Sparked by the opportunity to explore his personal passions, David Kroese turns away from a rewarding yet languishing career and begins the adventure of a lifetime. What happens next evolves into a tour of all four hundred-plus units in America's National Park System -- a perfect way to celebrate the 2016 National Park Service centennial. The Centennial: A Journey Through America's National Park System details David's compelling centennial explorations to 387 parks in 360 days. The story continues through December 2017, when he becomes one of fewer than fifty people known to have visited all 417 national parks. His personal expedition is a poignant exploration into quintessential America as told through its historical and natural wonders. Delve into diverse locations from Hawaii to the Rockies, New England to the Caribbean, Charleston to the California desert, Alaska to American Samoa. Join David and experience the inherent marvels within America's unique landscape and fascinating history, revealed in engaging context, poetic descriptions, and heartfelt appreciation. The Centennial: A Journey Through America's National Park System is an odyssey of self discovery and fulfillment through the nation's soul.

From hiking sandstone canyons to chowing down on southwestern cuisine, fall under the spell of the Land of Enchantment with Moon New Mexico. Inside you'll find: Strategic, flexible itineraries with ideas for art lovers, outdoor adventurers, history buffs, and more Top experiences and unique activities: Wander through a ghost-town graveyard, count the bullet holes in the ceilings of preserved 19th-century saloons, or visit the birthplace of the atomic bomb. Soar through New Mexico's clear blue sky on a colorful hot air balloon. Spark inspiration and delight in the spirited art scene of Santa Fe, or seek an extraterrestrial experience at the International UFO Museum & Research Center in Roswell Savor the flavors: Dig into traditional local cuisine, like red sauce-smothered enchiladas, tender carne adovada, and hearty posole. Indulge in juicy green-chile cheeseburgers or opt for something lighter from one of New Mexico's many organic farm-to-table restaurants Outdoor adventures: Go deep on a trek into the mesmerizing underground world of Carlsbad Caverns or venture off-trail in the De-Na-Zin Wilderness to view stunning hoodoos. Raft from surging waters to gentle currents on the Rio Grande or explore the wavelike gypsum dunes of White Sands National Monument Ways to respectfully engage with native cultures: Attend a dance ceremony or a powwow, tour a pueblo, or peruse handmade goods at a market Local insight from Santa Fe dweller Steven Horak on when to go, where to stay, and how to get around Full-color, vibrant photos and detailed maps throughout Thorough background on the landscape, wildlife, climate, and local culture, plus advice for families, seniors, international visitors, and LGBTQ+ travelers Focused coverage of Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, Navajo Nation, Las Cruces, Carlsbad, and more With Moon New Mexico's practical tips and local know-how, you can find your adventure. Exploring more of the Southwest? Try Moon Arizona & the Grand Canyon or Moon Zion & Bryce. Hitting the road? Try Moon Southwest Road Trip.

This lively overview of the archaeology of northern New Mexico's Pajarito Plateau argues that Bandelier National Monument and the Pajarito Plateau became the Southwest's most densely populated and important upland ecological preserve when the great regional society centered on Chaco Canyon collapsed in the twelfth century. Some of Chaco's survivors moved southeast to the then thinly populated Pajarito Plateau, where they were able to survive by fundamentally refashioning their society. David E. Stuart, an anthropologist/archaeologist known for his stimulating overviews of prehistoric settlement and subsistence data, argues here that this re-creation of ancestral Puebloan society required a fundamental rebalancing of the Chacoan model. Where Chaco was based on growth, grandeur, and stratification, the socioeconomic structure of Bandelier was characterized by efficiency, moderation, and practicality. Although Stuart's focus is on the archaeology of Bandelier and the surrounding area, his attention to events that predate those sites by several centuries and at substantial distances from the modern monument is instructive. Beginning with Paleo-Indian hunter-gatherers and ending with the large villages and great craftsmen of the mid-sixteenth century, Stuart presents Bandelier as a society that, in crisis, relearned from its pre-Chacoan predecessors how to survive through creative efficiencies. Illustrated with previously unpublished maps supported by the most recent survey data, this book is indispensable for anyone interested in southwestern archaeology.