CummingFromGeorgia wrote:

DW and I are planning to spend a month in the 4 corners area this early summer. We are thinking about the following itinerary:

New Mexico: Albuquerque, Gallup,
Arizona: Canyon De Chelly.
Utah: Arches and Canyonland.
Colorado: Mesa Vera, Durango, Silverton, Glenwood Springs
New Mexico: Toas, Santa Fe.

We are wondering what temperatures to expect in that area during the end of May and the first two weeks of June?

Thanks
CummingFromGeorgia

CummingFromGeorgia wrote:

...
New Mexico: Albuquerque, Gallup,
Arizona: Canyon De Chelly.
Utah: Arches and Canyonland.
Colorado: Mesa Vera, Durango, Silverton, Glenwood Springs
New Mexico: Toas, Santa Fe.

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Albuquerque is a city with a long history. There is evidence that as long as 25,000 years ago, people inhabited this area. Some scientists have estimated the date to be 10,000 years ago. In any case, the area has an old heritage. The Anasazi Indians lived here from 1100 to 1300 A.D. In 1540, the Spanish explorer, Francisco Vasques do Coronado arrived from Mexico. After Coronado left, more Spanish settlers moved here. By the 1600's, the area was called: "Bosque Grande de San Francisco Xavier" (A bosque is a forest on the banks of a river or body of water or possibly an area of thick vegetation). In 1706, Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdez asked the Spanish government for permission to establish a villa here. There must be 30 families to do so. There were only 18 at this time, but Cuervo, who was at the time the provisional governor of the territory, knew the plan would help his future. Cuervo planned to name the villa, Alburquerque, after the viceroy Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva, the Duke of Alburquerque. His application was accepted and the city of Alburquerque was formed. The first "r" was dropped from the name supposedly when a sign painter omitted it because he couldn't spell it or just didn't have enough room. There is another theory about the latin spelling of Albuquerque, which means white oak.

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Indians have lived here for over 1,000 years! Santa Fe is the second oldest city in the United States. Don Pedro de Paralta was appointed Governor and Capitan General of New Mexico by the Viceroy of New Spain on 30 March 1609. He was to go to New Mexico with other soldiers and priests and to found the Villa of Santa Fe.

New Mexico was brought into the United States in 1846. At that time, the Catholic Church sent Archbishop John Lamy to reorganize the religious practices of the territory. Religion continues to play a large part in the Santa Fe area. The original name for the city was "La Villa de la Santa Fe San Francisco de Assisi," or in english, "The Royal City of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi."

Santa Fe has been the capital under four different flags since 1610: Spain, Mexico, the U.S. Confederacy and the United States. The influence of many different cultures can especially be seen in the architecture. The adobe is from the Moors. The eastern styles and materials from the Anglos. There are many old, historic buildings in Santa Fe, such as the Miraculous Winding Staircase at the Loretto Chapel or the San Miguel Mission - the oldest church in the United States. Santa Fe has also become a cultural center for the region. The Santa Fe Fiesta has been celebrated
since 1769. It remains a center for craftsmen and artisans to this day.

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There is evidence that man has lived in the Taos area as far back as 3,000 B.C. Prehistoric ruins dating from 900 A.D. can be seen throughout the Taos Valley. The Pueblo of Taos remains the link from these early inhabitants of the valley to the still-living native culture.

The first Europeans to appear in Taos valley were led by Captain Alvarado, who was exploring the area for the Coronado expedition of 1540. Don Juan de Onate, official colonizer of the province of Nuevo Mexico, came to Taos in July 1598. In September of that year he assigned Fray Francisco de Zamora to serve the Taos and Picuris Pueblos.

Long established trading networks at Taos Pueblo, plus its mission and the abundant water and timber of the valley, attracted early Spanish settlers.

Life was not easy for the newcomers, and there were several conflicts with Taos Pueblo before the Pueblo revolt of 1680 in which all Spaniards and their priests were either killed or driven from the province. In 1692 Don Diego de Vargas made a successful military reconquest of New Mexico and in 1693 he returned to recolonize the province. In 1694 he raided Taos Pueblo when it refused to provide corn for his starving settlers in Santa Fe.

Taos Pueblo revolted again in 1696, and De Vargas came for the third time to put down the rebellion. Thereafter, Taos and most of the other Rio Grande Pueblos remained allies of Spain and later of Mexico when it won its independence in 1821. During this long period the famous Taos Trade Fairs grew in importance so that even the annual caravan to Chihuahua delayed its departure until after the Taos Fair, which was held in July or August. The first French traders, led by the Mallette brothers, attended the Taos Fair in 1739.

By 1760, the population of Taos valley had decreased because of the fierce attacks by Plains Indians. Many times the Spanish settlers had to move into houses at Taos Pueblo for protection from these raiders. In 1779, Colonel de Anza returned through Taos from Colorado, where he had decisively defeated the Comanches led by Cuerno Verde. De Anza named the Sangre de Cristo Pass, northeast of present Fort Garland, and also named the road south from Taos to Santa Fe through Miranda Canyon as part of "El Camino Real". In 1796 - 97, the Don Fernando de Taos grant was given to 63 Spanish families.

By the early 1800's, Taos had become the headquarters for many of the famous mountain men who trapped beaver in the neighboring mountains. Among them was Kit Carson, who made his home in Taos from 1826 to 1868. In July 1826 Padre Antonio Jose Martinez began serving the Taos parish. He opened his school in Taos in 1833 and published textbooks for it in 1834. He printed "El Crepusculo", a weekly newspaper in 1835, and was prominent in territorial matters during the Mexican and early United States periods in New Mexico.

After Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, the Santa Fe Trail became the important route for trade between the United States and Mexico. A branch of the trail came to Taos to supply its trading needs.From 1821 to 1846, the Mexican government made numerous land grants to help settle new sections of New Mexico. During the war with Mexico in 1846, General Stephen Kearney and his U.S. troops occupied the province of New Mexico. Taos rebelled against the new wave of invaders and in 1847 killed the newly appointed Governor Charles Bent, in his Taos home. In 1850 the province, which then included Arizona, officially became the territory of New Mexico of the United States.

During the civil war, the confederate army flew its flag for six weeks over Santa Fe. It was just prior to this time that Kit Carson, Smith Simpson, Ceran St. Vrain and others put up the American flag over Taos Plaza and guarded it. Since then, Taos has had the honor of flying the flag day and night.The discovery of gold in the Moreno valley in 1866 and later in the mountains near Taos brought many new people to the area. Twining and Red River, once mining towns, are now prominent ski resorts. The Carson National Forest contains forested lands in the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez Mountain Ranges. It was created from the Pecos River Forest Reserve of 1892, the Taos Forest Reserve of 1906, and part of the Jemez National Forest of 1905.

A narrow gauge railroad, the Denver and Rio Grande Western, was built from Alamosa, Colorado, to within 25 miles southwest of Taos in 1880. In later years it was nicknamed the Chili Line. It eventually connected with Santa Fe. A surrey and four horses joggled passengers from the station to Taos. During World War II, the train was discontinued; Embudo Station on the Rio Grande is all that is left of it today.

The next invasion began in 1898, when two eastern artists came to Taos and depicted on canvas the dramatic mountains and unique peoples. By 1912, the Taos Society of Artists was formed by these and other artists who had been attracted to the area. New Mexico became a state in 1912 as well. World Wars I and II came and went, and members of the three cultures of Taos -- Indian, Spanish and Anglo -- fought and died
together for their country.