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About Us
Mike has been a student of archaeology all his life. His parents brought him along to Michigan Archaeological Society meetings at MSU starting at age five. His passion for mountaineering, his skills in carpentry and stewardship of the land have brought new life to this forgotten place.
Linda has a career life in elder care social work and administration, hospitality industry, food service, professional musician and events coordinator. Her care with logistics and details will help organizers navigate to create successful and memorable events for archaeological circles. Sand Canyon House is a tremendous archaeologists destination. We recognize the importance of saving the past for the future and wish to offer this property for smaller conferences that explore the archaeology of the Southwest. |
What Can We Offer |
Currently we can offer outdoor plaza with splendid views. Plaza faces east. Speakers or musical groups can take the stage. Caterers can set up tents for food and beverage service. As long as dry weather prevails, camping sites are abundant both on hilltop and in trees. Walks on our trail system takes visitors off the rim of Sand Canyon to explore.
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Our Goals |
We hope to become a venue for archaeological gatherings and perhaps more groups that appreciate this unique beauty and history. We have plans to build an indoor gathering space, improve parking lots, add Canadian cabins and tent platforms in the most appropriate locations. We'd love to save some historic small buildings, move them here and restore them as lodging. Outdoor events need a Plan B - protection from wind, hot summer sun and rain (as proved problematic for our wedding) all mean we need more infrastructure.
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~ Thoughts From Visitors ~
Miss Jenna Lee visited with her family from Hudsonville, Michigan. Her mom, Ruth Lee provides these memories.
What We Did On Our Summer Vacation (2014)
(View photos of this story on our Photo Gallery page)
On our summer vacation this year, we went to Mike & Linda’s place for their wedding.
Now, this wasn’t just any place or just any wedding we were heading to. Mike Rhodes and Linda Carter for some time now have been working on a dream, and we were privileged to see the result: Sand Canyon House—an outdoor event and convention center smack in the shadow of the Four Corners’ Sleeping Ute Mountain, complete with outdoor kitchen and patio for dining, a 360 degree view of mountains, music stage with wide grass dance floor, campground for tiny tent or massive RV, and hiking trails that wind back through time to the days of the ancients.
We drove there Saturday past three deer, a watchful hawk and the peaks of three mountain ranges. We arrived to a western pot luck featuring smoked brisket which we ate around the campfire, after which one daughter ran off to commune with hummingbirds while the other daughter made a beeline for the dance floor. Music and talk ran together until we retired to our tent for the night.
Sunday came with an unusual rainstorm for this normally dry part of the world, but a hearty western brunch warmed body and soul, as did impromptu gospel and cowboy music around the campfire. The rain lifted in time for everyone to join Linda, Mike, and a shaman from the Ute Nation who held a ceremony to bless the land as Mike and Linda promised to tend it lovingly and respectfully.
After a short break in which kids had time for arts and crafts, our group gathered again for the main event: a bagpipe-led processional back to the canyon rim for the wedding itself, a beautiful time in which Linda and Mike promised to lovingly and respectfully tend each other.
Oh and then it was a time for feasting—a full Celtic wedding feast on the lawn with music. Lots and lots and lots of music! Some of it by a harpist!
Monday morning dawned bright and clear and two horses appeared to pull guests in an Old West stagecoach down the road past juniper, cedar and sage, rabbit and hawk. There were guided hikes down into Sand Canyon to the ancient dwellings within. There was an afternoon wind perfect for kite flying. There was the peace of this big, beautiful bit of earth and the joy of sharing this special time with friends old and new.
And that’s what we did on our summer vacation.
Everyone should be so blessed.
Sand Canyon House
100 Mile Views ~ Memorable Events
PO Box 251, Cortez, CO 81321
sandcanyonhouse@gmail.com * 970-739-1355 (cell)
100 Mile Views ~ Memorable Events
PO Box 251, Cortez, CO 81321
sandcanyonhouse@gmail.com * 970-739-1355 (cell)