Quest for Ancient Civilizations

08/22/2026

RANDALL CARLSON — HAVING FUN ON THE QUEST!
Not every expedition has to be serious. Sometimes you just have to jump! https://quest4ancients.com/
A great moment with Randall Carlson and the crew exploring the extraordinary landscape of Arches National Park, Utah.
The Quest has always been about more than lectures and presentations. It’s about getting out into the landscape, seeing the geology with your own eyes, sharing the adventure with interesting people—and remembering to have some fun along the way.
Explore. Discover. Connect. Have Fun.
Because some of the best conversations happen out there.

08/22/2026

HANGING WITH THE WISE ELDERS…
They say sitting with wise elders can make you wiser.
But it’s not guaranteed—you still have to do your part.
A special moment with Hakuzan, Japanese calligraphy artist and a wonderful elder whose art and philosophy have stayed with me.
Behind us is one of his remarkable works. The message, as Hakuzan explained it, is beautifully simple:
“HAVE FUN.”
He said the message came to him while looking at the clouds in the sky. Travel. Meet people. Listen to the elders. Learn from different cultures. Stay curious.
And along the way… don’t forget to have fun.
That spirit has always been part of the Quest.
https://quest4ancients.com/

08/22/2026

WHERE SCIENCE, TRADITION & THE QUEST MEET
Wupatki, Arizona — 2022, following our Sacred Geometry workshop. https://quest4ancients.com/

In this moment, Cleeve Hustito, Zuni medicine man, shares with Randall Carlson the traditional understanding and science behind offering prayers for water near the remarkable underground blowhole at Wupatki.

These are the moments that have always defined the Quest for me—not simply visiting ancient places, but listening, learning and bringing different ways of understanding together.

Ancient knowledge. Geology. Water. Ceremony. The living landscape.
Sometimes the greatest classroom has no walls.

The Quest continues.
https://quest4ancients.com/

08/22/2026

SIT WITH THE SPEAKERS at AUSTIN QUEST!
Austin Quest isn’t just about watching from the audience—it’s about becoming part of the experience. https://quest4ancients.com/
With XTRACCESS Mezzanine Seating, you can choose a speaker section and sit alongside the explorers, researchers, storytellers and creators you came to see.
Sit near the speakers
Be part of the conversation
Choose your speaker section
Limited sections. Limited seating.
Join me and an extraordinary gathering at Austin Quest for Ancient Civilizations, October 16–18, 2026, at ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas.
The Future Is Ancient. The Quest Is Better Together.
Reserve your XTRACCESS seat:
Quest4Ancients.com

08/22/2026

08/22/2026

GLACIER POINT • YOSEMITE — THE ROOTS OF THE QUEST
At Glacier Point with my friend Kare Banke of Denmark, looking out across one of the great landscapes of Yosemite.

Long before there were conferences, road trips, cameras, or World ViewZ Media, the roots of the Quest were already there—traveling, meeting people from different cultures, and putting ourselves in places where nature was bigger than anything we could imagine.

Standing above Yosemite Valley with Half Dome in the distance, you feel scale differently. Big nature has a way of stripping life down to what matters: curiosity, friendship, courage, and the willingness to keep exploring.

Those early journeys taught me that discovery is not only about ancient places.

It is also about who you travel with, what the landscape awakens in you, and how far you're willing to go to experience the world firsthand.

That spirit became the Quest.
https://quest4ancients.com/

08/21/2026

The Quest began long before there was a Quest.

This photo brings back memories of my Swedish friend Johan Sveren, who lived with me for a time in Newport and was part of those early adventures that eventually helped inspire the Quest.

In 1989, just after the Berlin Wall came down, Johan and I set off on an unforgettable—and at times nearly fatal—journey from Sweden through East Germany to Berlin and Bavaria. No internet. No smartphones. Credit cards weren’t something you could simply rely on. You traveled with a map, trusted the people you met, and figured things out along the way.

Looking back, those journeys were really the origins of what became the Quest—traveling into the unknown, experiencing new cultures, meeting people face-to-face, and discovering how much more there is to the world than what we’re taught from a distance.

The Quest has always been about the journey, the people we meet, and the stories we bring home.

#1989

08/21/2026

Southwest Legacy Tour — Some mysteries aren’t meant to be explored from a distance. https://quest4ancients.com/

Join legendary explorer and author David Hatcher Childress on the Southwest Legacy Tour — September 17–23, 2026 as we travel through the ancient landscapes of the American Southwest, exploring archaeological sites, lost histories, remarkable geology, and questions that continue to challenge our understanding of the past.

Walk the ground. See the evidence. Ask the questions. Join us in solving some of those mysteries together.

The journey continues to Austin Quest for Ancient Civilizations, October 16–18 at ACL Live at the Moody Theater.

Explore Ancient America. Create Your Own Legacy.

I smile about the many mysteries that I will never be able to solve.

This and more in Lost Cities and Ancient Mysteries of Africa and Arabia - available now at https://www.adventuresunlimitedpress.com/proddetail.php?prod=AFA

08/19/2026

THE EMPIRE OF SHIVA — FROM THE ROAD TO AUSTIN QUEST
https://quest4ancients.com/
Join legendary world explorer and author David Hatcher Childress as the QUEST continues from the ancient landscapes of the Southwest to the stage at Austin Quest for Ancient Civilizations.

David will feature The Empire of Shiva at Austin Quest—exploring ancient India, lost civilizations, mysterious technologies and provocative questions about how much of humanity's past may still be waiting to be rediscovered.

And for those joining us on the DHC Southwest Legacy Tour • September 17–23, 2026, the journey doesn't end when we leave the road.

Every Legacy Tour participant will receive a General Admission Ground Floor seat to Austin Quest, October 16–18, 2026, at ACL Live at the Moody Theater.

First, travel with David through Ancient America—Canyon de Chelly, Meteor Crater, Chaco Canyon, Aztec Ruins, Mesa Verde and beyond.

Then reunite in Austin as David takes the exploration onto one of America's great stages.

One journey. Two extraordinary experiences.
DHC Southwest Legacy Tour — Sept. 17–23
Austin Quest — Oct. 16–18
ACL Live at the Moody Theater • Austin, Texas
GA Ground Floor Austin Quest seat included for Legacy Tour participants

Explore Ancient America. Create Your Own Legacy.
quest4ancients.com

08/19/2026

THE DHC SOUTHWEST LEGACY TOUR September 17–23, 2026 https://quest4ancients.com

Seven days on the road with David Hatcher Childress, exploring the archaeology, landscapes, mysteries and living history of the American Southwest.

This is more than a tour.

It's the opportunity to travel with David, share conversations from the road, explore extraordinary places together, and experience firsthand the landscapes behind decades of research, books and exploration.

Our journey takes us through an incredible corridor of Ancient America, including:

Canyon de Chelly • Meteor Crater • Chaco Canyon • Aztec Ruins • Mesa Verde • Four Corners country and beyond.

The bus becomes a rolling classroom. The landscape becomes part of the conversation. And the people traveling together become part of the story.

There are experiences you can watch online—and experiences you have to stand inside to understand.

This is about creating those memories while we still can, with explorers who have dedicated their lives to asking questions and going to the places where those questions began.

Explore Ancient America. Create Your Own Legacy.

DHC SOUTHWEST LEGACY TOUR
September 17–23, 2026
Limited expedition

quest4ancients.com