Sacred Places North America: 108 Destinations (Sacred Places: 108 Destinations series)

409 Pages·2008·16.52 MB·English

by  Brad Olsen

Reviews from Sacred Places North America
“An interesting book for both the armchair and the adventurous
traveler, this (book) is recommended.” —Library Journal
“The book is filled with fascinating archeological, geological, and
historical material. These 108 sacred places in the United States,
Canada, and Hawaii offer ample opportunity for questing by spiri-
tual seekers.” —Spirituality & Health
“A revealing, useful, and enthusiastically recommended guide for
the vacationer seeking to fulfill their spiritual as well as their rec-
reational yearnings.” —Midwest Book Review
“World traveler Brad Olsen has compiled a book that documents
108 destination spots for ‘feeling the energy’ of our spiritual his-
torical roots. Pilgrimage is one way we can find ourselves and this
book will provide a guide.” —Twin Cities Wellness
“The book’s chapters correspond to ten regional sections of the
U.S. and Canada, which are further subdivided into specific U.S.
States and Canadian provinces. No less than 38 of the 50 United
States are revealed to contain sacred sites — some of which
are very public and easy to access, such as the House of David in
Michigan, and some of which are more obscure, like Shiprock, ‘the
stand-alone neck of an ancient volcano core’ in New Mexico. But
never fear: Olsen provides lucid and detailed directions, as well as
tantalizing and historically well-informed essay-portraits, for each
destination. The book is also peppered with excellent maps, illus-
trations, and photos.” —Fearless Books
“For travelers who prefer destinations with spirit … juxtaposing
local folklore and Native American legend with scientific theories to
provide context.” —Orlando Sentinel
“It’s an odd lot, the places that have a way of touching your heart:
mountains and homesteads, caves and monasteries, lakes and path-
ways. Author Brad Olsen has recognized that variety in this bringing
together of 108 places that stir the soul. Many of the destinations
mentioned come as no surprise in a collection of the hallowed: Ohio’s
Serpent Mound, Wyoming’s Yellowstone, Colorado’s Mesa Verde, for
instance. But other entries serve as a delightful reminder that there is
room in our hearts to expand the definition of sacred: Massachusetts’
Walden Pond, Michigan’s House of David, and Tennessee’s (and Elvis’)
Graceland, for instance.” —Chicago Tribune
“Olsen maps out obscure destinations brimming with intrigue and
history, places where you will not have to fight thousands of tour-
ists. You’ll find lots of maps, drawings and photos. It’s a travel guide
for the individualist.” —Ashley Tribune
Reviews from Sacred Places Around the World
“… the ruins, mountains, sanctuaries, lost cities, and pilgrimage
routes held sacred around the world.” —Book Passage
“For each site, Brad Olsen provides historical background, a
description of the site and its special features, and directions for
getting there.” —Theology Digest
“(Readers) will thrill to the wonderful history and the vibrations of
the world’s sacred healing places.” —East & West
“Sites that emanate the energy of sacred spots.”
—The Sunday Times
“Sacred sites (to) the ruins, sanctuaries, mountains, lost cities,
temples, and pilgrimage routes of ancient civilizations.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“Many sacred places are now bustling tourist and pilgrimage desti-
nations. But no crowd or souvenir shop can stand in the way of a
traveler with great intentions and zero expectations.”
—Spirituality & Health
“Unleash your imagination by going on a mystical journey. Brad
Olsen gives his take on some of the most amazing and unexplained
spots on the globe — including the underwater ruins of Bimini, which
seems to point the way to the Lost City of Atlantis. You can choose
to take an armchair pilgrimage (the book is a fascinating read) or
follow his tips on how to travel to these powerful sites yourself.”
—Mode
“Should you be inspired to make a pilgrimage of your own, you
might want to pick up a copy of Brad Olsen’s guide to the world’s
sacred places. Olsen’s marvelous drawings and mysterious maps
enhance a package that is as bizarre as it is wonderfully acces-
sible. The historical data and metaphysical ruminations make it an
intriguing read. So pick a mystical corner of the world, be it Mount
Shasta, Delphi or Borobudur, and plan out a pilgrimage real or imag-
ined among the Tungus shamans of Siberian Russia, the ghosts of
Mohenjo-daro, the Muslim faithful at the Grand Mosque in Mecca,
and more.” —San Francisco Examiner
Sacred Places
North America

