Call 1-877-749-7122 to make your optional tour reservations today!

The Rally 2009 Optional Tours

TOUR A: CHACO CANYON NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

Chaco Culture National Historic Park is the site of the extensive ruins of the greatest architectural achievement of the northern American Indians. It was the main social and ceremonial center of the Anasazi culture and flourished about one thousand years ago. Anasazi is a Navajo word meaning ”Ancient Ones” and is the term archaeologists use to refer to the culture that began about 2,500 years ago and was centered in the Four Corners region. The Anasazi farmed the lowlands around Chaco Canyon, built multistory stone and mud villages, and traded as far south as Mexico. The complex system of homes and roads at Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl, Una Vida, Penasco Blanco, Hugo Pavi, and Kin Bineola, an abundance of turquoise jewelry, and cryptic petroglyphs are the intriguing legacy of a people whose disappearance 700 years ago is forever shrouded in mystery.

Tour duration: 11 hrs.
Departs: 4/16/09 - 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Price per person: $114.00
(Tour includes: Transportation, tour guide, admission fees, box lunch, and soft drinks.)
Please note: This tour involves walking, and due to uneven terrain, Chaco Canyon is not wheelchair accessible.

TOUR B: ACOMA “SKY CITY” PUEBLO

Visit Acoma Pueblo, known as “Sky City”, located in the spectacular West-Central Plateau of New Mexico. Acoma Pueblo, situated 350 feet above an outstretched valley atop a massive sandstone mesa at 7,000 feet above sea level, is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the United States. Archeologists put the initial occupation of the Pueblo around 1150 AD. A Pueblo tribal member will take you on a guided tour of the village, explaining the culture and history of the tribe. Points of interest include San Estevan del Ray Mission built in 1629, the largest and most remarkable of all the Spanish Colonial mission churches in New Mexico.

Tour duration: 5 hrs.
Departs: Tour #1 - 4/17/09 - 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Tour #2 - 4/19/09 - 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Tour #3 - 4/20/09 - 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Price per person: $79.00
(Tour includes: Transportation, tour guide, admission fees, box lunch, and soft drinks.)
Please note: Due to unpaved surfaces and uneven terrain, Acoma Pueblo is not wheelchair accessible.

Note: There is a $10 permit fee per camera. Video recorders are prohibited. It is recommended that dress is casual and to wear comfortable walking shoes, a hat and sunscreen.

TOUR C: SANTA FE VIA THE TURQUOISE TRAIL SCENIC BYWAY

The historic Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway links Albuquerque and Santa Fe and encompasses 15,000 square miles in the heart of central New Mexico. You will drive back into history through the mining towns of Golden, Madrid, and Cerrillos, whose mines once yielded gold, silver, lead, zinc, and turquoise. During its heyday in the 1880s, Cerrillos boasted 21 saloons, and four hotels. A renewed spirit has brought art, crafts, theater, music, museums, and restaurants to these towns.

Upon arrival in Santa Fe, you may take an optional guided walking tour, visiting such points of interest as the historic Plaza, St. Francis Cathedral, the Loretto Chapel, with its famous “miraculous” staircase, and the San Miguel Mission. Founded in 1610, Santa Fe was the last stop on the Camino Real, the fabled Royal Road that stretched from Mexico City to the northernmost reaches of the Spanish Empire. Today, it is the heart and soul of the Southwest, and “Santa Fe Style” is synonymous with all the best the region has to offer. Its historic plaza, winding streets, covered arcades, hidden gardens and courtyards, and Pueblo-style architecture reflect the blending of Indian, Hispanic, and Anglo cultures.

Tour duration: 10 hrs.
Departs: Tour #1 - 4/16/09 - 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Tour #2 - 4/18/09 - 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Price per person: $67.00
(Tour includes: Transportation, tour guide and admission fees.)

TOUR D: THE JEMEZ MOUNTAIN TRAIL TO BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT

This tour takes you along one of the Southwest’s most spectacular routes – the Jemez Mountain Trail, a National Scenic and Historic Byway in 1998. Your first stop will be the Walatowa Visitors Center at Jemez Pueblo, one of the nineteen Native American Pueblos of New Mexico, situated against the deep red rocks of the Jemez Mountains. The Center provides visitor information about the Pueblo and displays a selection of arts and crafts created by Jemez artisans. You then continue along the Jemez River as it cuts through canyons with fantastic geologic formations whose colors change dramatically from brown to brilliant red and orange. Climbing east out of Jemez Canyon you enter Valle Grande, at 8,500 feet, one of the largest volcanic craters in the world.

Stop in Los Alamos, selected by the Federal Government in 1942 as the site of the top secret Manhattan Project, for a visit to Bradbury Science Museum, which is operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). At the museum you will learn how LANL scientists are using the latest technologies to deal with the complex challenges of today’s world, including issues of national security, energy, transportation, and commercial applications of military technology.

