Memorial Day weekend fell on the middle weekend of our two-week stay at Rio Mora NWR in Northern New Mexico and we took the opportunity to visit TWO different National Monuments during that weekend, with an overnight (and a delicious dinner) in Santa Fe. Our first stop was at the Pecos Historical Park, which included a tour of their ancient pueblo ruins of the Pecos people AND a guided van tour of the multi-location site of the Glorietta Pass Battlefields, the furthest-west battle of the Civil War, and some fascinating history.
These photos are from the mile-long self-guided tour of the ancient pueblo ruins. The grounds are still in pretty good condition and we really enjoyed learning more about the people who lived in this area thousands of years ago. At its peak, this village was home to 2000 people.
The remaining photos were taken that afternoon on our tour of the battlefields. The battle of Glorietta Pass happened at the end of March, 1861, so it was one of the earliest battles of the war (predates Fort Sumter).
Now we are at Bandelier National Monument and another self-guided tour of the grounds and ancient cliff dwellings. The hike takes you through the Frijoles Canyon up and down ladders, through the woods, along the creek, and among the ruins. It is a fascinating place and it was another beautiful day in Northern NM. We really had a great time here.
Bandelier National Monument is a 33,677-acre National Monument preserving the homes and territory of the Ancestral Pueblo People. We were intrigued by the unusual rock canyon walls with swiss cheese holes throughout. It is in these holes where some of these ancient people lived.
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