HILLERMAN COUNTRY TOUR CONNECTS WITH NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE- Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2009
CONTACT:Mike Finney
PHONE 480.897.3331
mike@azcomgroup.com
HILLERMAN COUNTRY TOUR CONNECTS WITH NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE
Scottsdale, Az. - Millions of readers worldwide have experienced the thrilling stories created by acclaimed author Tony Hillerman and now those fans can personally experience some of the intriguing settings of Hillerman’s novels in a 5 day tourism masterpiece. DETOURS of Arizona is the only company to receive Mr. Hillerman’s endorsement for a magical tour that departs from Phoenix and travels to destinations that have been featured in the best selling Hillerman novels. The tour descriptions can be seen at www.DetoursAz.com.
Mr. Hillerman said about this special tour “My first encounter with the friendly high, dry, big sky landscape of the Four Corners world was in 1945--just back from the dismal, wet, cold unfriendly landscape of World War II Europe. It was love at first sight for me and I have been getting acquainted with its mountains, canyons and interesting cultures ever since. Its big country with long views and a wealth of empty places populated with Navajos famous for their endurance and their sense of humor, and a variety of pueblo tribes noted for their artistry and their complex mythology. The Navajos once called this center of their tribal existence in America "The Glittering World" and in less poetic language, the land between the Four Sacred Mountains. I'm happy this tour project makes enjoying it easy and comfortable and I'm sure the landscape and its people will make it memorable.”
The Hillerman Country tour includes a visit to the Zuni pueblo - a site from Tony’s thriller, Dance Hall of the Dead. The interior of this 1629 Catholic mission is adorned with the Zuni Kachina and Shalako, life size images painted by Zuni artists Alex and Ken Sewatewa. These larger than life images represent the seasonal lifestyles and overall history of the Zuni people. The tour includes a stop in the Grand Canyon National Park where tour participants will meet a Navajo elder who’s name appears in The Wailing Wind. James Peshlakai is a silversmith and a traditional Navajo who even spent some time as a Navajo Tribal Police officer. James is a personal friend of Mr. Hillerman and will share stories and insights to the Navajo way of life.
Chaco Culture National Historic Park, commonly known as Chaco Canyon, is a must on the Hillerman Country itinerary with nearby Nageezi and Blanco trading posts that were featured in A Thief of Time. Chaco Canyon was a place of commerce, a spiritual-religious center and perhaps a gathering place for early astronomers. Chaco Culture features towering 6 story structures and kivas from an era long past. This mystical place is visited by Hillerman in A Thief of Time, Coyote Waits and Sacred Clowns.
The complete itinerary for the Hillerman Country tour can be seen at www.DetoursAz.com DETOURS is an adventure van touring company that features several other Native American tours offering visitors a never before seen perspective of the land and cultures of the native peoples of the Southwest. The tours are led by expert DETOURS driver-guides and, along the way, Native American guides contribute personal insight on the land that is their home. Travelers enjoy the safety and comfort of specially outfitted Adventure Vans which are configured for touring on scenic backroads that most tour vehicles can not traverse. The vans feature individual seating for ten guests in high-back leather captain’s chairs that recline. The DETOURS guides are recognized for their encyclopedic knowledge of the Southwest and, of course, for their love and admiration for Tony Hillerman.
All tours are conducted in a manner that is ecologically and culturally sensitive. DETOURS has scheduled departures for their exclusive Native American tours posted on their web site www.detoursaz.com and custom departures can be scheduled for groups of six or more travelers. Contact info@detoursaz.com or toll free at 1-866-438-6877.
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Photos available
Additional Native American tours offered by DETOURS:
Navajo-Hopilands Tour
Detours’ guests will be welcomed into the homes and special places by the local Native American guides. A personal introduction to Hopi culture is offered in the form of a traditional dinner served in a Hopi home in the Village of Shungopavi and a Hopi artist demonstration. A showcase of Navajo lands includes a tour of Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley. Both tours have Navajo guides and Canyon de Chelly will include the vistas of Spider Rock viewed from the rim as well as an up-close look at 1,000 year old cliff dwellings on an exploration of the floor of the canyon. Lunch is served with a generous helping of storytelling near the river surrounded by the soaring sandstone canyon walls.
Apache Pass Tour
The Apache Pass Tour is an exploration of the land of the great figures of Apache lore, Cochise and Geronimo. Highlights of this tour include Cochise Stronghold, and Chiricahua National Monument. The tour’s title comes from the strategically crucial piece of ground that became Fort Bowie. In another exclusive element, the DETOURS Adventure Van will traverse an unforgettable and seldom-traveled dirt road over the summit of the Chiricahua Mountains to the very spot of Geronimo’s 1886 surrender. Kartchner Caverns and the Copper Queen Mine Tour are an entertaining part of the adventure into this land of history.
Cities of the Ancients
The Cities of the Ancients Tour provides a glimpse into the history of North America’s oldest cultures, whom even the Native Americans call the “the ancient ones” or “the ones who have gone before”. DETOURS gives their guests the opportunity to follow in the silent footprints along the pathways of these secluded ancient cities and experience the legacy of the ancestral peoples of the Southwest. The tour focuses on The Four Corners region which was home to thousands of Native American Indians between 800 and 1300 A.D. Exploring guests will find themselves ducking through the doorways of cliff dwellings in Walnut Canyon National Monument and walking among the ancient city ruins of Chaco Canyon. The Navajo treasure, Canyon de Chelly National Monument is also featured with a Navajo-narrated jeep tour. A tour of ancient cities would not be complete without Mesa Verde National Park, which shelters over 600 documented sites and the largest collections of ruins and cliff dwellings of the ancestral puebloans. The peaceful silence and the history are tangible in these ancient cites of the Southwest.
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Detailed information including online Image Bank for Travel Media professionals on DETOURS of Arizona is available at: www.ArizonaTravelNews.com
4701 S. Lakeshore 1-A
Tempe, AZ 85282