00717 Re-enactment of the Civil War in Socorro
We will travel to Socorro for the re-enactment of the battle for the town. We will arrive in the early afternoon and tour the re-enactment camp that is set up a few miles away from Socorro. Enjoy talking to reenactors, see camp living, and period artifacts. There will be time for a meal at the plaza after the battle. Come with us as we help commemorate the 150-year anniversary of the Battle for Socorro. Fee includes guide and transportation.

Section A Feb 25 Sat 11:30 am - 7:00 pm
$89.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Robert Mallin

00698 Quebradas Back Country Byway Drive and Hike
Experience the back-roads with us! This combination of scenic driving interspersed with several short hikes is suitable for anyone with a minimum of cross-country walking experience. The winding BLM Quebradas Backcountry Byway travels north-south for 30 miles along the steep sidewall of the Rio Grande Rift Valley opposite Socorro. The dirt route climbs up to the base of the little known Sierra De Las Canas Range and then traverses picturesque foothills, staying high above the river as it passes through two BLM wilderness study areas. More than a dozen small box canyons intersect the road. Due to the area's complex, varied geology, each of the canyons is carved into distinctly different sedimentary layers yielding an incredible variety of colors and rock forms. These narrow stone passages can be followed for miles up or down stream from the road for a truly diverse selection of easygoing short hikes through picturesquely sculpted, upper Chihuahua desert country. Pre-Columbian pictographs left by the Piro Indians and a wide variety of cacti and desert shrubs add to the mix. This combination of scenic driving interspersed with several short hikes is suitable for anyone with a minimum of cross-country walking experience. Fee includes transportation and guide.

Section B Feb 26 Sun 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
$85.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Michael Richie

00615 Las Ventanitas Hike
One of El Malpais National Monument's best kept secrets is the Las Ventanitas hike - a scenic, yet lightly traveled, cross country route through soaring sandstone towers and delicate arches bordering the massive lava flow that gives the monument its name. Half a dozen arches (one a double arch) are hidden in a large scale sandstone hoodoo maze that could have been designed by Dr. Seuss. Brilliant rose, orange and golden rock colors are accented by subtle, pastel-toned desert varnish and tall, picturesque, cliff-clinging ponderosa pines. Prolific Anasazi pottery shards and a petroglyph panel give mute testimony to the area's long human history. A small Anasazi outlier pueblo" sits on the mesa top above a 50-foot long natural arch with views across the contorted black lava fields. Highly accessible year-round, the hike is equally enjoyable with some snow cover as with dry conditions. This is a moderately strenuous cross country route suitable for reasonably fit and experienced hikers. Fee includes transportation and guide."

Section C Mar 3 Sat 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
$85.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Michael Richie

00722 Very Large Array
The VLA is the world's most powerful radio telescope. Cosmic radio waves from our Milky Way were first identified in 1933. After World War II, with new radio and radar technology, the science began to take root. It flourished in the 1960's and 1970's as astronomers began to detect radio waves from unusual objects such as pulsars and quasars. Larger and more sensitive telescopes were needed to study these aspects of the universe, so the development of the VLA was born. On this tour you will find out how the telescopes are moved, who uses the them, why the VLA is located on the Plains of San Agustin, and who owns and operates the VLA! After our tour, we will travel to Pie Town for lunch and pie before heading back to Albuquerque. Fee includes transportation and a box lunch.

Section B Mar 3 Sat 8:00 am - 7:00 pm
$89.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building

00483 Geologic Hike at the Ojito Wilderness Area
The San Ysidro anticline lies on the eastern edge of the Ojito Wilderness Area and is a unique geologic landscape within an hour's drive of Santa Fe and Albuquerque. This moderate level hike of 4.5 miles will allow you to explore the spectacular San Ysidro anticline. Here, Mesozoic rock layers have been folded into a dome structure, the core of which has been breached by erosion, exposing a variety of tilted, colorful rocks. The elevation of gain and loss on the hike is approximately 600 feet. Participants should bring appropriate hiking attire. Hiking poles are recommended. Fee includes guide, a box lunch and transportation.

Section A Mar 4 Sun 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
$92.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Kirt Kempter

00657 Mesa Chijuilla Badlands
Hike through a very colorful badlands west of Cuba, New Mexico. The base of the picturesquely eroded Chijuilla Mesa is littered with house-sized boulders displaying diverse hues, shapes and intricate textures. Large hoodoos dot the mesa sides. Character-laden bonsai ponderosa growing from the boulder mazes and clinging to the cliff tops add a classic high desert touch. Large, scattered 63 million-year-old-petrified logs bring a little time travel to the mix. A soaring knife-edged escarpment extending from Mesa Chijuilla's southern edge presides over it all. Although no trails exist, the terrain is level, and easy access makes this hike suitable for all ability levels. Fee includes transportation and hiking guide.

