Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, located in Blanding, Utah, is a museum and Native American archaeological site.
Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument is a rock panel with one of the largest known collections of petroglyphs in the United States. It’s located along UT 211, which is the road leading to the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. The rock is part of the cliffs along Indian Creek Canyon.
Baker, Nevada, is the gateway to Great Basin National Park. This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town with a population of about 70 doesn’t offer much outside of the park, but there is one site of importance.
The old town of Panama City, Casco Viejo, is, of course, old. But it’s not the original site of Panama City. The older old town, Panamá Viejo, is located a few kilometers away. It was founded in 1519 as Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Panamá, making Panama City the oldest European settlement on the Pacific coast.
Bolivia’s most important archaeological site, Tiwanaku, lies just a couple hours away from La Paz. Located in the modern town of Tiahuanaco, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site that was the capital of a Pre-Columbian empire from about 300 to 1000. The original name of the city has been lost because the inhabitants had no written language. The ruins are still being excavated.
Boat to Isla del Sol
In Copacabana, we boarded a small boat to Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) and sat on the top deck. The ride was windy and cold but I enjoyed the scenery. Lake Titicaca is a strong shade of dark blue and the contrast against the clear Bolivian sky was an incredible sight. On the way, we passed by the Isla de la Luna (Island of the Moon), where the Incas believed the rising of the moon was commanded. The ride took about 90 minutes.
The least popular tour and the least visited sites in the Sacred Valley (Valle Sagrado) are on the Southern Circuit (Circuito Sur). It’s unfortunate because these ruins are equally as spectacular as the others in the valley.
The heart of the Sacred Valley (Valle Sagrado) features a few very interesting archaeological sites on the road to Machu Picchu.
The Maras Moray Circuit (Circuito Maras Moray) of the Sacred Valley (Valle Sagrado) visits an incredible Inca agricultural laboratory, an ancient salt mine, and a traditional craft market.