Llerena Spain - Grand Canyon, AZ (Flagstaff, Sierra Vista: home, to buy, price)

[Harleyzona]

Hello,

Recently went to a small,quiet typical Southern Spain town to spend the day there Currently stationed in Spain so the 1.5 hour drive was relatively easy.The town is called Llerena and it is the birth place (and resting place) of the first person (besides the native Indians) to view the Grand Canyon.Garcia Lopez de Cardenas, the explorer is the man who along with his expedition arrived at the south rim of the canyon and for three days tried in vain to cross over to the north rim.
I am going to Arizona in Early November to learn a bit more on the connection between Cardenas and his GC voyage.Hope to stay in Flagstaff for five days.My question is where can I get more info besides my planned trip to the GC Nat Park visitors center?
Here is Spain I have been getting a good deal of info including a trip to Seville Indian Museum where one could view the letters Cardinas wrote detailing his failed GC crossing attempts.Now its time to learn more while on the Arizona side.

Thanks in advance,
Bernardino

[azdr0710]

García López de Cárdenas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


are you looking for more info on the Cardenas connection to the Grand Canyon?.....

or more info on practical aspects of visiting?

[Harleyzona]

Definitely the Cardenas connection to the Grand Canyon and what impact it had or has to the Grand Canyon.Are there any artifacts,paintings,monuments (like there is for Coronado) even footprints of his expedition? Cardenas "will be" 500 years old next year and yet he (his accomplishments) has for the most part been forgotten.

Thanks for replying to my thread.

[azdr0710]

yes, I agree most know nothing about the first European to see the Grand Canyon.....

my suggestion is just to google all you can about it (using the most clever search phrases, of course)...

drop in at the Visitor Center and/or museum at the South Rim and see what exhibits they have and ask the staff if there's a library or books on the subject available....

I'm almost certain (guessing) that there is absolutely no physical evidence of Cardenas at the Canyon....

"To The Inland Empire" by Stewart Udall has some excellent discussion of Coronado and Cardenas...I highly recommend it if you can get your hands on it somehow before or during your visit....google it or see if a library has it if you don't want to buy it.....

you might also want to see if some place or person in Llerena wants you to do anything while over here, bring some pics back, or something they'd like for a museum there??....

here's the web page for the visitor center and museum on the South Rim....

Visitor and Information Centers - Grand Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

also, go the the home page at the site and other pages to plan your visit....bring a jacket, too!

[Harleyzona]

As I will stay down in Sierra Vista for one week,the public library there should have the Stewart Udall book you mentioned.At this stage of the game,anything regarding Gardenas is golden.

The Mayer and Historian of Llerena,who I have met, are well aware of Cardenas(about the only ones!).The historian in particular sat down with me and told me an ear full of priceless info.As you might have guessed, he has written a complete book on the History of Llerena.He is also one of the few people to have gone in the closed off cave under the church where Gardinas is buried and viewed his remains along with the remains of 14 others including his (better known) father .Wow!!Talk about getting into the epicenter of Gardinas!

The problem,as with many other small Spanish towns,is that they are dripping with history and some events/people just don't get the attention they deserve.Llerena is much more known for its role in the Spanish Inquisition then some "failed" explorer who just so happened to be the first explorer to view the Grand Canyon.

Not sure if I was able to attach a picture but if I did you will be able to see my 100% AZ built mode of transportation to get to Llerena.

I have big plans to help connect the dots between Arizona and Spain in regards to the Gardinas and Grand Canyon.

Thanks for the GC link and tip onpacking the extra sweater!