Friday will offer two Tours.
Tour: Central New Mexico Geology, Archaeology, and Semi-modern History (Long Tour)
Tour Leader Scott Mackie:
We'll depart the hotel at 8am, go west a bit on I-40, and then pick up a local road that will take us by a series of volcanoes. http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org/volcano/albq_faq.html We'll continue off the interstate, traveling up the west side back roads to US Highway 550.
From there, expect a "fun run" connecting to NM 4, through the Jemez Pueblo (mind the speed limit here, please) and the pleasant and growing town of Jemez Springs, and on to the south rim of the Valles Caldera http://www.vallescaldera.gov/ (another volcano with a totally different geological background). I'm planning a road-side stop for a photo-op there, and also a quick picnic lunch, because then we're on to the main event: a stop at Bandelier National Monument http://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm for a look see. It will include an opportunity for a 1.2 mile self guided walk, which normally takes 45 minutes or so, and will give you the opportunity to see "how the locals did it"
1500 years ago or so.
Bring some decent walking shoes (any sneaker will do, really. I'll probably wear my Piloti's, 'cause they match my car. Vanity, thy name is Scott) and some water, both for the planned picnic lunch and the walk at Bandalier. From there, we'll wend our way south around Santa Fe and on the Turquoise Trail http://www.turquoisetrail.org/ to the historic mining town of Madrid http://www.visitmadridnm.com/, where, if there is time and interest, we will stop for some ice cream and maybe a cold libation. Madrid was featured in the movie "Wild
Hogs" starring John Travolta among others.
From there, it's a short 45 minute cruise back to the house to prepare for the evening's activities. I'm planning to finish approximately 3:30-4:00pm. The last bit through Madrid could be cut short if a participant wishes to get back to the hotel to clean up and rinse the dust off their cars before parking them on the green Tanoan that evening. For the rest of us, we can head to the concours at our leisure, wipe a damp rag on the car, and begin socializing before dinner at Tanoan which starts at 5:30PM.
