We stopped briefly at Coronado National Memorial to find out what Coronado really did for the area. It seems that Coronado went to find the cities "made from gold and dripping with jewels" that were reported. What he found were adobe mud huts. His exploration was a failure, but what Coronado left was an open passage. What entered that passage were strong Spanish traditions and the Roman Catholic religion that merged with the traditions of the native peoples of Mexico and America's Southwest. Andrew tried on the "chain mail" in the Visitor's Center and said it weighed a ton. And to think, the "Conquistadors" wore this and then armor on top through the hot, dry desert!

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