April at Tyuonyi Pueblo, Bandelier National Monument. Courtesy/NPS
BANDELIER News:
All over the country, units of the National Park Service will be celebrating National Park Week April 18-26.
The week will begin with fee free days this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19, with no entrance fees being charged at Bandelier National Monument and other park areas nationwide.
During the week, craftspeople from local Pueblos will be demonstrating their work on the porch behind the Visitor Center, and some also will have items for sale. Sunday the Lovato family from Santo Domingo Pueblo will be showing traditional jewelry and also the making of turkey feather blankets. Well-known potter Sharon Garcia from Santa Clara Pueblo is scheduled for Monday, April 20, and carver Ann-Jeannetta David-Baca will highlight the ending weekend, April 25-26.
Tuesday through Friday, a different member of the staff will be featured each day in interviews on the Morning Show on Los Alamos radio station KRSN, AM 1490 / FM 107.1. Interviews will be at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 8:30 a.m. Wednesday and Friday.
Tuesday, April 20 will celebrate the Friends of Bandelier, who have worked for more than 20 years to assist the park with funds for various projects that would not have been possible otherwise. Anyone interested in becoming a member can pick up the forms at the Visitor Center, or call 505.672.3861 x 517 to receive one in the mail.
And of course the usual charms of Bandelier National Monument are available every day – the short trail to Tyuonyi, the cavates, Long House and Alcove House, as well as longer ones into the backcountry; ancient and present-day history and artifacts in the museum; the new leaves, colors, and bird songs of early spring; and the striking landscapes of canyons, mesas and cliffs.
Bandelier National Monument is open seven days a week, with trails open dawn to dusk and the Visitor Center, bookstore, and gift shop/snack bar open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Shuttle buses don’t begin until May 23, so for now visitors should drive on down to the Visitor Center area.
It is likely that the parking lot will be filled in mid-day, so visitors may want to plan to visit earlier or later. Ongoing events can be found on the park Facebook page, BandelierNPS, and on Twitter, and information is available by calling the Visitor Center at 505.672.3861 x 517.
