Tour 1 - Saturday, February 7, 2009
Tour 2 - Friday, February 13, 2009
8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Lunch provided
Fee - $60.00

Lunch Menu (your choice) + chips and drink:

1. Roast Beef-Premium oven roasted beef, roma tomatoes, red onions, mayonnaise, & choice of cheese on ciabatta roll
2. New Mexico Garden- Roma tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, green chile, sprouts, spinach, cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, and guacamole on green chile-cheddar cheese bread
3. Geronimo-Capicolla ham, Genoa salami, roma tomatoes, red onions, cheddar, Italian dressing, lettuce on ciabatta roll
4. Chicken & Pesto-Roasted chicken with pesto-mayo dressing roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, red onions & mozzarella on foccacia bread

"Bring your Binoculars!"

Take a journey through time down the old Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road) to Trinity Site, where the first atomic bomb was tested at 5:29:45 AM 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. In addition, Dave Anderson from White Sands Missile Range will lead a discussion on the diverse flora and fauna of the Chihuahuan Desert.

From the Trinity Site, visitors will be treated to a tour of the El Camino Real International Heritage Center.  Step back in time and join us on a journey along the historic El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the Royal Road of the Interior Lands. This 1500-mile historic trade route that extends from Mexico City to San Juan Pueblo/Ohkay Owenge, is one of the oldest trails in the United States and for more than a century, one of the longest. Designated a national historic trail in 1993, it is one of New Mexico's most important cultural artifacts.  The newest State Monument tells the fascinating story of more than three centuries of trade and commerce that traversed the trail, linking Spain, Mexico, and the United States at a time when mules, trains, and horses were the only means of land travel.

From the El Camino Real International Heritage Center the tour will end at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.  Bosque del Apache is Spanish for "Woods of the Apache" and is rooted in the time when the Spanish observed Apaches routinely camped in the riverside forest.  Since then the name has come to mean one of the most spectacular national wildlife refuges in North America.

Here, tens of thousands of birds--including sandhill cranes, Arctic geese, and many kinds of ducks--gather in autumn and stay through the winter.  The Bosque provides a critical winter refuge for Sandhill Cranes and other migratory birds, providing food, protection, and shelter.  In addition, the Bosque is also home to over 32,000 Snow Geese and Ross Geese, dozens of Bald and Golden Eagles and Great Blue Herons.  Refuge Managers will lead a discussion on their innovative efforts in restoring native Cottonwood BosqueForests by salt cedar reduction programs and other dynamic management techniques.

Sunday, February 8, 2009
1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Fee - $30.00

The USDA-NRCS Los Lunas Plant Materials Center (LLPMC) is in the Middle Rio Grande Valley just 20 miles south of Albuquerque, in Los Lunas, New Mexico.  It is operated in conjunction with New Mexico State University’s Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center.

The shared facility includes 210 acres of irrigated land that uses water from the Rio Grande and two on-site irrigation wells.  The LLPMC targets 11 Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) that span New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.   These areas include the Chihuahuan Desert, the Southern Rocky Mountains, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and short grass prairie.

The LLPMC is one of 27 Plant Materials Centers across the nation that makes up the USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Program.  This program has provided over 600 conservation plant releases to commercial producers which include: grasses, legumes, wildflowers, trees, and shrubs.  Commercially popular releases from the LLPMC include ‘Vaughn’ sideoats grama, ‘Hachita’ blue grama, ‘Arriba’ western wheatgrass, ‘Pastura’ little bluestem, and ‘Bandera’ Rocky Mt. penstemon.  In addition, the LLPMC also develops innovative methodologies for establishing plants, particularly in the very hot and dry southwest region. 

A tour of LLPMC will take participants on a tractor-driven open trolley. Participants will see and discuss ongoing cultivar development field projects, various native grass seed production fields, native cottonwoods and willow plantations, a 2-acre plant production area, and greenhouse facilities.

Sunday, February 8, 2009
11:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Lunch provided
Fee - $50.00

For additional information, see www.acomaskycity.org and the May 2008 issue of Smithsonian Magazine, pages 56-60. 

Travel to Acoma Sky City, the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America with 1000 years of history built atop a sheer-walled, 367-foot sandstone bluff.   The history of the Acoma people and the Pueblo dates back to as early as 1100 A.D. This city is known throughout the world as a destination for culture and art.  Join us and have the chance to experience the spiritual home of the people of Acoma, a living community for tribal members.  

During the bus ride to Acoma, we enjoy a lunch prepared by the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and listen to a history and preview of sights by a local guide. Once on site we will enjoy a guided tour, shopping, museum, and cultural center. There will be a $10 fee for those who want to take pictures and $3 for entrance to the museum.  Remember, this is a walking tour over rough terrain; only those able to navigate rough terrain should sign on, and - it will be winter, so dress warmly. Potty-breaks are allowed. Register early, seating is limited.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009
8:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Fee - $35.00

Experience the ‘City Different’. We will leave early on the bus from Albuquerque to allow plenty of time to explore the Plaza.  SRM tour guides will provide a visitor’s guide and map and explain historical sights.  Of particular interest is the Palace of the Governors dating from 1610. This is the oldest public building in America, and of course we all know about the ‘Church with No Nails Staircase’. 

We will have a chance to do it all - shopping for authentic Native American jewelry and pottery, visiting art galleries, museums, and we can always eat. This is a great way to visit one of the shopping capitals of the Southwest and view some of the oldest historical sites in the United States.  When we arrive we will have the chance for a morning coffee break at the Plaza Cafe, known for their homemade treats.

This is a ‘do-your-own-thing’ tour with lunch on your own at one of the many fabulous restaurants. SRM tour guides will be available to direct and reassure. The natives are friendly if you pay in US$, Euros, or plastic. Register early, seating is limited.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Fee - $40.00

Many say New Mexico is where wine-making started in the US way back in 1629.  New Mexico’s high elevation and sunny climate favor wine grapes.  Plan to join us and experience two of the best wineries in the West - Gruet Winery and Casa Rodena Winery.