the day at the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project for a look at rock images dating back centuries. Return to Santa Fe for an evening at leisure.

After breakfast this morning, the director of the Indigenous Language Institute meets with us to talk about her work helping to revitalize indigenous languages in the Americas. Next, we embark on a walking tour with one of the co-founders of Three Sisters Collective, an Indigenous-women-centered grassroots organization devoted to art, activism, education and community building. After lunch, continue to the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts with its superb collection of contemporary Native American art. An art historian and chief curator leads us through the current exhibit. The rest of the day is free for independent exploration.

Today, we head to Abiquiú in the Rio Chama valley, where Georgia O’Keeffe lived from 1949 to 1984 in a 5,000-square-foot Spanish Colonial-era compound that she restored over four years. Explore the historic home and garden, which reveal her commitment to design and the aesthetics of her surroundings. O’Keeffe made her home distinctly modern, with abundant natural light, updated amenities, midcentury modern furniture, and decorated with rocks and bones from her collection.  Return to Santa Fe after lunch. Gather this evening to toast our adventure at a festive farewell dinner.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flights returning home.