Section B Mar 10 Sat 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
$89.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Michael Richie

00600 Geology of Cerrillos and the Galisteo Basin
This one-day tour will explore the geology of the Galisteo Basin south of Santa Fe. Rocks exposed in the basin tell a long story of landscape evolution, including ancient seas, uplift of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, petrified forests, and younger volcanic magmatism. Our route will take us from the historic mining town of Cerrillos to the charming village of Galisteo, observing many spectacular rock outcrops en route. Weather permitting, a short hike of 1-2 miles is possible. We will also discuss how the geology of the Galisteo Basin impacts oil, gas, and water in the area. Bring approprate hiking attire. Fee inlcudes guide, transportation and a box lunch.

Section B Mar 15 Thu 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
$92.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Kirt Kempter

00656 San Jose Badlands Hike
Guided by outdoor writer/photographer and badlands activist Michael Richie, this hike traverses the most colorful of all the San Juan Basin Badlands. Alternating pink, yellow, lavender and beige earth layers are eroded into rich forms and lush textures. Large scale hoodoos grow everywhere and narrow dry washes penetrate sheer walled box canyons lined with still more avant-garde natural sculptures. Strolling through this hobgoblin maze fashioned from banded pastel layers has a dreamlike feel to it. Located along the Continental Divide, the San Jose Badlands also offer great views east to the forested Jemez Mountains. Although no trails exist, the terrain is level. This strenuous tour is for experienced hikers. Fee inlcudes transportation and hiking guide.

Section C Mar 17 Sat 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
$89.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Michael Richie

00620 Georgias Geology or Geology of the Abiquiu Region
We will explore the geologic story behind the landscape that so fascinated Georgia O'Keeffe. Local geologist Kirt Kempter will lead participants on an easy, one-mile hike through the Abiquiu Formation, which inspired several of Georgia's paintings. Bizarre and captivating rock formations adorn the white cliffs in this intimate canyon only a few miles from the town of Abiquiu. Following our morning hike we explore the land between Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch, where dinosaur-age rocks ring the panoramic Piedra Lumbre on the eastern edge of the Colorado Plateau. En route back to Santa Fe, highway stops will be made to appreciate scenic vistas along the Rio Chama and to learn more about how the Abiquiu landscape evolved over geologic time. Time permitting, we might visit Poshuoinge, a large pueblo ruin overlooking the Rio Chama just a few miles east of Abiquiu. Participants should bring appropriate hiking attire. A box lunch, water, and granola bars will be provided. Fee inlcudes transportation, guide, and lunch.

Section A Mar 30 Fri 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
$92.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Kirt Kempter

00706 A Visit to the Classroom of a Violin Maker
There is substantial evidence that the European violin was crafted first in America by the Pueblo peoples and the Hispanic settlers in early 17th century New Mexico. The Franciscan priests and artisans of Mexico in all probability taught Native Americans and New Mexican colonists how to make violins many decades before violin making was introduced to New Englanders. Perhaps even before the birth of the most famous makers of 17th century Cremona, Italy. Peter White is the Director of the New Mexico Heritage Project at the University of New Mexico. The New Mexico Musical Heritage Project is a unique studio and classroom environment in which students can learn both the art of playing and the craft of making violins within the rich New Mexican cultural and historical context. Peter White, an English and American Studies professor, folklorist, former UNM administrator, and Director of the New Mexico Heritage Project at UNM is the director of this interdisciplinary program. He is also an American and European-trained violin-maker. In the tradition of many craftsman before him and through the generosity of UNM, its donors, and the State of New Mexico Legislature, he has created a studio and classroom in which to pass his knowledge on to UNM students. Fee includes instruction, lunch, and transportation to and from the classroom.

Section A Apr 5 Thu 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
$69.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Peter White

00721 History in Santa Fe
Santa Fe's historian will guide us through many sites of significance on this tour of Santa Fe. We will visit the Inn of The Five Graces, La Fonda, the Oldest House, and more! We will have lunch at La Fonda. Fee includes transportation and guide.

Section A Apr 7 Sat 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
$89.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Jose Garcia

00262 Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Chaco Canyon is known for its impressive stone structures, which were aligned nearly perfectly with the seasonal skyward paths of the sun and moon. It was a major center of Puebloan culture between AD 850 to 1250, when it was a hub of ceremony, trade and administration for the prehistoric Four Corners area, unlike anything before or since. The Chacoan sites are part of the homeland of Pueblo peoples of New Mexico, the Hopi of Arizona, and the Navajo of the Southwest. Join this tour to see this amazing archaeological wonder which attracts tourists from all over the world. Fee includes transportation, tour guide and a box lunch.

