Cultural and Ecological Explorations among the Mayo

March 7-13, 2019 | $2275 per person/double occupancy | $550 single supplement (very limited availability)

Join us this spring for a journey through the land of the Mayo as we explore the cultural traditions of southern Sonora with folk historian and naturalist Jesús García as our guide and interpreter. Combining the best elements of a cultural tour and a natural history voyage we’ll visit the Mayo village of Júpare to observe their celebrations for Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten season, experience a Sonoran culture fair, bird the mangrove estuary of Yávaros, and explore the colonial city of Alamos, a members only ed-venture not to be missed, and clearly not one you will soon forget. Hosted by South of the Border Tours in conjunction with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

Tucson Walkabout: El Presidio Historic District | CANCELLED

Local historian and preservationist, Ken Scoville is passionate about Tucson and its past. Whenever development threatens the Old Pueblo, Scoville is there to argue for the streets, the buildings and the history that cannot speak for themselves. What better guide to take us on a walking tour of Tucson’s history? We’ll  peel back the layers of culture, architectural styles and citizen’s attitudes and reveal why Tucson is the city it is today, discovering the architectural traditions that have evolved throughout Tucson’s development. Meet the pioneer families that established homes along the Camino Real and marvel at the homes of the elite built along today’s Main Avenue. “History is all about trying to understand humans,” Scoville says, “and El Presidio is my living lesson.” Cost includes transportation to and from the Presidio Museum, our starting point; guide services, information packet and lunch at Café a la C’arte in the historic Stevens House next door to the Tucson Museum of Art.

Birding Patagonia and Sonoita Creek | SOLD OUT | call 742-6455 x 228 to be wait listed

Thursday, April 18 | 7am-5pm | $99 members | $120 general public

Our favorite birder, Lynn Hassler, takes us out for a day of birding some of the richest of the state’s remaining streamside habitat in all of southeastern Arizona. The Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy, is renowned for its amazing biological diversity. We’ll ramble among Fremont cottonwoods and Goodding willows in search of birds such as Gray Hawk, Cassin’s Kingbird, Summer Tanager, Lazuli Bunting, Vermilion Flycatcher and Bell’s Vireo. Before we call it a day, there’s time for a stop at Tucson Audubon’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds where the dancing jewels abound and at Lake Patagonia to check for water birds. Cost includes transportation, guide services and a picnic lunch.

Hopi Arts, Hopi Culture | SOLD OUT | call 742-6455 x 228 to be wait listed

May 10-13, 2019 | $1575 per person/double occupancy | $300 single supplement | a $275 deposit secures your spot

In this members only tour, we’re on the road to the land of the Hopi where culture and tradition are rooted in the landscape. Along the way we will enjoy the company of Southwest scholar and second-generation Indian art dealer Mark Bahti. With his lifelong connections, Mark will introduce us to silversmiths, potters, basket weavers and katsinam carvers working in both historical and contemporary ways who will share with us their art, their lives and their rich cultural heritage. And, we’ve planned this departure over the Mother’s Day weekend to improve our chances of witnessing the very special celebrations that may be taking place in many of the villages. Hosted by South of the Border Tours in conjunction with the Heard Museum Guild.

Chaco Culture: Beyond the Canyon Walls

September 23-27 | $1850 per person/double occupancy | $230 single supplement | a $500 deposit secures your spot

The center of Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) culture 1000 years ago, Chaco Canyon in northwest New Mexico is one of the most impressive archaeological sites north of the Rio Grande. The magnificent masonry ruins of this UNESCO World Heritage site encompass six large pueblos containing over 1600 multi-story rooms, more than 90 kivas and numerous Great Kivas. Ancestral Puebloans blended work and worship; they were master artisans, farmers, astronomers, traders and skilled engineers, creating an extensive trade network of pueblos with connecting roads throughout the San Juan Basin and beyond.

Our personal guide is geomorphologist Fred Nials whose research focuses on subjects as diverse, and as interrelated, as the Chacoan road system, the influence of streamflow on Hohokam canals and the effects of environmental variation (El Niño in particular) on cultural development in the Southwest. Oh, and in case you were wondering, geomorphology is the study of landforms and how processes such as wind, water and ice can shape the landscape.

From an overview of Chacoan culture in the Canyon itself, to an off-road trek to visit Chacoan outliers, our exploration takes us not only to well-known sites such as Pueblo Bonito, but to significant and seldom-visited sites including Pierre’s and Twin Angels; in-depth visits to Salmon Ruins and Aztec Ruins National Monument are also featured. All along the way, Nials describes the science and the theories surrounding the strategies and techniques Chacoan people used to adapt to their often-challenging environment.

Hosted by Stephen Bernier and South of the Border Tours, all-inclusive cost covers transportation by motorcoach and passenger van, accommodations at the Best Western Gallup Inn and Suites and the Courtyard by Marriott in Farmington, meals, guide services and admission fees.