This month’s Let’s Travel Club presentation will be by Carlotta Coplanar, education technician for the Coronado National Memorial National Park in Hereford, Ariz.
Coronado National Memorial is the only national park system unit commemorating the Francisco Vásquez de Coronado expedition of 1540-1542. When reporting to Congress in 1940 on the establishment of the memorial, the Committee on Public Lands and Surveys noted, “Coronado’s expedition was one of the outstanding achievements of a period marked by notable explorations. It made known the vast extent and the nature of the country that lay north of Central Mexico, and from the time of Coronado, Spaniards never lost interest in the country. In no small measure, their subsequent occupation was due to the curiosity so created.”
The park has a network of hiking trails to traverse the borderlands, a large limestone cave to explore, and excellent birding and wildlife-watching opportunities. The location has panoramic views of the U.S.-Mexico border and the San Pedro River Valley; the route believed to have been taken by Coronado. It was hoped that this proximity to the border would strengthen binational amity and the geographical and cultural bonds that continue to link the two countries.
To learn more, join the Let’s Travel Club in the Kino Center, Ocotillo and Saguaro Rooms, on Dec. 16 at 2 p.m. Meetings are open to all Quail Creek residents and guests. Hope to see you there.