Section A Apr 14 Sat 7:30 am - 7:30 pm
$92.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Ann Braswell

00614 Ceja Pelon Badlands Exploratory Hike
Journey back 65 million years to the time the San Juan Basin was covered by thick, tropical jungles dotted with palm tree fringed swamps. The dinosaurs were long gone, the first large mammals were beginning to dominate the ecosystems, but still competed with crocodiles and giant flightless birds for survival. The Ceja Pelon Badlands preserves in stone a small portion of our planet's earliest broad-leafed rainforests. One of the biggest concentrations of huge, colorful petrified logs in the southwest lies hidden high atop stair step mesas. Brilliantly colored, giant quartz trunks and root balls lie crosswise in primeval log jams. Palm tree bases erode out of sandstone mesa edges. The rippling, finely layered bedrock formed from original sand dunes, shorelines and stream beds is carved into numerous hoodoos and strangely shaped formations. Character-laden high desert trees accent the views far south past towering pinnacles to tiny Cabezon Butte on the horizon. This exercise in time travel is intended for reasonably fit, experienced cross country hikers. Fee includes hiking guide and transportation.

Section B Apr 15 Sun 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
$89.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Michael Richie

00707 Old Windmill Dairy Tour and Cheese Class
Come learn about cheese making at the Old Windmill Dairy in Estancia. We will meet the animals and understand types and styles of cheeses. We will have some hands-on instruction on cheese making; the steps needed for inoculating the milk, curding, hooping and draining the cheese. We will also get to stretch some mozzarella! Fee includes transportation, instruction, and a box lunch.

Section A Apr 21 Sat 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
$92.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building

00720 DH Lawrence Ranch
The D. H. Lawrence Ranch, as it is now known, was the New Mexico home of the English novelist, D. H. Lawrence for about two years during the 1920s. The 160-acre property, originally named the Kiowa Ranch, is located at 8,600 feet above sea level on Lobo Mountain near San Cristobal in Taos County, about twenty miles northwest of Taos and approximately a six-mile drive from the marked turnoff on route NM522. It was owned by Mabel Dodge Luhan as part of more extensive holdings nearby, although it had been occupied by homesteaders and several structures existed on the property dating back to the 1890s. In giving it to Frieda Lawrence (after Lawrence himself declined), it became first the summer home of the couple and then Frieda's home until her death in 1956, at which time she beqeathed it to the University of New Mexico, its present owner. The Ranch is now placed on the National Register of Historic Places and the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties. We will visit the Ranch with Bill Haller, President of Friends of DH Lawrence. Fee includes transportation, guide and a box lunch.

Section Section A Apr 27 Fri 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
$92.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building

00255 El Morro National Monument and the Wolf Sanctuary
A reliable waterhole hidden at the base of a massive sandstone bluff made El Morro (the bluff) a popular campsite. Ancestral Puebloans settled on the mesa top over 700 years ago. Spanish and American travelers rested, drank from the pool and carved their signatures, dates and messages for hundreds of years. Today, El Morro National Monument protects over 2,000 inscriptions and petroglyphs, as well as Ancestral Puebloan ruins. After this tour, we'll continue on to The Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in Ramah, a retirement home" for wolves. Fee includes transportation, entrance fee, a guided tour and a box lunch."

Section B Apr 28 Sat 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
$92.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building

00719 Fort Union National Monument
Fort Union was established in 1851 as the guardian of the Santa Fe Trail. During its forty-year history, three different forts were constructed close together. The third Fort Union was the largest in the American Southwest, and functioned as a military garrison, territorial arsenal, and military supply depot for the southwest. The largest visible network of Santa Fe Trail ruts can be seen here. Fee includes entrance fees, transportation and a box lunch. We will have a guided tour at the site.

Section A May 4 Fri 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
$92.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building

00561 Chimayo and the Estrella Del Norte Vineyard
About 30 minutes north of Santa Fe, in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, lies the tiny community of Chimayo. It was founded near the end of the 17th century by Spanish settlers in a fertile valley nourished by the Santa Cruz River and protected by the surrounding foothills. The settlers became experts in farming, stock raising and wool weaving, and the descendants are still expert in many of the traditions. Chimayo is believed by many to be the site of a miracle which occurred about 200 years ago. After lunch at El Rancho de Chimayo, we will visit the village of Chimayo, as well as el Santuario de Chimayó, before traveling to the Estrella Del Norte Vineyard. The vinyard was established in 2007, and nestled in the scenic Pojoaque Valley just north of Santa Fe. It is accentuated with 200-year-old cottonwoods and a European-style garden and orchard. Wines are featured from the best Northern New Mexico vineyards, including their own 2009 release. Fee includes transportation and wine tasting.

