Road Trip: The Last Leg

Leaving the Grand Canyon, I decided that I had probably tarried too long to make it home that day. But, I still needed to move quickly. That did not stop me from a quick detour to Navajo National Monument. 

More cliff dwellings!

It is after all, just off the highway and it was such a gorgeous day. Navajo has a very nice paved path that overlooks the fantastic Betatakin ruin inside a natural alcove (two attractions in one). 

Pathway (with snow)

The ruin is on the other side of a 560 ft. deep canyon. The alcove is 52 ft. high and 370 ft. across.

A big settlement

The Park actually has three ruins: Keet Seel, Inscription House and Betatakin. Keet Seel is accessible only by ranger-led hike, which is offered only in the summer. There are also walks to Betatakin in the summer. Inscription House is closed to the public.

The monument is high on the Shonto plateau, overlooking the Tsegi Canyon system, west of Kayenta, Arizona, and on Navajo land. 

Wide view

Betatakin means "House Built on a Ledge" in Navajo. In Hopi, its name is Talastima, or "Place of the Corn Tassel." Betatakin, constructed of sandstone, mud mortar and wood, had about 120 rooms  and one kiva at the time of abandonment. Now, it has only about 80 rooms, due to rock falls inside the alcove. the buildings were constructed between 1272 and 1275, but oddly, occupied only about 20 years. It is suspected that a serious drought drove people away. Maximum population was probably 150 people.

The ruins are in shadow

After leaving Navajo, I continued on to Monument Valley.

I love this place!

Some day, I need to make Monument valley a destination, rather than just driving by because I suspect that the light for photos is much better in the early or late day rather than midday.

Such a magical place

This area of Colorado Plateau just over the Utah border is characterized by vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft. above the valley floor. 

Something cool everywhere you look

The area is on Navajo land and the tourist area is administered by the Navajo Nation. Otherwise I assume that it would be a National Monument or Park.

That's a butte!

Monument Valley has been featured in many forms of media since the 1930s. Director John Ford used the location for many of his best-known cowboy films, and thus, in the words of critic Keith Phipps, "its five square miles have defined what decades of moviegoers think of when they imagine the American West."

Iconic!

After trying to get the ultimate photo, I pressed on toward home. On the way, I saw this great sign in Bluff, Utah. Lest we forget that our nation has ancient buildings -- many as old as the castles and cathedrals of Europe.

I just love this sign!

I was going to stop a Yucca House National Monument in Durango, but arrived after 5:00 p.m. and the discovered that the site is reached via rough farm roads with no signage and no visitor center. Maybe next time I head that way!

Then, I headed toward home, getting reports of weather from Scott. After a week of perfect, clear skies, it figures that the last day would bring rain and snow. Since I had to cross two high passes to get home, I decided to stay in Pagosa springs. Scott and Michael made it safely through Wolf Creek pass, but encountered some treacherous weather in La Vita Pass. The next day was sunny, so even though Wolf Creek was 19 degrees and icy, I made it home safely.

Oh, I mentioned in an earlier post that it is not possible to visit every national monument. I found this out when looking into the Arizona sites. I wanted to visit Hohokam Pima, but found this curt statement on the NPS website:

"The 'Monument' is located on the Gila River Indian Reservation and is under tribal ownership. The Gila River Indian Community has decided not to open the extremely sensitive area to the public. There is no park brochure, passport stamp, picture stamp or other free literature available."

Well, there.

Trip date: March 7-14, 2015

Road Trip: Castle to Canyon

National Park Passport safely retrieved, it was time to get to the Grand Canyon. Had I not detoured back to Tonto National Monument, I had planned to drop by both Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments. Tuzigoot, which is west of Sedona, was out of the question. But, after a lovely drive through fir forest (and actually a few snowflakes), I was getting ready to reconnect with the interstate and there was the turnoff to Montezuma Castle National Monument.

Montezuma Castle

It's only a few miles from the interstate, so why not? This is the first cliff dwelling I ever saw, way back when I moved to Arizona in 1984. It is an impressive five-story, 20-room dwelling that was built sometime between 1100 and 1300. 

Windows

Its name is a misnomer - early American settlers assumed it was Aztec. Of course, it was not. It is Sinagua, ancestral peoples to the Hohokam. Cliff dwellings were the first types of villages these people built, but eventually they migrated to hilltop dwellings (more like those at Chaco). Then, they left the Verde Valley for reasons that have not been determined (it is usually drought).

You look up from the path

If you want to see a cliff dwelling and have any mobility issues, Montezuma Castle is a great choice. It is easy to reach and has a wide, level, accessible trail. 