Bandelier National Monument is best known for its mesas, sheer-walled canyons, and the ancestral Pueblo dwellings found among them. The Park was designated in 1916 and named for nineteenth-century anthropologist Adolph Bandelier. Frijoles Canyon is famous for its extensive Anasazi ruins and cliff dwellings that date back to about 1100 AD.

Tour duration: 10 hrs.
Departs: Tour #1 - 4/16/09 - 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Tour #2 - 4/18/09 - 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Price per person: $91.00
(Tour includes: Transportation, tour guide, admission fees, box lunch, and soft drinks.)

Comfortable walking shoes, hat and sunscreen are recommended.

TOUR E: HIKING AT TENT ROCKS

Visit Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument located on land managed jointly by Cochiti Pueblo and the Bureau of Land Management. Tent Rocks is a truly unique geological site that features massive, cone-shaped formations that hug the steep cliffs of Peralta Canyon. These formations are wind and water eroded pumice and tuff deposits topped by erosion-resistant caprocks that protect the softer pillars below. While fairly uniform in shape, the tent rock formations very in height from a few feet to 90 feet. No other national park or national monument in the western United States illustrates more dramatically the geologic aspects of faulting, volcanic activity, and infilling by sediment and groundwater.

Tour duration: 5 hrs.
Departs: Tour #1 - 4/17/09 - 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Tour #2 - 4/19/09 - 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Price per person: $75.00
(Tour includes: Transportation, tour guide, admission fees, box lunch, and soft drinks.)
Please note: Due to unpaved surfaces and uneven terrain, Tent Rocks is not wheelchair accessible.

Comfortable walking shoes, a hat and sunscreen are recommended. The Canyon Trail is a 1.5-mile, one-way trek into a narrow canyon with a steep (630-ft) climb to the mesa top for excellent views of the Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, Sandia mountains and the Rio Grande Valley.

TOUR F: ARTISAN WINERIES OF THE DUKE CITY

Travel to two of the Duke City’s artisan wineries for tours and tastings. New Mexico's sun soaked soil and cool high desert nights are nearly perfect for the cultivation of grapes and have contributed to the recent revival of wine making in one of the nation’s oldest wine producing regions. Your will visit Casa Rondeña Winery, tucked away among the ancient cottonwoods in Albuquerque's serene North Valley and Gruet Winery, whose Blanc de Blancs took best in show at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London last July.
.

Tour duration: 5 hrs.
Departs: 4/18/09 - 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Price per person: $78.00
(Tour includes: Transportation, tour guide, fees, tours, and sampling.)

TOUR G: MEET ALBUQUERQUE

Albuquerque is the site of a significant stretch of Route 66, America’s most celebrated highway, which carried the people and energy that shaped the modern Southwest. Enjoy a brief driving tour of Route 66 landmarks, from the historic Nob Hill business district to downtown and see the cafes, gas stations, motels, and stores that are part of the history and local color of this region. Visit the Turquoise Museum and learn about New Mexico’s state gemstone and the popular mineral most associated with the Southwest and Native American jewelry, and how to tell the Real McCoy from a fake.

After this stop, you will continue to Old Town and take a brief walking tour of the early part of the eighteenth century, which includes San Felipe de Neri church, and many historic buildings that form an architectural record of this city’s unique past. There will be time to explore hidden courtyards and stroll under covered arcades and shop on your own at the many fine specialty stores and galleries around the Plaza. You will also visit the Indian Pueblo cultural Center a Duke City landmark dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of Pueblo Indian culture, history, and art. The Center is committed to educating all generations of visitors and is your gateway to the lifeways and culture of the indigenous inhabitants of New Mexico. There is a museum, gallery, shop, and restaurant. The museum documents the origins, spoken traditions, arts and crafts, and cultural development of the Pueblo Indians.

Tour duration: 6 hrs.
Departs: Tour #1 - 4/18/09 - 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Tour #2 - 4/20/09 - 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Price per person: $56.00
(Tour includes: Transportation, tour guide and admissions.)

TOUR H: THE HIGH ROAD TO TAOS

Travel to Taos on the Camino Alto, or High Road, through the scenic grandeur of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains past villages that date from the Spanish Colonial era. You will visit the historic village of Chimayo and the Santuario de Chimayo, a venerable religious shrine built over earth that is said to have miraculous healing qualities. Chimayo is also known for the colorful and decorative textiles that its weavers have produced for centuries. You will visit Ortega’s workshop and see the weavers at work. Enjoy lunch at a restaurant known for its traditional northern New Mexico cuisine. Arrive in Taos, nestled against the highest mountain peaks in New Mexico at 7,000 feet above sea level. The unsurpassed light of northern New Mexico has drawn artists to this picturesque city since the end of the nineteenth century, and today it is home to many outstanding museums and galleries. First stop is the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, one of the highest spans in the country at 650 feet above the river. Next is the Millicent Rogers Museum. Millicent Rogers, an heiress to the Standard Oil fortune and a woman of exquisite taste, lived in Taos in the 1940’s and acquired Native American jewelry that became the foundation of this museum’s collection. The collection has grown to include traditional and contemporary arts of northern New Mexico, including textiles, paintings, and pottery. Continue to the multi-storied Taos Pueblo at the northern edge of town. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO , this Pueblo dates from the fourteenth century and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in North America. You then head to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, one of the highest spans in the country, 650 feet above the river. It’s then on to the southwestern charm of historic Taos Plaza, home to a variety of outstanding museums, galleries, and specialty shops. There will be time to explore the area around the Plaza and to have dinner on your own before returning to Albuquerque.

