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Location:
Arizona
Interest:
Exploring North America
Price Range:
$1000 - $1500
Start Date:
3/22/2010 - 3/30/2010
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Summary       Daily Schedule       Meals & Lodging       Travel Details       Dates & Prices

Phoenix, Arizona


Best of Northern Arizona: Grand Canyon, Colorado River, Monument Valley

Prices for this date starting at: $1249 per person

Date selected:


10/18/2010


Number: 2803RJ

Duration: 8 nights

Theme: Exploring North America; Area Studies

Meals: 24 total, 8 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches, 8 Dinners

Activity Level: 4
(see description)

Itinerary: Tempe, AZ 1 night; Flagstaff, AZ 2 nights... More
Monument Valley Tour By Goulding's Lodge, #2803 - Copyright 2007 Jeff Strang, NAU Elderhostel


While these lands are undeniably spectacular, it is the captivating stories of natural and human histories that give them shape and meaning. From the Anasazi to the proud and resourceful Navajo and Hopi, learn about the lands and culture of America's largest indigenous population. Enjoy field trips led by knowledgeable guides to include: a smooth water rafting adventure on the Colorado River in Glen Canyon, the volcanic landscape of Sunset Crater, and the significant archaeological sites of Montezuma Castle, Walnut Canyon, and Navajo National Monument. Excursions take us through Sedona, the Museum of Northern Arizona and prehistoric cliff dwellings. In Monument Valley, Navajo guides take us on an incredible 4-wheel drive journey into the heart of the Valley to discover its fabled buttes and spires. Conclude your journey with two spectacular days in the Grand Canyon, where we take time to enjoy a one of a kind sunrise/sunset and reflect upon our shared experience.



Elevations from 1,000 to 7,000 feet. Walking up to one mile daily, optional longer excursions.



Program in association with Northern Arizona University, offering educational Southwestern adventures for over 25 years.



Itinerary

Arrivals Phoenix, 1 night; Flagstaff, 2 nights; Lake Powell , 2 nights; Monument Valley, UT, 1 night; Grand Canyon South Rim, 2 nights; return to Phoenix by 1 PM for departures after 3 PM. Independent arrivals into Phoenix by 4 PM for program start.



Phoenix

Phoenix is a thriving metropolis surrounded by majestic mountains. Along with the visual beauty of the land, the city has a rich heritage of Native American and Hispanic cultures. Native American and western expansion influences are seen in the art and architecture of Phoenix, and an abundance of museums and art galleries showcase the culture.




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Suggested Reading List

An Introduction to Grand Canyon Ecology


Author: Houk, Rose


Description: 56pp


Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West


Author: Stegner, Wallace


Description: Here Wallace Stegner, a Pulitzer Prize-winner, gives us a thrilling account of Powell's struggle against western geography and Washington politics. We witness the successes and frustrations of Powell's distinguished career, and appreciate his unparalleled understanding of the West. "Stegner's most exciting work." (San Francisco Chronicle) 496pp


Breaking Into the Current: Boatwomen of the Grand Canyon


Author: Teal, Louise


Description: In 1973, Marilyn Sayre gave up her job as a computer programmer and became the first woman in twenty years to run a commercial boat through the Grand Canyon. Georgie White had been the first, back in the 1950s, but it took time before other women broke into guiding passengers down the Colorado River. This book profiles eleven of the first full-season Grand Canyon boatwomen, weaving together their various experiences in their own words. Breaking Into the Current is a story of romance between women and a place. Each woman tells a part of every Canyon boatwoman's story: when Marilyn Sayre talks about leaving the Canyon, when Ellen Tibbets speaks of crew camaraderie, or when Martha Clark recalls the thrill of white water, each tells how all were involved in the same romance. All the boatwomen have stories to tell of how they first came to the Canyon and why they stayed. Some speak of how they balanced their passion for being in the Canyon against the frustration of working in a traditionally male-oriented occupation, where today women account for about fifteen percent of the Canyon's commercial river guides. As river guides in love with the Canyon and their work, these women have followed their hearts. "I've done a lot," says Becca Lawton, "but there's been nothing like holding those oars in my hands and putting my boat exactly where I wanted it. Nothing." 178pp


Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water


Author: Reisner, Marc


Description: The story of the American West is the story of a relentless quest for a precious resource: water. It is a tale of rivers diverted and dammed, of political corruption and intrigue, of billion-dollar battles over water rights, of ecologic and economic disaster. In Cadillac Desert Marc Reisner writes of the earliest settlers, lured by the promise of paradise, and of the ruthless tactics employed by Los Angeles politicians and business interests to ensure the city's growth. He documents the bitter rivalry between two government giants, the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in the competition to transform the West. Based on more than a decade of research, Cadillac Desert is a stunning expose and a dramatic, intriguing history of the creation of an Eden--and Eden that may be only a mirage. 608pp