Second Edition
108
Destinations
Written, photographed, and illustrated by
Brad Olsen
COnsOrtium Of COlleCtive COnsCiOusness
www.cccpublishing.com www.bradolsen.com www.stompers.com
Sacred Places North America:
108 Destinations
second edition
Copyright © 2008 by Brad Olsen
Published by the Consortium of Collective Consciousness ™
All rights reserved.
Reproduction or translation of any part of this work beyond that permitted by section 107
or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without the permission of the copyright
owner is unlawful. Requests for permission or further information should be addressed to
CCC Publishing, 530 8th Avenue #6, San Francisco, CA 94118 USA. FAX [phone].
As is common in a historic and reference book such as this, much of the information
included on these pages has been collected from diverse sources. When possible, the
information has been checked and double-checked. Even with special effort to be accu-
rate and thorough, the author and publisher cannot vouch for each and every reference.
Because this is a book about traveling, many specifics can change overnight and with-
out prior warning. The reader will find ample information collected from experienced
adventurers, writers, and travel industry experts. The author and publisher assume no
responsibility or liability for any outcome, loss, arrest, or injury that occurs as a result of
information or advice contained in this book. As with the purchase of goods or services,
caveat emptor is the prevailing responsibility of the purchaser, and the same is true for
the traveler.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Olsen, Bradford C.
Sacred Places North America: 108 Destinations / Brad Olsen
p. cm.
Includes index
ISBN 10: 1-888729-13-9 (Pbk.)
ISBN 13: 978-1-888729-13-9
1. Spirituality — Guidebooks. 2. Travel — Guidebooks. I. Title
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2005904373
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Front Cover Photos: © 2008, Brad Olsen: Waubansee Stone, IL; Old Oraibi, AZ;
Aztalan, WI. National Park Service: Devils Tower, WY.
ALSO BY BRAD OLSEN

Sacred Places Europe: 108 Destinations
2007
Sacred Places Around the World: 108 Destinations
2004
World Stompers: A Global Travel Manifesto
2001
In Search of Adventure: A Wild Travel Anthology
1999
Extreme Adventures Northern California
1997
Extreme Adventures Hawaii
1997
The Dating System used in this text is based upon the modern method
of using Before Current Era (BCE) instead of Before Christ (B.C.), and
Current Era (CE) rather than “in the year of the Lord” anno Domini (A.D.).
Those unfamiliar with this dating system should take note that 1 B.C. is
the same as 1 BCE and everything then counts backward just the same.
Similarly, 1 A.D. is 1 CE with all the years counting forward to the present,
or Current Era. To assist in universal understanding, all measurements
of length, distance, area, weight, and volume are listed both in the old
British standard and the metric system.
108 saCred PlaCes in nOrth ameriCa