Tour duration: 10 hrs.
Departs: 4/16/09 - 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Price per person: $109.00
(Tour includes: Transportation, tour guide, admission fees, and lunch.)

There is a $10 fee for still camera usage and a $20 charge for video cameras inside the Pueblo.

TOUR I: QUILTING SHOP HOP

This fun outing takes you to two of the major quilting centers in Duke City where you will have the opportunity to see the work of local quilters, exchange ideas, and see fabric and pattern books. You will learn more about how this wonderful art form is different here than from other parts of the country. New Mexico has a rich tradition of quilting and you will find vibrant colors, patterns, fabrics, and textures here that are unique to the state and the Southwest. You will see how a unique range of traditional Hispanic and Indian symbols and patterns have inspired the quilters.

Tour duration: 6 hrs.
Departs: 4/17/09 - 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Price per person: $56.00
(Tour includes: Transportation, lunch and escort.)

TOUR J: WHITEWATER RAFTING ON THE RIO GRANDE

Head north to Pilar, New Mexico, and the “Pilar Racecourse”, a thrilling whitewater rafting excursion on the Rio Grande River. You will travel through some of the most spectacular scenery of northern New Mexico, past the towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains and villages that date from the Spanish Colonial period. Although the Rio Grande River flows tranquilly past Albuquerque, in the northern part of New Mexico, it is rough and fast moving. You will understand why it was once known as the Rio Bravo, or Fierce River. This one-half day, Class III rafting trip takes you through the rapids of the lower Rio Grande Gorge past sheer cliffs that tower 1500 feet overhead. An expert guide accompanies each raft. After spending an exciting half-day on the rapids, you will enjoy a delicious lunch at Embudo Station, which is located along the banks of the Rio Grande.

Tour duration: 9 hrs.
Departs: 4/16/09 - 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Price per person: $137.00
(Tour includes: Transportation, tour guide, rafting, and lunch.)

Wear clothing you won’t mind getting wet, take sunscreen, a hat, old tennis shoes or water socks, a towel, and a change of clothes for the return trip.

TOUR K: TRINITY SITE

Trinity Site is where the first atomic bomb was tested at 5:29:45 a.m. Mountain War Time on July 16, 1945. The 19-kiloton explosion not only led to a quick end to the war in the Pacific but also ushered the world into the atomic age. All life on Earth has been touched by the event that took place here. The 51,500 –acre area was declared a national historic landmark in 1975. Included on the Trinity Site tour is Ground Zero where the atomic bomb was placed on a 100-foot steel tower. A small monument now marks the spot. Visitors also see the McDonald ranch house where the world’s first plutonium core for a bomb was assembled.

Tour duration: 6 1/2 hrs.
Departs: Tour #1 - 4/17/09 - 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Tour #2 - 4/18/09 - 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Tour #3 - 4/20/09 - 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Price per person: $68.00
(Tour includes: Transportation, tour guide, and lunch.)

Note: Trinity Site is located on Federal land that is part of the White Sands Missile Range. This tour is subject to cancellation, with full refund, in the event the missile range is closed for testing.

TOUR L: SHOP TILL YOU DROP SOUTHWESTERN STYLE

Albuquerque has a rich cultural heritage that is expressed in the art, crafts, and jewelry. Visitors to the Duke City will find a wide selection of jewelry made locally by talented artisans. This shopping tour will take you to stores offering southwestern and contemporary jewelry and a chance to become better acquainted with the design and craftsmanship of the Southwest. You will visit Lilly Barrack, a designer who specializes in sleek contemporary silver handmade by Indian silversmiths, and Gertrude Zachary’s, where each piece of jewelry is created through a collaborative process between Gertrude and the Native American silversmiths who make each by hand. Gertrude uses high-quality materials and rare stones, such as high-grade, natural North American turquoise and rare Mediterranean coral. Final stop today is Skip Maisel Wholesale Indian Jewelry and Crafts in downtown Albuquerque. This landmark firm dates back to the 1930s and is packed with quality Indian arts and crafts at genuine wholesale prices. Enjoy lunch along historic Route 66.

Tour duration: 6 hrs.
Departs: 4/18/09 - 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Price per person: $68.00
(Tour includes: Transportation, tour guide, and lunch.)