Carving Grand Canyon: Evidence, Theories, and Mystery


Author: Ranney, Wayne


Description: Ranney (Yavapai College) explains how rivers in general can physically carve canyons, looks chronologically at the numerous theories that have been presented by successive generations of geologists regarding the Grand Canyon's formation, and describes a plausible sequence of geologic events that could create such a landscape. Numerous color photographs, detailed illustrations, and maps are provided. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR 160pp


Diné: A History of the Navajos


Author: Iverson, Peter; Roessel, Monty


Description: This comprehensive narrative traces the history of the Navajos from their origins to the beginning of the twenty-first century. Based on extensive archival research, traditional accounts, interviews, historic and contemporary photographs, and firsthand observation, it provides a detailed, up-to-date portrait of the Diné past and present that will be essential for scholars, students, and interested general readers, both Navajo and non-Navajo. As Iverson points out, Navajo identity is rooted in the land bordered by the four sacred mountains. At the same time, the Navajos have always incorporated new elements, new peoples, and new ways of doing things. The author explains how the Diné remember past promises, recall past sacrifices, and continue to build upon past achievements to construct and sustain North America's largest native community. Provided is a concise and provocative analysis of Navajo origins and their relations with the Spanish, with other Indian communities, and with the first Anglo-Americans in the Southwest. Following an insightful account of the traumatic Long Walk era and of key developments following the return from exile at Fort Sumner, the author considers the major themes and events of the twentieth century, including political leadership, livestock reduction, the Code Talkers, schools, health care, government, economic development, the arts, and athletics. Monty Roessel (Navajo), an outstanding photographer, is Executive Director of the Rough Rock Community School. He has written and provided photographs for award-winning books for young people. 432pp


Encounters with the Archdruid


Author: McPhee, John


Description: The narratives in this book are of journeys made in three wildernesses - on a coastal island, in a Western mountain range, and on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. The four men portrayed here have different relationships to their environment, and they encounter each other on mountain trails, in forests and rapids, sometimes with reserve, sometimes with friendliness, sometimes fighting hard across a philosophical divide. 256pp


Field Guide to the Grand Canyon


Author: Whitney, Stephen R


Description: This book describes and illustrates the area's plants and animals, and offers fascinating in-depth information on the natural history and geology of this dramatic region. 272pp


Life in Stone: Fossils of the Colorado Plateau


Author: Sadler, Christa


Description: Like pages in a book, the layers of sedimentary rock that are exposed on the Colorado Plateau tell us much about the diversity of environments that have come and gone over a period of hundreds of millions of years. This region is recognized as one of the finest earth-science laboratories in the world. Analysis of the fossil record and new discoveries across the plateau are answering questions, solving mysteries, and making connections that help us understand the history of life worldwide. "Life In Stone" tells the story of past environments and current discoveries with numerous illustrations and lively text written for a general audience. 72pp


Living at the Edge: Explorers, Exploiters, and Settlers of the Grand Canyon Region


Author: Anderson, Michael F


Description: A comprehensive look at the pioneer history of the Grand Canyon Region, from its earliest residents to the creation of the national park at the end of the pioneer era (circa 1920). Included are close to two hundred historic photographs, many never published before, and 12 custom maps of the region. 184pp


The Man Who Walked Through Time: The Story of the First Trip Afoot Through the Grand Canyon


Author: Fletcher, Colin


Description: The remarkable classic of nature writing by the first man ever to have walked the entire length of the Grand Canyon. 256pp


The Southwest


Author: Lavender, David


Description: A historical and cultural overview, including discussions of present-day racial, conservation, and economic problems. Easy reading, fascinating history. 364pp


Warriors: Navajo Code Talkers


Author: Kawano, Kenji


Description: The American offensive in the Pacific during World War II [was] hampered by the Japanese ability to crack the most secret U.S. Codes. Navajo was virtually unknown outside the reservations, ... and [their] code proved uncrackable. Kenji Kawano's striking photographs capture the quiet dignity of the surviving veterans as they recall their actions --Los Angeles Times 128 pp





Back to Back Adventures
Choose a nearby learning adventure to add before or after this program:

Arizona:
Sedona and Grand Canyon
10/10/2010 - 10/15/2010
apx. 95 miles from program

Arizona:
From Sedona's Red Rocks to Grand Canyon
10/13/2010 - 10/16/2010
apx. 95 miles from program

Click here to see more options