Author’s Karma Statement ..................................10
Foreword by David Hatcher Childress ........................ 13
Introduction to North American Sacred Places................. 15
THE SOUTHWEST
ARIZONA: Arcosanti...................................28
Canyon de Chelly............................29
Monument Valley............................ 33
Old Oraibi..................................36
San Francisco Peaks..........................39
Sedona Vortices .............................41
Southern Sinagua Pueblos.....................44
Wupatki ...................................48
NEVADA: Area 51..................................... 51
Black Rock City.............................54
Lake Lahontan sites..........................57
NEW MEXICO: Chaco Canyon ..............................65
Chacoan Outlier Great Houses ................67
Chimayó ...................................71
Roswell and the White Sands Region ...........74
Shiprock ...................................76
UTAH Canyonlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Hovenweep.................................81
Salt Lake Temple ............................83
Zion National Park ..........................86
WEST COAST STATES
CALIFORNIA: Bay Area to Point Conception .................92
Blythe Intaglios .............................97
Death Valley ................................99
Joshua Tree ................................101
Lake Shrine................................103
Lava Beds .................................107
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Mission Trail............................... 112
Mount Shasta .............................. 114
OREGON: Crater Lake................................ 118
WASHINGTON: Cascade Volcanoes.......................... 122
Columbia River Gorge ...................... 125
ALASKA AND HAWAII
ALASKA: Denali (Mount McKinley).................... 131
Sitka...................................... 133
HAWAII: Pu’uhonua O Honaunau (City of Refuge) ....... 138
Pu’ukohola Heiau (Hill of the Whale).......... 141
Kilauea ...................................143
Waipio Valley ..............................146
KAUAI: Waimea Bay ...............................149
LANAI: Garden of the Gods......................... 152
MAUI: Haleakala.................................. 155
Iao Valley.................................. 157
MOLOKAI: Kalaupapa Peninsula ........................ 159
OAHU: Kaena Point ...............................162
Waimea Valley..............................164
OUTER ISLANDS: Nihoa and Necker ..........................167
WESTERN CANADA
ALBERTA: Ellis Medicine Wheel ....................... 173
Lac Sainte Anne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Majorville Medicine Wheel .................. 178
BRITISH COLUMBIA: Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii) ........180
Sproat Lake................................ 183
MANITOBA: Grottoes of Manitoba .......................186
SASKATCHEWAN: Moose Mountain Medicine Wheel ............189
ROCKY MOUNTAINS
COLORADO: Manitou Springs............................ 195
Mesa Verde ................................197
San Luis Valley .............................201
IDAHO: Nez Perce Homeland........................205
7
MONTANA: Glacier/Waterton International Peace Park .....208
WYOMING: Bighorn Medicine Wheel .................... 211
Devils Tower (Mateo Tepee).................. 213
Yellowstone................................ 215
CENTRAL PLAINS
IOWA: Effigy Mounds Monument ...................222
New Melleray Abbey ........................224
KANSAS: Pawnee Spirit Sites..........................227
NEBRASKA: Blackbird Hill..............................230
OKLAHOMA: Heavener.................................. 233
Spiro Mounds..............................236
SOUTH DAKOTA: Badlands ..................................240
Sacred Peaks of the Black Hills ...............243
TEXAS: Indian Hot Springs..........................245
GREAT LAKES REGION
ILLINOIS: Cahokia Mounds ........................... 251
Waubansee Stone...........................254
MICHIGAN: House of David ............................ 257
Sleeping Bear Dunes ........................260
MINNESOTA: Kensington Runestone.......................262
Pipestone..................................266
OHIO: Newark Earthworks.........................269
Serpent Mound............................. 273
Spruce Hill ................................277
WISCONSIN: Aztalan ...................................283
Devils Lake................................287
Madeline Island (Moningwunakauning).........289
EASTERN CANADA
ATLANTIC PROVINCES: L’Anse aux Meadows ........................296
ONTARIO: Eastern Canadian Great Lakes................299
Lake Superior Sites .........................301
Peterborough Petroglyphs....................304
8
QUEBEC: Hochelaga ................................308
Saint Joseph’s Oratory....................... 311
Sainte-Anne De Beaupré..................... 313
NEW ENGLAND
Prehistoric Stone Buildings of New England ...................... 319
MAINE: Mount Katahdin............................ 322
Sabbathday Lake ...........................324
MASSACHUSETTS: Walden Pond ..............................329
NEW HAMPSHIRE: America’s Stonehenge ....................... 333
NEW YORK: Auriesville and Fonda shrines................. 337
Chautauqua and Lily Dale....................339
RHODE ISLAND: Newport Tower ............................344
THE SOUTH
Temple Mounds of the South................................... 351
ALABAMA: Selma.....................................356
FLORIDA: Bimini and Atlantis ......................... 358
Coral Castle ............................... 361
GEORGIA: Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthplace.............364
KENTUCKY: Gethsemani................................366
Mammoth Cave ............................368
MISSISSIPPI: Natchez...................................370
NORTH CAROLINA: Pilot Mountain.............................374
TENNESSEE: Graceland ................................. 377
VIRGINIA: Assateague Island...........................380
WEST VIRGINIA: Grave Creek ............................... 383
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
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