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BESH BA GOWAH ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK AND MUSEUM

THINGS TO KNOW: Eight hundred years ago, this village southwest of Globe (its name translates to “place of metal”) was occupied by the Salado people. Now, the ruins stand as a testament to the ancient civilization and how its people lived. Visitors can explore the fascinating ruins and learn more about the culture and people. Also on the grounds is a museum that carries Salado pottery and artifacts, botanical gardens and a gift shop. The site is available for student field trips.

DON’T MISS: As you enter the museum, you’ll be treated to a brief film that showcases the history of Besh Ba Gowah. You’ll see first-hand how well-restored the archaeological site is — a point of pride for all who are interested in preserving and maintaining Native American ruins. If you pass by Besh Ba Gowah in December, you can’t miss the annual “noche las luminarias,” or festival of lights. The walls of the ruins are painstakingly covered in thousands of luminaries to celebrate the season’s magic. Cultural entertainment by the famed Yellow Bird Dance Group also is provided.

INFORMATION: globeaz.gov/besh-ba-gowah-archaeological-park-and-museum American Gold Prospecting Adventures Casa Malpaís Archaeological Park & Museum

You will learn the techniques you need Located near Springerville, Casa Malpaís is a late to prospect for gold in the deserts and Mogollon site that dates back to about 1260 and mountains of Arizona. features an astronomical calendar, a great kiva, americangoldprospectingadventures.comancient stairways and rock art.

casamalpais.org Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park

Arizona’s oldest and largest botanical garden, Cocopah Museum and Cultural Center the Arboretum was founded in the 1920s. See examples of traditional clothing, such as btarboretum.org bark skirts and leather sandals, modern-day beadwork, pottery, tattoo designs and musical Fort McDowell Adventures instruments, as well as the Cocopah warriors display. Choose from adventures including a City Slicker Cattle Drive, Segway tours in the cocopah.com/museum desert, kayaking or riding the trail.

fortmcdowelladventures.comFort McDowell Adventures

Visitors learn about the Yavapai National and Havasu Canyon trail Southwestern culture through off-road, Segway The strenuous eight-mile hike from and horseback riding tours. Hualapai Hilltop to the water forces you fortmcdowelladventures.com to earn the spectacular views of Havasu Canyon’s waterfalls. Fry Bread House waterfallsofthegrandcanyon.com Get a taste of traditional Tohono O’odham food at the first Native American restaurant to receive Kinishba Ruins the James Beard American Classic Award. Explore the remains of a pueblo village facebook.com/frybreadhouse built between 1250 and 1350 A.D. by the pre-Columbian Mogollon Culture. Hubbell Trading Post discovergilacounty.com/kinishba-ruins The oldest continuously operating trading post in the Southwest is where Native American artists Off-Road Jeep Adventures trade or sell their authentic and high-quality The educational and off-road guide-led craftworks. Sunset Sonoran Desert Jeep Tour will nps.gov/hutr take you through scenic trails of the Tonto Kai National Forest. thejeeptours.com Meaning ‘seed’ in the Pima language, the only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star Pink Jeep Tours restaurant in Arizona features a menu rich in Take two- to five-hour tours exploring Native American culture. ancient ruins, notable rock formations, or wildhorsepass.com pair your off-roading tour with horseback riding with a combo tour. Navajo Code Talkers Museum pinkjeeptourssedona.com The Tuba City museum displays actual gear and tools used in battle, victory stories, transcripts of Verde Hot Springs a Code Talker and exceptional photographs. A hike, a crisp dip in the Verde River and a discovernavajo.com comforting float in the Verde Hot Springs are three of the best ways to spend a day Pueblo Grande Museum trip to Payson. A fully accessible 2/3-mile trail takes visitors paysonrimcountry.com through a prehistoric Hohokam archaeological village site that was settled before 500 A.D.

Western Destinationspueblogrande.org

Try horseback riding through the Old West Town of Coldwater or venture into the River Trading Post foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains on Located in Old Town Scottsdale, this gallery their Jeep Excursion. offers Navajo textiles, Hopi Kachinas, baskets, westerndestinations.com pottery, jewelry, sculpture and artifacts.

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