Compass American Guide: American Southwest 3edCreated by local writers and photographers, Compass American Guides are the ultimate insider's guides, providing in-depth coverage of the history, culture and character of America's most spectacular destinations. Covering everything there is to see and do as well as choice lodging and dining, these gorgeous full-color guides are perfect for new and longtime residents as well as vacationers who want a deep understanding of the region they're visiting. Outstanding color photography, plus a wealth of archival imagesTopical essays and literary extractsDetailed color mapsGreat ideas for things to see and doCapsule reviews of hotels and restaurantsCompass American Southwestincludess The Grand Canyon, Southern Utah, Phoenix, Tucson, New Mexico, Southwest Colorado, Las Vegas, Arizona, West Texas, and Santa Fe.

SOUTHWEST OVERVIEW

The American Southwest's windswept mesas and storied rivers, its ancient ruins, and innovative cuisine attract artists, dreamers, curmudgeons, and an ever-increasing number of visitors. Many of the latter come to the Southwest in the hope of experiencing something unique and authentic. to do so, we suggest the following:

Central New Mexico

Here lie the Zuñi and Ácoma mesa-top villages, first visited by Spanish conquistadors in 1540. Fascinating road trips from Albuquerque wind through the Manzano Mountains and along the Turquoise Trail.

Santa Fe

The most beautiful city in the Southwest, Santa Fe is famous for its adobe houses, fine cuisine, and dramatic art scene. Sit for a long afternoon under the cottonwoods of Sena Plaza, tour the Palace of the Governors, and visit the art galleries on Canyon Road.

Northern New Mexico

eight pueblos line the routefrom Santa Fe to Taos along the Rio Grande. This is magnificent, high desert country, famous for the quality of its light, snow-capped peaks, and small mountain towns where descendants of early Spanish colonists farm and produce traditional crafts.

Four Corners

Wild and remote, the Four Corners is named for the spot where four states meet -- Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. In its many cliff dwellings and ruined cities, deserted even before the Spanish arrived, the ancient Anasazi once designed fine masonary buildings, fashioned peotry, listened to flute music, and drew pictographs on canyon walls. Today the Navajo, Ute, and Hopi reservations stretch across its horizons.

Utah Canyonlands

The vast canyons, arches, pinnacles, "reefs" and bizarre shapes carved into the red-rock mesas of the Colorado Plateau have earned this region the name of "standing-up country." Faced with such astounding geological wonders, the Mormon settlers bestowed upon them names that invoke both the holy and the outlandish: the Virgin River, Great White throne, Angel's Landing, and Zion, for instance; but also the Alligator and the Chinese wall of Bryce National Park. The great outback embraces sweeps of wilderness, such as Paria Canyon, where flash floods and quicksand are ever-present dangers. The Colorado River backs up behind Glen Canyon Dam to form Lake Powell, where the visitor can rent a boat and retreat to quiet shores and isolated red-rock canyons.

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Excerpted from American Southwest by Bethany Ewald Bultman, Nancy Zimmerman
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.