Section A May 5 Sat 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
$89.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building

00718 Carlsbad Caverns and the Mescal Roast
Underlying the rugged desert landscape near Carlsbad New Mexico is one of the most important geologic resources in the United States. The Guadalupe Mountains are the uplifted portion of an ancient reef that thrived along the edge of an inland sea more than 250 million years ago during Permian time. The most famous of all the geologic features in the park are the caves. Carlsbad Caverns National Park contains more than 110 limestone caves, the most famous of which is Carlsbad Cavern and offers a rare glimpse of the underground worlds preserved under the desert above. The Mescal Roast is truly a special event and genuine gift shared by the Mescalero Apache people. The Mescal Roast provides a better understanding of the Mescalero Apache people and the importance of protecting the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem upon which the Apache once totally depended. The mescal plant, also known as agave, was a staple for the Apache who once populated the Pecos River Valley and Guadalupe Mountains of Southeastern New Mexico. Nearly all parts of the mescal plant could be used, including the leaves, flower stalks, blossoms and seeds. The leaves and stalks were traditionally roasted in large cooking pits and eaten or pounded into cakes and dried in the sun for later consumption. Agave fibers were used to make bowstrings, brushes, sandals and rope. Upon arrival on Thursday, we will take a self-guided tour at the Caverns. Friday, before going to the Mescal Roast venue, we will enjoy a guided tour at the Caverns. We will spend some time at the Mescal Roast venue on Saturday before heading back to Albuquerque. Fee includes travel, guide, entrance fees and two nights lodging.

Section A May 10 - May 12 Thu 7:30 am - 8:00 pm; Fri,Sat 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
$525.00 For 3 Session(s)
CE North Building
Cynthia Prelo-Riedlinger

00368 Churches of Northern New Mexico
Churches have played a major role in New Mexico's culture and history since the earliest days of its colonization. We have the unique opportunity to see five exceptional churches and missions in one trip: San Jose de Gracia de las Trampas is decorated with eight rich altar screens and lovely santero art ascribed to Bernardo Miera y Pacheco, Jose Rafael Aragon and Pedro Antonio Fresques; Nuestra Senora del Rosario in Truchas, built in 1832; and the historic, renowned churhes in Taos and Arroyo Seco. As we journey we will hear stories of war and famine, growth and expansion, rebellion and reconciliation. Fee inlcudes guide, transportaion and a box lunch.

Section B May 18 Fri 7:30 am - 7:00 pm
$92.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Marina Ochoa

00608 The Hondo Valley Iris Farm and the Hurd La Rinconada Gallery
We will travel through the heart of Lincoln County on the nationally designated scenic highway The Billy the Kid Trail," which will eventually lead us to one of the most spectacular valleys in southern New Mexico, the Hondo Valley. Our first stop will be at the Hurd La Rinconada Gallery, where we'll view paintings and prints by three generations of artists, N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, Peter Hurd, Henriette Wyeth, and Michael Hurd. Once the home of Peter and Henriette, the area is now a gallery, ranch, and retreat. At the junction of the Rio Bonito and Rio Ruidoso, we'll visit the Hondo Iris Farm and meet owners Alice Seeley and David Hall. Watered by an acequia system dating back to the 1860s, the farm has more that 100 varities of iris, both vintage and new, and all available for purchase. Don't forget your camera! We'll lunch here outdoors among the irises surrounded by a 100 year-old adobe gallery that features pewter jewelry designed and made by Alice. After lunch we'll travel down the road to the factory to see how the jewelry is made. Fee includes transportation, tour guide and a box lunch."

Section A May 19 Sat 7:30 am - 7:30 pm
$89.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Cynthia Prelo-Riedlinger

00723 Churches of Santa Fe
We will visit five churches in Santa Fe: The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, commenced in the 1860s and blessed in 1886 under then bishop John Baptiste Lamy; the impressive church of Cristo Rey, designed by John Gaw Meem, which contains about 180,000 adobe bricks and is considered one of the largest adobe structures in the United States; Our Lady of Guadalupe, now known as the Santuario de Guadalupe, and the second parish in Santa Fe established in July, 1881; San Miguel Mission, located in the Barrio de Analco and built by Franciscan friars shortly after Santa Fe was settled; and the new church, Santa Maria del las Paz in Santa Fe's south side, dedicated in 1994. The church design honors the ancient and historic churches of New Mexico. Fee includes transportation, guide and a box lunch.

Section A Jun 2 Sat 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
$92.00 For 1 Session(s)
CE North Building
Marina Ochoa