Exploring Ancient Ruins of Chaco Culture

We spent a day exploring the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in the New Mexican desert because we saw a documentary on Amazon and were inspired by the history and size of the ruin site. It is well preserved, remarkable, and fascinating to learn about and witness the massive buildings of the Ancestral Puebloan people of the Southwest and their past. We were lucky enough to meet a Native American studies professor there who shared deeper insight into the culture and archaeology of the site. His stories were beyond intriguing and changed the lens through which we absorbed the experience. Parks in the US and our lands history rival anything I’ve seen abroad. After the world shut down I was on a mission to have deeper, more adventurous, and more connected experiences on home land, and have not been disappointed. There is so much we have here in the US to keep you exploring for years and gain a better understanding of your own history and culture and have epic adventures along the way. The site is also an international dark sky park and is one of the best locations in the country and world to witness the Milky Way. We saw so many shooting stars camping and woke to the most incredible sunrise. I think that’s one of my favorite parts of road tripping and staying in a camper van, is the intimacy we get to experience with these parks, sleeping just outside them and waking to them in the morning gives the experience an entirely deeper feeling and connection to the location that makes memories cemented. Have been enamores with this 25 day trip and the encounters and exploration we’re able to do experience along the journey. 📸: @sea2summitexplorer