Saturday, February 24
Arrive in Phoenix, Arizona. Dinner and program orientation. Overnight in Phoenix Hilton Airport.
Sunday, February 25
We’ll visit one of the largest and best preserved Hohokam platform mound sites in the Phoenix Basin, Pueblo Grande, with a special tour led by Dr. Todd Bostwick. We’ll then head southeast to the Casa Grande site, where Dr. Douglas Craig will join us for an intimate exploration of this major platform site in the Hohokam core region. Overnight in Tucson at Lodge on the Desert.
Monday, February 26
We’ll spend the day on a trip up the Lower San Pedro River valley, exploring sites that tell a clear story of the migration and interaction of ancestral Puebloans with local residents. Many of the sites we’ll visit are on private land and inaccessible at other times. Bernard Siquieros, Curator of Education at the Tohono O’odham Cultural Center and Museum, will join us for the day. Overnight in Tucson, Lodge on the Desert.
Tuesday, February 27
Tuesday will be another day exploring evidence of pre-contract ancestral Puebloan immigration into southern Arizona. We’ll first stop at the Arizona State Museum in Tucson where Dr. Patrick Lyons will treat us to a special behind-the-scenes tour and give us more insight into the Kayenta migration that resulted in what we see as Salado. We’ll then continue on towards Safford, stopping at sites such as Nine Mile Ruin, Goat Hill, and Spear Ranch. Overnight in Safford at Marriot
Wednesday, February 28
We’ll begin the morning with a visit to Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher to view some of the incredible Salado materials in the Mills Collection on display there. From there, we’ll drive by the gridded garden sites in the area, and travel along portion of the migration routes Kayenta immigrant families walked to reach Safford, the San Pedro, and other destinations in the Hohokam region. We will visit Gila Pueblo and sites such as Besh-ba-gowah that served as “gateway” communities linking the northern and southern Southwest in the San Carlos and Globe area. Overnight in Globe at Copper Best Western
Thursday, March 1
Our last day will feature a visit to both the lower and upper ruins at Tonto Cliff Dwellings, an impressive site on the landscape that was almost certainly settled by immigrant populations. After lunch we’ll stop at Cline Terrance, and then another scenic drive along the rugged Apache Trail that follows the Salt River will return us to Phoenix for a farewell dinner. Overnight in Phoenix Hilton Airport
Friday, March 2
Depart from Phoenix anytime after breakfast.
