CORONADO NATIONAL MEMORIAL

MANY COME TO Coronado National Memorial for its unique ecosystem, its hiking trails — which feature sweeping views of land Francisco Vázquez de Coronado likely crossed during his 16th century search for cities of gold — and its undeveloped limestone cave with classic formations. The natural history is amazing, ranger Christopher Bentley admits. But he also wants people to understand why the memorial exists and why we should remember something that happened so long ago. “It’s a bigger story than Vázquez de Coronado,” he says. “It’s a bigger story than a group of people.” Coronado’s expedition marked the beginning of many things, he says, including the fusion of cultures we identify with the Southwest. New exhibits at the visitors center help bring that home in an engaging way, with chain mail to try on, a tortilla press to play with and spices, introduced by the Spanish, that became hallmarks of Southwestern cuisine.