Next, on to the Grand Canyon, where I was meeting Scott for the night. As I drove north, the weather got colder and windier, so I had to change back from summer gear to light winter gear. We got to the Canyon in time for some late-afternoon/sunset shots. 

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Then, we went back at night to try to capture the Milky Way. 

Nope!

I am still working on camera settings, but a did get a few passable star shots. Clouds came in before we could really experiment too much.

Well, a little bit of Milky Way

The next morning, Scott had to leave early, but I had the luxury of multiple early morning stops as I headed toward the east exit. I stopped at almost every lookout on the way.

Lots of views

This is much easier to do than heading west because much of the year, access to the west is restricted to shuttle buses.

Gorgeous

I even detoured into the Desert View Tower, which looks ancient, but was actually built in the 1930s. 

Desert View

So, even though it is "fake ancient," it is a good relic of the early tourism days of the Grand Canyon. 

A look back

When I went inside, I was surprised by the decor. I am not sure if I forgot what it looked like, if I had never been inside before (which is possible since I am usually at Desert View very early or very late) or if it has been spiffed up. 

Interesting interior

Regardless, it was lovely.

Many details

I have been to the Grand Canyon many, many times and I have many, many photos. Still, it is so beautiful that one cannot help taking more photos and mentally planning the next hike. 

A quick shot on the rim

If you have not been to the Grand Canyon, shame on you! You must go! It is truly one of our nation's greatest treasures.

You must go

Trip date: March 7-14, 2015

Road Trip: Tonto, Phoenix, Tonto

Tonto National Monument

So, this is the part of my trip where my desire to see EVERYTHING and my GPS's inability to calculate travel time got me into a little trouble. I decided that, if I were quick, I could make it to Tonto National Monument and back to Jeanne and Hal's by 6:00 p.m. 

Tonto is reached by a spectacular drive east of Phoenix that winds through canyons and past some copper mines. The National Monument overlooks Roosevelt Lake, which is formed by the Theodore Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River.

Tonto consists of two 700-year-old ruins of cliff dwellings set in a beautiful canyon. The lower ruins can be reached by a short walk up the hill from the Visitor Center. 

Visitor Center

The upper ruins can be seen from a pull-out about a half mile before the turn-off to the national monument. I didn't know that, so didn't see them on the way in and did not have time to go back and see them as I left.

When I arrived, I knew I had very little time because I had to get back to town. The ranger told me that I needed to take my long lens and water for the hike up, so I rushed back to the car to get geared up. I then went back into the Visitor Center to stamp my National Park Passport and start the hike. I rushed up the paved trail, which winds past desert vegetation.

Trail

I quickly toured the ruins, which had 12-rooms built into a cliff. There was also a grinding stone, one of many artifacts found in the dwelling.

Left, ruins; Right, grinding stone

The structure, which was occupied for more than 100 years is only a half a mile from a spring. Currently, the trail to the spring is closed.

The ruins are in a beautiful setting

Then I rushed back down (I didn't need the long lens or the water, so that was wasted time).

Here's where I made my mistake. My GPS indicated that I could make it back in time if I went north and took the Apache Trail. This is a road that I last drove about 25 years ago when it was narrow, winding and dirt. I figured that it must have been improved. It hadn't. And, it took an hour longer than estimated to drive. And, I was driving as fast as you possibly can on a rutted, often-one-lane, winding 22-mile-long dirt path with sharp curves, steep drop-offs and slow drivers. I had no cell service, so I couldn't even let Jeanne and Hal know that I would be late. Unfortunately, because I was in such a hurry, I couldn't take pictures or enjoy what really is spectacular scenery.

When I finally reached a point where I had cell signal, I pulled over to call Jeanne to let her know that I was late. I had a message from Tonto. I had left my National Park Passport there! 

Disaster!

That is one of my most prized possessions. I figure that it fell out of may pack as I was getting ready (in a hurry) for my jaunt up the hill. I called back, but they were closed. So I left a message that I would call in the morning to make arrangements to get it back. As horrified as I was that I left the Passport behind, I was also so thankful that the ranger had called.

I then called Jeanne and let her know that I was late (so rude) and rushed on my way. I did, however, have to stop once when I rounded a corner just as the sun dipped below the clouds to illuminate Canyon Lake. 

One of my best-ever photos

The glorious moment lasted exactly three shots ...

A quick photo

... and was gone ...

Just before the light left

I finally made it to Jeanne and Hal's. We had a wonderful Mexican dinner and then they showed my pictures from their recent trip to Africa. I am considering going soon and will probably take the same tour or similar. They saw so many animals; it was really inspiring. Plus, it was so great to see old friends. It has been too, too long.

