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Lore and learning: the Southwest comes alive on these vacations that combine rich scenery with vivid human history - Travel; learning vactaions

Nora Burba Trulsson

We had just seen a petroglyph site rich with images, the grave of Joaquin Murrieta (the outlaw who inspired the legend of Zorro), and a pristinely preserved mission church established in the 17th century by Jesuit missionary Eusebio Kino. But at the present moment, our 10-person group was mostly obsessed with food.

We were on a three-day learning vacation in Sonora, Mexico, put together by La Ruta de Sonora, a Tucson-based eco-tourism organization, and as we sat in a small village's tree-shaded plaza, we hungrily began to examine the contents of our locally catered box lunches. Along with some beef and beans, we discovered vast flour tortillas, 2 feet in diameter and thin as tissue paper, which fluttered in the wind as we unfurled them. The tortillas prompted our erudite guide, Manuel Gonzales, to explain Sonora's historic importance as a wheat-growing region and how tortilla-making was traditionally a female art, marked by, competitiveness in tortilla breadth and thinness.

This was just the kind of insight, we realized, that we probably wouldn't have gained by traveling on our own. Here in the Southwest, a handful of different organizations offer special learning vacations that give participants the scenic big picture and the human details that can make the countryside come alive. Guided by experts, the programs range from those that emphasize physical outdoor activities to ones that cater to more cerebral explorations.

Our particular La Ruta de Sonora trip was definitely more on the intellectual side. We'd signed on for La Ruta's Heritage Tour, doing a 400-mile loop from Tucson to Caborca, Mexico, with an itinerary that included Hohokam archaeological sites and Kino missions. Gonzales, who'd studied to be a priest and once served as Caborca's vice mayor, was working on a doctorate in education at the University of Arizona.

Along the way, we saw the petroglyphs and churches, and we sampled a carne asada dinner, a tradition in this beef-producing region. And Gonzales also gave us juicy insider information on local elections, along with a historical perspective on the struggles between the Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries who came to the Southwest in the 17th and 18th centuries. Witnessing a wedding procession at one of the Kino churches was an unexpected bonus.

When we finally crossed the border to go back to Tucson, our heads were filled with new information. The line between Arizona and Mexico had blurred, and we had all developed a taste for extra-large, extra-thin tortillas.

Educational adventures

Following is a sample of established learning vacations offered throughout the Southwest. Plan ahead; some trips fill up quickly.

Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. Explore ancient cultures and archaeology on guided, multiday field trips or in programs at the center's campus in Cortez, Colorado. Some treks also feature hands-on excavation experiences, and many of the guides are researchers or academics.

WHEN: Apr-Nov.

COST: Weeklong on-campus programs from $925 (shared accommodations) and off-campus programs from $1,595 per person (double occupancy), including transportation to and from launch cities, accommodations, meals, entrance fees, and guides.

HOT TICKETS: Oct 19-25, explore Navajo culture and study traditional astronomy in Canyon de Chelly. Nov 2-9, study the roots of traditional Pueblo art on visits to Rio Grande rock-art sites.

CONTACT: www.crowcanyon.org or (800) 422-8975.

Four Corners School of Outdoor Education Southwest Ed-Ventures. Learn about local culture, the environment, and natural history while enjoying outdoor activities in the Four Corners states (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah). In summer, the Utah-based school offers family-oriented trips.

WHEN: Feb-Dec; one to four trips each month.

COST: From $695 for four days, including most transportation to and from launch cities, accommodations and/or base camp, meals, entrance fees, and guides.

HOT TICKETS: Oct 18-26, Rock Art Adventure on Lake Powell. Dec 16-22, Winter Solstice and Archaeoastronomy in Ute Tribal Park.

CONTACT: www.sw-adventures.org or (800) 525-4456.

Grand Canyon Field Institute. The educational program of the Grand Canyon Association offers hiking experiences within Grand Canyon National Park and in nearby areas, ranging from level walks along the canyon's edge to multiday wilderness backpacking. Treks focus on everything from natural history and geology to art and photography. Women-only hikes are also available.

The Field Institute's newest class is Learning & Lodging, offered in conjunction with Xanterra Parks & Resorts, the park's lodge operator. The two-day class includes a Grand Canyon orientation, interpretive hikes along and below the rim, and visits to architectural landmarks.

WHEN: Year-round.

COST: Single-day Meet the Canyon class, $95. Learning & Lodging packages from $286, including in-park transportation, two nights' accommodations, most meals, and guides.

HOT TICKETS: Oct 8-12, Rim-to-Rim Natural History Backpack Trip. Oct 11-14, Rainbow Bridge Llama Trek.

CONTACT: www.grandcanyon.org/fieldinstitute or (928) 638-2485. Learning & Lodging information: www.grandcanyonlodges.com or (928) 638-2525.

La Ruta de Sonora. Trips emphasize the culture, history, and environment of the Sonoran Desert's border lands. La Ruta also offers scheduled forays to the Sea of Cortez, the Colorado River Delta, and Mexico's volcanic Pinacate Biosphere Reserve.

WHEN: Oct-Apr.

COST: From $469 for three days, including transportation to and from launch cities, accommodations and/or base camp, meals, entrance fees, and guides.

HOT TICKET: Nov 1-3, experience local traditions and rituals on the Heritage Tour, which coincides with the Day of the Dead.

CONTACT: www.laruta.org or (800) 806-0766.

Museum of Northern Arizona Ventures Program. This Flagstaff-based natural history museum features a menu of learning vacations that run the gamut from day trips to multiday treks. All programs are located within the Colorado Plateau and examine culture, archaeology, geology, biology, and human history.

Rugged types can enjoy seasonal outings such as backpacking trips to remote Utah canyons, while mellower travelers can spend a day exploring historic Hopi villages or hiking an old wagon trail in Arizona.

WHEN: Apr-Nov; several trips offered each month.

COST: Day trips from $105 and multi-day trips from $335, including transportation to and from museum, accommodations and/or base camp (on multiday trips), meals, entrance fees, and guides.

HOT TICKETS: Oct 4-5, Grand Canyon stage-route bike trip. Nov 1, Grand Canyon culture and history tour.

CONTACT: www.musnaz.org or (928) 774-5211 ext. 220.

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