Cruising the Canyon

A few years ago, my daughter gave me a book called 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Being an avid traveler, I decided that visiting those destinations was a worthy if impossible goal. So far, I have visited only 30 of the 1,000 places; however, I have discovered a few places in my travels that really should be included on anyone's bucket list even though they are not included in the book. One such place is Chaco Canyon. Recently my husband, our son, and I journeyed to Northwestern New Mexico to view the ancient ruins at Chaco Canyon. We were awestruck!
The ruins are part of ancient Puebloan culture and are located on the Navajo Reservation near Farmington, New Mexico. The site is maintained by the National Park Service, and according to the web site, the roads to the National Historical Park are just barely passable. In fact the web site warns visitors not to rely on GPS devices. After traversing miles and miles of unpaved, bone-rattling roads, we decided that the National Park Service's description of the route was vastly understated. After creeping over washboard quality trails at a maximum of 20 mph, we began to have doubts about our quest to see the ruins. But I am so glad we persevered.
The ruins comprise several Great Houses, which are multi-story stone buildings consisting of hundreds of rooms. The Great Houses date back 1,000 years, and judging from the different styles of masonry in each building, they were constructed over hundreds of years. Even more amazing were the huge circular kivas. They look like modern-day stadiums. No one is exactly sure what took place in the kivas, but experts believe they were possibly used for religious ceremonies.
Walking where those ancient people lived, worked, and celebrated was an experience unequaled in my lifetime. I can't help but speculate on the lives that took place there and admire a culture so advanced that they could build such imposing structures without the aid of modern machinery. If the author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die ever visits Chaco Canyon, I think she will surely have to revise her book.