NEW MEXICO: ACOMA HARVEST
August 30 - September 8, 2026Sky City. 367 feet above the desert floor. Inhabited since 1150 AD.And on September 2nd, the Acoma people celebrate their annual harvest festival.---THE JOURNEY10 days in New Mexico's high desert. We'll be guests at one of the most sacred ceremonies in the Southwest. Then we'll explore - Taos art galleries, Georgia O'Keeffe's landscapes at Ghost Ranch, the Rio Grande Gorge, ancient hot springs, Santa Fe's 400-year-old plaza.Small group. 5 people max. Deep respect. Cultural immersion, not tourism.---DAY-BY-DAYDay 1: Saturday, August 30 - Arrive Albuquerque
- Fly into Albuquerque Sunport
- Drive to our base (Santa Fe or Corrales, 45-60 min)
- Settle into adobe house
- Welcome dinner
- High desert sunset (the light here is different)Day 2: Sunday, August 31 - Albuquerque & Preparation
- Old Town Albuquerque (400 years old, Spanish colonial plaza)
- Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
- Learn about the 19 pueblos before we visit
- Understand Acoma's significance, pottery tradition
- Prepare for tomorrow's festival (cultural protocols, what to expect)
- Early dinner, early to bedDay 3: Monday, September 1 - Acoma Preparation
- Morning drive to Acoma area (1 hour west)
- Check into nearby accommodation
- Sky City Cultural Center & Haak'u Museum
- Understand the history - 900 years of continuous habitation
- See pottery traditions, photographs, oral histories
- Rest for the festival
- Quiet evening, reflectionDay 4: Tuesday, September 2 - San Estevan Feast Day
The Harvest Festival- Early arrival at Sky City
- Witness traditional harvest dances (sacred ceremonies)
- Pueblo bread from horno ovens (clay ovens, traditional baking)
- Traditional foods prepared by community
- All day immersion in ceremony and celebration
- Strict cultural protocols (detailed below)
- This is why we came. We are guests. We are respectful.
- Evening: Return to base, process the dayDay 5: Wednesday, September 3 - Rest & Integration
- Sleep in (yesterday was full)
- Morning: reflection, journaling, processing
- Afternoon: Jemez Hot Springs OR rest at house
- Shared meal, stories from the festival
- Space to absorb what we witnessedDay 6: Thursday, September 4 - Taos
- 2-hour drive north to Taos
- Rio Grande Gorge Bridge (650 feet above the river - stunning)
- Taos Plaza (400+ years old, still vibrant)
- Art galleries (60+ galleries, Native and contemporary art)
- San Francisco de Asis Church (Georgia O'Keeffe painted it repeatedly)
- Millicent Rogers Museum (Native American jewelry, pottery, textiles)
- Dinner in Taos
- Drive back to baseDay 7: Friday, September 5 - Ghost Ranch & Abiquiú
- Georgia O'Keeffe's landscape (she lived here 40+ years)
- Ghost Ranch - hiking among red cliffs
- Pedernal Mountain (O'Keeffe said "It's my private mountain")
- Abiquiú (O'Keeffe's home - tour if available, reserve ahead)
- This landscape changes you
- Picnic lunch among the cliffs
- Sunset drive backDay 8: Saturday, September 6 - Santa Fe
- Santa Fe Farmers Market (Saturday morning, one of best in America)
- Canyon Road (100+ art galleries in half-mile)
- Palace of the Governors (oldest public building in US, 1610)
- Native vendors sell jewelry, pottery under the portal
- Plaza - 400 years of history
- Meow Wolf (optional immersive art experience)
- Dinner on Canyon RoadDay 9: Sunday, September 7 - Ojo Caliente Hot Springs
- 1 hour north of Santa Fe
- Ancient mineral hot springs (Ancestral Puebloans used these springs)
- 5 different pools (Arsenic, Iron, Lithia, Soda, Mud)
- All day soaking
- Sunset in the pools (desert sky, no light pollution)
- Dinner at the inn
- This is how we close the circle
- Final night togetherDay 10: Monday, September 8 - Departure
- Morning in Santa Fe or return to Albuquerque
- Final breakfast together
- Closing circle - reflections, gratitude
- Airport departures (stagger throughout day)---WHAT'S INCLUDED→ 10 days, 5 people total
