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As we drove to Montezuma Castle National Monument we witnessed some exquisite views of the Verde Valley, which extended for miles and miles.
We descended to enter Yavapai Indian lands, where a casino and hotel were situated, but more importantly where Montezuma Castle National Monument rested. It was located 100 feet above us, nestled beneath a cliff overlooking the Beaver Creek (picture #5).
Although no one can enter the ruins, they still stand in a good state of preservation. The Sinaguan culture built a sturdy pueblo which at one time contained 40 or so rooms. Sinagua means "without water" although this group fortunately had the creek nearby. Corn and beans made up their crops, as well as cotton and squash.
The Sinagua used sycamores for roof beams (picture #4) and if you look hard, they can still be seen. The various rooms of the main structure were added at a later point and some of the rooms were expanded to create a series of stacked rooms which form a tower.
Other rooms can be seen along the cliff--where caves are located, the walls are built to partition the rooms off, thereby creating space in which to live (picture #2).
This site is only opened from 8am-5pm or a bit later in summer and the gates are securely locked after this time. A visitors center and gift shop are located here. Admission was $5 each. Directions: I-17 Exit 289 and follow signs for two miles
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The Sinagua Indians inhabited Walnut Canyon from about 1125AD-1250AD and are the ancestors of the Hopi tribe.
Their ancient dwellings number 300 or so and perch on high ledges dotting the canyon above Walnut Creek (picture #2).
Ledges or caves provided the shelter needed, then rock walls were built that were held together with clay mortar to form rooms. In some rooms, you can still see the marks of fingerprints as clay mortar was smoothed by hand (picture #3)
The .9 mile ISLAND TRAIL followed a steep pathway nearly to the bottom of the canyon. (People with heart or respiratory problems should not try to navigate this trail)
You descend 240 steps or 185 feet (picture #4), passing some ruins which can be accessed and others merely to observe, as they hang high above the canyon beneath ledges unreachable by any trail. The solitude of the place was really impressed upon us.
A visitor center and small museum is open from 9am-5pm daily. The RIM TRAIL is a shorter, easier trail that is paved and wheelchair accessible. Phone: 928-526-3367Directions: From Flagstaff, go east 7 miles on I-40 to Walnut Canyon Exit 204, then urn south 3 miles on a paved road.Website: www.nps.gov/waca
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The Meteor Crater was created 50,000 years ago by a huge iron-nickel meteorite. It's estimated to have been about 150 feet across and weighing several thousand pounds, unleashing an explosive force greater than 20 million tons of TNT when it struck the earth.
The crater it made is 550 feet deep and over 4000 feet across(picture 5). Along its sides, large pieces of limestone were hurled up and away and sit even now at the edge of the vast hole (pictures 3& 4). At its center, astronauts once trained for Apollo space missions.
Although, previously thought to have been created by volcanic forces, the late Dr. Eugene Shoemaker (former Chief of the Branch of Astrogeology of the US Geological Survey in Flagstaff) proved in 1960 that Meteor Crater was the product of a giant impact event. An actual piece of the meteor is on display inside.(picture 2).
The price was $15.00 pp adult admission charge. Meteor Crater has seasonal hours, so please see www.meteorcrater.com for more information. Address: PO Box 30940, Flagstaff, AZPhone: 928-289-2362Directions: 35 miles from Flagstaff, off I-40; 20 miles west of Winslow, AZWebsite: www.meteorcrater.com
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Traveling to ancient Indian ruins was a highlight of our trip to Arizona. We were able to visit several, one of which was the Wupatki ruins.
"Wupatki' is derived from Hopi language meaning "it was cut long". It's said that the people prospered here in one of the driest and warmest places on the Colorado Plateau.
There were many people living at this particular site, which included a 100 room structure with a tower, community room and ballcourt.
The community room (picture #2) was a circular structure used for special events. It was open-air and seems to be a central gathering place.
This pueblo is thought to have been at the crossroads of several travel routes, where the people were able to engage in trade, farming and craft making. Several clans met here for ceremonial rites and important events. There is no other pueblo this size for fifty miles.
The descendants of these people, the Hopi, feel the village of Wupatki is among the most important site of their ancestral clans.
Wupatki was inhabited after the volcanic explosion at Sunset Crater (see later tip) between 1040 and 1100 AD. The people built the pueblo around and on the sandstone rocks. It's built in the open, not on cliffs and stood three stories high and included storage rooms in which to gather harvests.
Wupatki became a national monument in 1924. A visitor's center is open 9am-5pm daily. Directions: Near Flagstaff, Arizona 21 miles north off U.S. Highway 89 or take U .S. Hwy. 89 loop road, 26 miles north of Flagstaff and head east 14 miles. Follow signs.
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It was amazing we could actually step inside some of these cliff-side dwellings (picture 1 & 2 & 5)! They are located in the quiet isolation of Walnut Canyon. (picture 3).
The Sinaguan people were able to find a variety of food sources here, such as bighorn sheep, deer, small mammals and rodents, as well as, pinyon nuts, yucca seeds and the Arizona black walnut.
They farmed in washes wherever they could find room to place a crop of corn or squash. 'Check-dams' were also built in washes to catch run-off and create terraces for additional farming.
It seemed strange to learn that this location has two very different conditions: the north slope is cooler and more moist where ponderosa pine and Douglas fir like to grow. The south slope is more desert-like and cactus, yucca and juniper thrive.
Traces of this cliff-dwelling culture are still being found (picture #4). Phone: 928-526-3367Directions: From Flagstaff, go east 7 miles on I-40 to Walnut Canyon Exit 204, then turn south 3 miles on paved road.Website: www.nps.gov/waca
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Sunset Crater was caused by a volcanic eruption between 1040 and 1100 AD. An estimated one billion tons of material was spewed all over the area, with the ashfall extending 800 square miles. The crater is 1,000 feet high with a diameter of one mile.
