Tony Hillerman's Southwest Tour

• Tour pricing is based on a minimum of 6 people booking the tour
• Special pricing may be available for groups of more than 6 people
• Special pricing may be available for individual or small groups
• Not regualarly scheduled, but can be scheduled anytime throughout the year
• Call before booking to select dates and finalize cost of tour

• Day 1 Our tour begins with an early am departure from Phoenix as we climb through the Sonoran desert on our way to the red rock country of Sedona, the home to many western movie classics. We proceed upward through Oak Creek Canyon to the top of the Colorado Plateau. As we pass historic Flagstaff , Arizona , the San Francisco Peaks catch our eye and we can enjoy them all the way to the Grand Canyon . We are welcomed to Grand Canyon National Park by a Navajo elder who's name appears in The Wailing Wind . James Peshlakai is a silversmith and a traditional Navajo who even spent some time as a Navajo Tribal Police officer. James is a personal friend of Mr. Hillerman, and will share stories and insights to the Navajo way of life. Spend the afternoon by selecting additional activities at the Canyon. Overnight stay is at Grand Canyon tonight.
• Day 2 The tour departs Grand Canyon village after breakfast to travel the scenic East Rim Drive on our way to Desert View. Hillerman's, The Skeleton Man , is set here in the national park. We descend Gray Mountain to the 100 mile vistas of the Navajo nation to make our way to the Hopi Mesas. High above the desert floor in ancient villages, we will visit one of the oldest continuously occupied settlements in America , Old Oraibi. We leave the Hopi Mesas to cross the desert to Canyon De Chelly. Our visit to Canyon de Chelly includes a Navajo-Guided jeep tour of part of the 30 mile long sandstone canyon system. We visit a Roman Catholic church built as a large Hogan, where we can witness and experience the merging of two religions. We greet the setting sun overlooking Spider Rock. Overnight is in Chinle tonight.
• Day 3 This morning features Canyon de Chelly from the canyon floor with Navajo guides and their stories of life in this sacred place. Leaving Canyon de Chelly, we pass near the spot where Hillerman's story, The Fallen Man, has it's surprise ending. Teec Nos Pos and Mexican Water are featured in many Hillerman novels and are near our route. Ship Rock pinnacle is on the horizon, where we will see the place where The Fallen Man got his name. Overnight accommodations in Farmington , New Mexico.
• Day 4 Today we are surrounded by the scenery of the ''empty lands'' that act as a character themselves in Hillerman's writings. On our way to 'Chaco Canyon,' we pass Nageezi and Blanco, trading posts featured in A Thief Of Time. Chaco Canyon was a place of commerce, a spiritual-religious center, temporary living quarters and perhaps a gathering place for early astronomers. Chaco Canyon contains one of the largest excavated prehistoric ruins in North America. Chaco Culture features towering, 6 story structures and kivas from an era long past. This mystic place is visited in A Thief of Time, Coyote Waits, and Sacred Clowns. We leave Chaco Canyon and journey to Crown Point, a location often mentioned in our novel series. Next we drive past Standing Rock, from People Of Darkness and Sacred Clowns and through Coyote Canyon on our way to Gallup, New Mexico for our overnight stay.
• Day 5 With an early departure from Gallup , we make our way to Zuni. It is a site from Tony's thriller, Dance Hall of the Dead, and today's feature location. The pueblo is referred to as the ''Sistine Chapel of the West.'' This 1629 Catholic mission is adorned with the Zuni Kachina and Shalako, life size images painted by Zuni artists Alex and Ken Seowtewa. These images represent the lifestyles and history of the Zuni people. This pueblo can be considered the focal point of Zuni culture and an amazing overview of an enduring society. We arrive back in Phoenix tonight at approximately 7:00pm.