→ Private adobe house (Santa Fe or Corrales area)
→ Plus 1-2 nights near Acoma for the festival
→ Most meals (we cook some, eat out some)
→ Rental vehicle for the group
→ Festival access & cultural experiences
→ Hot springs visits (Jemez, Ojo Caliente)
→ Art gallery tours, museum entries
→ All planned activitiesNot included:
Flights to/from Albuquerque, some restaurant meals, personal expenses, optional activities---WHAT WE'LL EXPERIENCE🏜️ Acoma Pueblo harvest festival - Sacred dances, traditional foods, 900-year-old community
🎨 Art & culture - Taos galleries, O'Keeffe country, Native pottery traditions
♨️ Hot springs - Jemez, Ojo Caliente (ancient mineral springs)
🌄 High desert - 6,000-7,000 ft elevation, huge skies, dramatic light
🍞 Traditional foods - Green chile everything, pueblo bread, sopapillas, posole
🏛️ Deep history - 1,000-year pueblos, Spanish missions, indigenous sovereignty
🖼️ Georgia O'Keeffe's landscape - Ghost Ranch, Abiquiú, Pedernal---CULTURAL PROTOCOLS AT ACOMA PUEBLOThis is sacred. We are guests on sovereign Native land.STRICT RULES (non-negotiable):
- ❌ No photos during sacred dances (cameras will be confiscated)
- ❌ No video or audio recording of ceremonies
- ❌ No alcohol on pueblo land (any day, especially feast day)
- ✅ Dress respectfully - No shorts, shoulders covered, modest clothing
- ✅ Ask permission before photographing people, pottery, or buildings (outside of ceremonies)
- ✅ Purchase directly from artisans when possible (support community)
- ✅ Listen more than you speak
- ✅ Follow all instructions from pueblo officialsWhat this means:
- The dances are not a performance. They are prayer, ceremony, connection to ancestors.
- We witness. We do not consume or extract.
- We honor 900 years of resistance, resilience, and continuous culture.
- If you cannot follow these protocols, do not come.---THE ACCOMMODATIONSAdobe house in Santa Fe or Corrales
- 5 private bedrooms
- Full kitchen (we'll cook traditional New Mexican dishes together)
- Kiva fireplace (traditional adobe fireplace)
- Courtyard or portal (covered porch)
- Washer/dryerPlus 1-2 nights near Acoma (hotel or inn, private rooms)---THE RHYTHMAugust 30 - September 1: Easy arrival, settling, preparation for Acoma
September 2: Acoma Feast Day - this anchors everything
September 3: Rest, integration, processing
September 4-7: Exploration - Taos, O'Keeffe country, Santa Fe, hot springs
September 8: Closing, departureWe move at the pace of ceremony, not tourism.---WEATHER & PACKINGSeptember in New Mexico:
- Days: 70-85°F (warm, sunny, perfect)
- Nights: 50-60°F (cool, comfortable)
- Clear skies (300+ days of sunshine/year)
- Possible afternoon thunderstorms (brief, dramatic)
- Low humidity, high elevation sun (strong UV)Bring:
- Respectful clothing for Acoma (long pants or skirt, shoulders covered)
- Layers (desert temps swing 30°)
- Sunscreen & hat (high elevation = intense sun)
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Water bottle (stay hydrated at elevation)
- Swimsuit (hot springs)
- Open heart, quiet mind---IMPORTANT NOTES- Elevation: 6,000-7,000 ft. Drink water. Take it slow first day.
- Cultural humility required: This trip demands respect for indigenous sovereignty and sacred practices.
- September 2 is fixed - The feast day is September 2 every year. The trip is built around this.
- Small group matters - Respectful, curious travelers only.
- Some walking/hiking at elevation (Ghost Ranch, pueblo)
- This is not a vacation - This is immersion, learning, witnessing.---
PRICING$3,000 per person
10 days, accommodations, most meals, vehicle, activities, hot springs---SPACE FOR 5 TRAVELERSAugust 30 - September 8, 2026The harvest happens once a year.
Sky City has stood for 900 years.
The dances are prayer.
This moment is now.Come witness. Come learn. Come with respect.

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