Paquime

   Casas Grandes

    & Mata Ortiz

Sabina and I live in Casas Grandes just across from Paquime and the Museum of Northern Cultures.  We have a block and a half of land with an unobstructed view overlooking the river valley, desert, and mountains that will be the future home of our bed and breakfast. Attached are several photos from the area.

We are starting introductory tours here in mid-April, as the weather is much more predictable then.  Last March we had very high winds, and it made it difficult to do much outside. Right now April dates are open (note that that Easter is April 8^th).  Our friends, Spencer and Emalie MacCallum have restored several older historic adobe homes around a courtyard (Pueblo Viejo Adobe Courtyards).  Spencer is well known for discovering Juan Quezada 30 years ago and getting the Mata Ortiz pottery industry started, see the book The Miracle of Mata Ortiz.  The Adobe Courtyard provides reasonable, character accommodation for our tour of Paquime and Casas Grandes.  These accommodations are very comfortable in the spring and fall.  In the summer, the morning and night temperatures can be quite tolerable as our elevation is over 4,800 feet.  The warm summer nights with the crisp stars in our clear, dark skies (no ambient light) are special.  The Adobe Courtyard is only 1 block to the central plaza; this makes it easy to walk around the village and it even is only a short walk to the museum and Paquime.  Staying here will immerse you in the tranquil atmosphere of life in a small Mexican village.

I have outlined a tour based on a 3 days/2 nights. If you wanted a longer weekend or tour, this is possible.  Here is a weekend scenario:

Friday –

10:00 am - leave west side of El Paso, transportation new 15-passenger van,

11:30 am - stop for tourist visas at Palomas, lunch (not included) at the Pink Store

  3:30 pm - arrive Casas Grandes, check in, tour of village incl historic homes (possibly with Spencer)

  6:30 pm - bonfire and BBQ at the Courtyard (included)

Saturday –

  8:00 am - Starbuck's coffee and Breakfast (included)

10:00 am - Guided tour of the Museum and Paquime

  1:00 pm - lunch (not included)

  3:00 pm - tour of Colonial Juarez (Mormon Village) and pottery tour of

                  Mata Ortiz (20 min. from Casas)

  6:30 pm - dinner (not included)

Sunday –

  8:00 am - Starbuck's coffee and Breakfast (included)

  9:00 am - hike to the Box Canyon and Petroglyphy (45 min. dirt road

                  drive, 20 min. easy hike each way)

  1:00 pm - lunch (not included)

  2:00 pm - return to El Paso, with border stop should arrive in El Paso

                  by 6:30 pm

The cost per person for 6-7 people would be $395 per person (based on double occupancy, 2 people or a couple per room), the cost for 8+ people would be $375 per person. This price includes transportation, accommodation 2 nights (bed and breakfast), entrance to the museum, the BBQ dinner on Friday, and our services as guides. The meals (not included) in Casas Grandes, can range from a $2 hamburger or torta, $4 for 1/2 chicken dinner, to $11 for steak dinner, mexican food at the Pink Store is $7-10 a plate. We will only refer or take you to restaurants we personally patronize.

Also, we are looking at other options for the tours, we can get to two interesting archeological sites (driving) and back in one day.  Cueva de las Ollas (rough dirt road) and Cuarenta Casas (good paved road) are both about 3 to 3.5 hours each way.  For those wanting a more aggressive hike, the Cerro Moctezuma just west of Paquime is a gem.  At the top there are the most amazing views of the Sierras and two valleys. The pictures attached of the Archeological dig (friend from the U. of Arizona does the dig in the summer) and circle ritual site are two of the sites there. It takes about 1.5 hours (foot) to get to the top, huff/puff, so the round trip from the starting point is about 4 hours.  There is another trip to an area I call the Red Rocks (red mountains and sculpted rock formations covered with florescent green lichen, creek with purple rocks), which is down a dirt road one hour west of here at the base of the Sierras.

Please call me (Jack) at 915-996-9898 and let me know when you or you and your friends would be interested in coming.  When we have enough for a trip (8-10) and can coordinated a date with those interested, we will confirm the tour.