A trail (1.6 mi.) snakes around the Cinder Hills and Bonito Lava Flow area. It looks like this explosion could have taken place weeks ago, rather than over 1,000 years ago.
Sunset Crater is considered a geographical 'infant' compared to other volcanic activity in the San Franciso Peak volcano field, which overlook this site.
It's a good example of a CINDER CONE--with sides no steeper than 33 degrees and composed of a pile of loose fragments easily eroded by the wind. This means it can change shape and become less steep as the years go by.
Cinders colored by iron oxidation in the magna piled up to form hills (picture #2). Directions: Drive north 12 miles from Flagstaff Mall on US Hwy. 89, then turning east 2 miles at the sign. Then Loop Road continues past Sunset Crater and to Wapatki Natl. Monument.
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Knowing that we would be visiting many of the ancient Indian ruins, we thought a tour of The Museum of Northern Arizona would be good preparation for what we would see--it made for good background information!
These items displayed came from ancient sites:
A black and white Sinaguan bowl, which is fairly rare, since white and red colors were mostly used for decoration (picture 2)
A Chevelon storage basket found in a prehistoric pueblo dating from AD1150-1300 (picture #3)
Projectile points determined to be from the Desert Culture period (picture #4)
A permanent fine arts collection of early and late 20th century artists was wonderful. These artists portrayed scenes from around the Colorado Plateau/Grand Canyon that were stunning!
Katsina Dolls carved in 1942 by contemporary craftsman, Jimmy Kewanwytewa (picture 5) Address: 3101 N. Fort Valley Rd., Flagstaff, AZPhone: 928-774-5213Directions: 3 miles north of downtown Flagstaff on Hwy. 180Website: www.musnaz.org
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As we climbed the trail to The Citadel, it seemed as though it was perched atop this butte for defensive reasons, but archeologists aren't sure.
You get a sense of its height (picture #4)as my husband scans the horizon from the top and the ground appears below (picture #5).
The Citadel was inhabited over 800 years ago and is one of the larger pueblos that make up the Wapatki National Monument. It once stood one or two stories and contained about 30 rooms. From the top one can see the remains of other pueblos. It's thought that the people farmed and hunted in the valley below .
At the beginning of the trail which leads to the top, a pueblo known as Nalakihu sits to the right. The Hopi name for it means, "House Standing Outside the Village" (picture #2).
The Citadel overlooks a massive sinkhole (picture #3) which is a depression formed by a crack in the limestone that allows water to enter that dissolves the rock, eventually causing it to collapse. The sinkhole does not hold any water. Directions: Part of Wupatki National Monument
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As we wandered through the ruins, a pathway led us to this ballcourt and a very interesting site known as the 'blowhole'.
The Watpatki ballcourt is considered unusual for this area. It may have been used for competitive games, children's stickball or maybe used as a reservoir to collect rain--it might have been a multi-purpose structure.
Some archeologists think items were exchanged here when clans gathered in competitive sport. This ballcourt could have functioned as a link between the many regions.
A blowhole (picture #2) is a crevice in the earth's crust that appears to breathe. It connects to an underground passage called an 'earthcrack'. Earthcracks are the results of earth quake activity in the Kaibab limestone bedrock that have been enlarged over time.
The Hopi, descendants of these people, refer to them as EARTH SPIRITS.
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UPDATE: a fellow vter has told me that the creature pictured is a Dilophosaurus. I appreciate his input!
A THERIZINOSAUR welcomes guests to a small, but interesting section on prehistoric creatures.
Behind a glass case, a sloth skull and two immense mammoth teeth await your attention (picture 2).
A mud cast of dinosaur tracks from thousands of years ago is placed nearby (picture 3).
Besides all the superb collections, The Museum of Northern Arizona offers many classes for children of all ages. This museum is definitely doing its job in making people cognizant of the history of their area.
If you're traveling through Flagstaff, bring your family to enjoy this wonderful museum! It's opened each day from 9am-5pm, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission price is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, $5 for students and $4 for children 7-17.
There are at least two gifts shops at the museum that are worth your time investigating through. We found several gifts to take home as souvenirs here (picture #4). Address: 3101 N. Fort Valley, Rd., Flagstaff, AzPhone: 928-774-5213Website: www.musnaz.org
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- Hampton Inn & Suites Flagstaff
2400 South Beulah Boulevard, Flagstaff, AZ - Best Western Kings House Motel
1560 East Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ - Best Western Pony Soldier Hotel
3030 East Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ - Carefree Inn
2204 East Rte 66, Flagstaff, AZ - AmeriSuites Flagstaff/Interstate Crossroads
2455 South Beulah Boulevard, Flagstaff, AZ - Americana Inn-Route 66 Flagstaff
2650 E Route 66 (formerly Rodeway Inn), Flagstaff, AZ - Days Inn Flagstaff East
3601 E. Lockett Rd., Flagstaff, AZ - Howard Johnson Inn And Suites Flagstaff
2520 East Lucky Lane Off I-40 Exit 198, Flagstaff, AZ - Embassy Suites Hotel Flagstaff
706 South Milton Road, Flagstaff, AZ - Highland Country Inn
223 S. Milton Rd., Flagstaff, AZ - Fairfield Inn Flagstaff
2005 South Milton Road, Flagstaff, AZ - Super 8 Flagstaff West
602 W. Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ - Canyon Inn
501 S. Milton, Flagstaff, AZ - Econo Lodge University
914 S. Milton Road, Flagstaff, AZ - Grand Canyon International Hostel
19 South San Francisco St, Flagstaff, AZ
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