Heritage Inspirations Tour Company — Local services in Taos

Chaco Glamping with Heritage Inspirations is the Only Way to Go!!!

If I could leave more than five stars, I would. We booked this glamping trip last spring and snagged the last two slots with Heritage Inspirations (HI). From the onset, communication with Angelisa Murray, and the HI team was outstanding. The very first email we received in March detailed everything from the itinerary, what was and wasn't included in our tour, recommendations on how to pack, clear directions, and their cancellation policy in the event of inclement weather. Moreover, Angelisa answered any questions I had before, during, and even after the trip. I also appreciated that I could provide my gratuity for the team via VENMO, which made it so easy. All I had to do was ask about it.

We flew from the East Coast the day before, and within an hour of landing in Albuquerque, our guide personally called to explain the potential impact of the weather on our trip to Chaco the next morning. With the pending threat of flash floods closing the roads to Chaco, he was in constant contact with Angelisa and the team, all of whom were already at Chaco getting updates from the National Park Service staff while preparing for the group's arrival. We learned that there was a forecast of rain coming that day and evening, but the roads to Chaco were open. Our guide explained the risks and left the decision to all of us. We thought if we had to abandon our trip due to pending flash floods, one day in Chaco was better than none at all. It was the best decision ever.

Yes, we had a bit of rain, but also had sunshine. We saw waterfalls coming off the cliffs and a spectacular sunset. Back at the campsite, we had a cozy warm campfire, a fabulous dinner, and a comfortable queen size bed in our personal tents!! The next morning, the National Park Service did cancel their fall equinox program, but opened the park. We were so lucky to have a glorious sunrise, double rainbows, and the most dazzling view of the sun rays coming through the ancient dwellings. After a delicious breakfast, our guide took us on an adventurous hike through the rocks up to the mesa for a breathtaking view of Pueblo Bonito below.

Angelisa and the entire HI team obviously spent an incredible amount of time, effort and attention to make our glamping experience safe, fascinating, informative, and of course, inspirational. We were so fortunate to have an extremely knowledgeable and engaging Chaco guide, Bobby Gonzales, with us the entire trip. I learned so much from him -- what a gifted storyteller!! We had an amazing chef, Josh Willette, whose gourmet meals were so imaginative, and delightfully delicious. And, we had a wonderful HI staff with Lauren, Louis, Mike and Nick, all of whom did an incredible job of creating the most beautiful campsite in the Canyon (I wanted to take that marvelous wood burning scent of pinion and cedar home with me!). The sage smudge stick, glamping candle, (both came with a story about them on laminated sheets on our bed), and the other goodies HI provided enabled me take a little of New Mexico home with me!

Heritage Inspirations is truly a top notch operation -- they are not only an impressive team of professionals who know their business, but what makes them unique is that they are so passionate about what they do, and it shows. And that makes all the difference in selecting a travel company for your once in a lifetime travel adventure to the...

I was fortunate enough to go on a Fall Equinox glamping tour with Heritage Inspirations. Angelisa, Bobby and the rest of the crew went above and beyond to make this a favorite experience of mine. We traveled when the weather conditions would possibly unfavorably impact our tour, but when you open yourself up for adventure, you get the unexpected. In our case that was the beauty of rain falling off of the mesas, double rainbows and the most beautiful skies I have ever seen.

We had an excellent guide in Bobby. He took us to the major sites in Chaco canyon including the star of the show, Pueblo Bonito. We were given lots of information about the architecture and the people who lived there. They thought of everything! When we arrived at camp after sightseeing the first day, we had warm tea and chocolates waiting for us in the most beautiful tent. Angelisa Murray was there to greet us. Our individual tents were set up with the most thoughtful touches. Glamping indeed! The bed was on a raised platform and very comfortable. Our dinner was prepared by a fantastic chef, Josh. We had appetizers that included pickled grapes, peaches and cucumbers. His creativity was impressive! We had chile relleno as our main dish. It was the best iteration of that dish I have ever had - and he somehow pulled this off in a camp kitchen. It was clear while interacting with the entire team that they are all passionate about their contributions to making this experience so special.

The morning of the equinox we headed to Casa Rinconada for the solar alignment built into the structure. Not only did we get to see this awe inspiring sight, we also got to see the most beautiful ever changing skies I have ever seen. All in this beautiful place!! We went back to camp and had delicious whole grain pancakes with bacon and sausage. We went on one more big adventure which included a hike up a mesa with a great view of Pueblo Bonito. It was a great way to end our trip. Josh packed a lunch and snacks for us to enjoy on the way back to Albuquerque.

I felt very grateful for the opportunity to talk to Bobby and Angelisa about Chaco Canyon. I not only got to ask a lot of questions about the canyon, but also got to hear about their experiences there. Both of them had extensive knowledge of the place and had spent a lot of time there. They also had a clear deeper connection with Chaco canyon. This comes through in the way they create experiences for the people who take their tours.

The communication from Heritage Inspirations was very thorough and prompt. I highly...

The tour of Chaco Canyon was fabulous. Our guide, Tam, was very knowledgeable and friendly. Visiting the Canyon was a once in a lifetime experience and learning about the native culture was fascinating. The visit at the Canyon itself was a five star experience.

However, I cannot give the tour five stars because there were some technical problems. The tour company does not answer email inquiries in a timely manner. This may be a staffing issue, but I think having to wait several weeks for a reply to an email is excessive. Also, we were late getting underway on the day of the tour because our guide was late packing the van.

The PA system in the van did not work, so folks in the back of the van had difficulty hearing the guide's comments and were unable to engage in a dialog with the guide.

More concerning, though, the van's air conditioning was also not working, which made for a very uncomfortable, stifling ride back to Albuquerque for those of us the the back of the van on that very hot afternoon. The only windows that opened were the driver's and front seat passenger's windows, and for some reason neither the driver nor the front seat passenger opened the windows all the way despite repeated requests to do so. These problems were inexcusable. For the cost of the tour, the company should ensure the comfort and safety of the tourists.

I will recommend this tour, but I would advise anyone booking to ask about van...