The next morning, after saying goodbye to Jeanne ...

Me with Jeanne

... her lovely house ...

Great desert landscaping

... and the dove that is nesting in the cholla in her front yard ...

So sweet

I called Tonto to make arrangements for them to mail me my Passport Book. I was going to the Grand Canyon because Scott had said he would like to meet there as we both headed home. Plus, I wanted to make a few stops on the way.

But, with Tonto's limited abilities to ship overnight, I decided not to risk losing the Passport. So, I drove back to Tonto. I was glad I did. I got to see the upper ruins. 

I got to photograph the lower ruins with fewer people. 

A better shot

And, I got my book back.

Thank goodness!

Trip date: March 7-14, 2015

Road Trip: Casa Grande National Monument

Onward and upward! As I left Tucson, I was beginning my trip home. I had made arrangements to visit with Jeanne and Hal Elliott that evening and was squeezing in a few sights on my way north. My first stop was Casa Grande Ruins National Monument in Coolidge, Arizona.

Next stop!

This rather unusual national monument preserves the ruins of multiple structures surrounded by a compound wall constructed by the ancient people of the Hohokam period, who farmed the Gila Valley from around 1100 to 1450.

Protected ruins

"Casa Grande" is Spanish for "big house," which refers to the largest structure on the site -- the remains of a four-story caliche building consisting of outer rooms surrounding an inner structure. The outer rooms are three stories and the the inner room is four stories high. The building was constructed using traditional adobe processes in which the base is thicker than the top. It is the largest known structure of the ancestral people of the Sonoran Desert.

Adobe wall

Its walls face the four cardinal points of the compass and a hole in the upper west wall aligns with the setting sun on the summer solstice. Other openings align with the sun and the moon.

Small openings in a big wall

To protect the structure, which was probably some sort of public building, a unique metal roof was erected in the 1930s.

The roof

It is evidently needed, based on the eroded state of some of the walls and other structures.

Eroded wall

There is a lovely museum with a number of artifacts and its a relatively quick tour of to walk around the ruins.

Just a quick look at a short stop

Trip date: March 7-14, 2015

Road Trip: Saguaro National Park

Panorama

This post may seem a little bit redundant because my next destination was very similar to the previous. Saguaro National Park showcases the Sonoran Desert just as Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument does. But, here the centerpiece is the iconic saguaro cactus.

The main star

These giant cacti have long been vital to the people living in the Sonoran Desert. They use the fruit to make jam, syrup and wine. They use the ribs for building and also eat the seeds. Plus, many animals live in saguaros.

Saguaros have a long lifespan, growing from seeds rather than cuttings. They do not grow their first arms until they are 75-100 years old (if they grow an arm at all). A saguaro without arms is called a spear. They can get as tall as 70 ft.

Standing tall above the other cactus

Saguaro National Park, although originally in the wilderness, is now pretty much an urban national park. It is split into two parts: Tucson Mountain on the west part of Tucson and Rincon Mountain on the east.

Posing

I started out on the east side and drove the eight-mile Cactus Forest Loop Drive at the edge of the Park. Most of the east side of the park is accessible only by trail. The short loop road is the only place you can drive. Like Organ Pipe, the park features many cacti and looks as if a landscape designer put it together.

Saguaro National Park has 25 species of cactus. Less than 12 inches of rain falls in a typical year and summer temperatures are in triple digits. It was in the high 80s when I was there.

A natural garden

Many of the cacti and plants were in bloom ...

Barrel Cactus

A variety of plants

Pretty blooms

Daisy

... and I even saw a few jackrabbits.

Running

Then, I drove through the traffic of Tucson for about 40 minutes to reach the west side. The road into the park passes the absolutely fabulous  Sonoran Desert Museum. Unfortunately, I did not have time to visit the museum (which is actually a zoo and botanical garden) on this trip.

The first thing I noticed on the west side is the gorgeous Visitor Center, with its white slats that echo the ocotillo roofs popular in native architecture.

The bright sunlight created dramatic shadows

Amazing

One of the sad things about Saguaro and especially about the west side is that most of the saguaros look sickly and many are dying ...

Not looking good

Interestingly, the number-one cause of saguaro death is freezes (I had assumed pollution or disease). Because the western section of the park is on the edge of saguaro habitat, it experiences more cold weather than, say, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, which is further south. That's why it has more damaged cacti.

Fortunately, there are still some healthy specimens to see.

Breathtaking

Trip date: March 7-14, 2015