January 25, 2020
My plan for this week’s outing was to stop by my parents’ house to drop off some boxes, then head down Corrales Blvd to Alameda, then Rio Grande Blvd down to downtown-ish then head up the El Camino Real senic byway (4th Street) into Bernalillo, swinging by the Coronado Historic Site before heading back home. I decided to reverse the trip instead.
I left my parents’ house and headed straight to the Coronado Historic Site. I arrived there around 11:30 or so. I went to the visitors’ center and paid the $5 fee and was told the next guided tour would be at 1:00. The guided tour was the only way to get into the kiva with the mural, which is what I really wanted to see. I killed time by wandering through the museum and walking the trails through the site.
The Coronado Historic Site holds the ruins of the Kuaua pueblo. Settled in the 1300s, Spanish conquistador Francisco Vazquez de Coronado arrived in 1540 in search of the fabled Seven Cities of Gold. Coronado took advantage of the native peoples’ unwilling hospitality and survived off of their bounties while searching for these earthly riches. Shortly after Coronado’s occupation of the area, the village was abandoned and left to ruin.
In 1934, archaeologists Edgar Lee Hewett and Marjorie Lambert began excavation of the site. They quickly realized that unearthing the structures would be detrimental to their condition so the ruins were reburied and reproduced on top.
One of the draws to this site is a kiva, a building used for cultural and religious purposes, in the south plaza with a stunningly restored mural kept largely intact thanks to a collapsed roof that protected it from the elements. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed in the kiva so I don’t have any photos to share, but a cursory search for “Coronado historic site kiva mural” will give you an idea of what I saw.
Overall, I think it was a fantastic stop and am looking forward to going back when the trees are green.
I didn’t wind up leaving the site until 2:00. Unfortunately I had to abandon the remainder of my planned trip as I had to return home.
Fret not though, it’s a drive I make regularly and I will likely get out to it again for a sightseeing venture soon.
For now though, head over to my Photo Diary page for more pictures of today’s trip!
I have a big surprise in store for next week! You’ll want to check back!
Until then…
-Phil