october 2018 | by kate verotsky
It was the colors that kept me gawking. The four corners region of southwest Colorado is famous for inspiring sensory awe of every description, but this Oregonian expected most of it to be brown. Instead, the rich hues of the dramatic mesa cliffs belied the word "desert" at every turn.
The new visitor center experience at Chimney Rock National Monument is an exciting challenge. Over 1,000 years ago, the ancient Pueblo ancestors of 25 modern local tribes constructed a built environment that required astonishing feats of engineering, diplomacy and skill. From an "ivory tower" observatory at 7,600 feet, revered skywatchers meticulously studied celestial movements — conveying their findings by fire signal to the political powerhouse of Chaco Canyon, a metropolis 90 miles southwest near Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Today, the bustle of this ancient community is replaced by the tranquility of ponderosa and pinion, cactus and yucca. Few signs of life greeted us beyond the tarantula (!) that scurried along in search of a mate as we stood admiring the remains of a ceremonial kiva.
At Sea Reach, our enchantment with the stories we are commissioned to tell and our commitment to finding creative and compelling ways to draw others into the wonders that surround us makes work a way of life! We’re honored to embark on the interpretation of this story, and will strive to match the ingenuity and skill of the native peoples that created it.