The Four Corners, The Grand Canyon, Land of the Anasazi: September 8 to 18, 2006 ($2095) This Open Roads adventure will be a thrilling exploration of landscape and legend, a sampling of the history and variety of this colorful region. Centerpiece of the venture is the visit to the Chaco National Historical Park in New Mexico, the Anasazi spiritual home known to few contemporary travelers. A mule ride down the South Rim of the Grand Canyon will be the unforgettable culmination. Daily program below: (Friday, Sept. 8). Arrive in Phoenix, AZ, settling into a convenient hotel near the airport and welcome dinner with hosts Ken and Janet Fries. (Saturday, Sept. 9). Drive up the Salt River Canyon to Canyon de Chelly in Northeast Arizona. Stay at Canyon de Chelly (2 nights). (Sunday, Sept. 10). A short walk along the canyon rim, then a jeep tour of the canyon dwellings, concluding with a traditional meal with a Navajo family. (Monday, Sept. 11). Drive to Durango, Colorado with a visit to Mesa Verde National Park, one of the great treasures of the Four Corners area. Special tour into restored Anasazi cliff dwellings, climbing wooden ladders and crawling through rock tunnels (optional). Stay at a B&B in Cortez, near Durango, for the next 4 nights. (Tuesday, Sept. 12). Board the Durango narrow-gauge steam train that winds along the cliffs above the Animas River with lunch and shopping in Silverton (9000’). (Wednesday, Sept. 13). Drive to Chaco National Historical Park in Northern New Mexico. At Chaco, sacred home of the Anasazi (A.D. 900-1150), there are 13 great houses and thousands of smaller sites, aligned with cosmic pathways, used for religious or ceremonial purposes. Hike to the south rim of the mesa for an exceptional view of the pueblos in the canyon. (Thursday, Sept. 14). Enjoy a scenic raft trip down the San Juan River Canyon from Bluff to Mexican Hat, Utah, with stops along the river to view Native American rock art (pictographs and petroglyphs). (Friday, Sept. 15). Drive west from Durango, stopping at the Hubbell Trading Post, for Navajo arts and crafts, and then to Old Oraibi, a Hopi village inhabited continuously since A.D. 1100. On to Flagstaff, AZ for dinner at La Fonda, a lively Mexican restaurant. Lodging Flagstaff next 3 nights. Note: Travelers choosing to end the trip at this point in Flagstaff will be provided transportation to Phoenix airport on the morning of Sept. 16. (The cost of the trip for those travelers will be $300 less per person.) (Saturday, Sept. 16). Drive from Flagstaff to visit the Grand Canyon, including several South Rim overlooks and a viewing of the spectacular IMAX presentation of Grand Canyon geology and culture. (Sunday, Sept. 17). Seven-hour mule trip down the Bright Angel trail to the inner gorge overlooking the Colorado River for a closer look at the geologic wonders and life inside the canyon. Final dinner at El Tovar restaurant on the canyon rim. (Monday, Sept. 18). Drive to Phoenix via Sedona and Walnut Canyon to deliver travelers to airport for return home.