A Successful Trip Home

On Sunday morning we packed up. 

Little Jo had to lay in the King size bed one more time. We told her not to get use to it!

The pack n play was just not as comfortable, so after trying it for half a night she wanted to sleep with Mommy and Daddy in the big bed for the rest of the trip(Also Mommy was a bit tired and lazy to put her back into the pack n'play).

 Taking a nap in the pack n' play while we got ready for the day.

She had some good memories sleeping in this bed. Since Ben and I are so use to sleeping on a full we were each on one edge and the littlest of all of us was smack dab in the middle with basically a whole bed to herself.

Sweet Dreaming.

On the way back home we decided to stop by the National Monuments that we had missed on Thursday. The first one we stopped off at was...

Tuzigoot

This pueblo is 110 rooms that was built over many centuries as more settled in the Verde Valley. The Verde Valley is known as the Southern Sinagua culture. It is known for its undecorated pottery, elaborate jewelry and fine textiles. Hopi and Yavapai are descendants from these people. This pueblo was built around a Marsh area and the people started farming the land.

Almost every room had a fire hearth, indicating that practically every room was used as a living space. Very few were used for storage.

You may notice that this room has been paved. That is because the archaeologists who recovered this area discovered that the people that lived here use to bury their children under their floor. They thought that this would bring good luck to the newborns. Their mortality rate was very poor, less then 50% survived past their 20's.

This is the only doorway in the entire pueblo. All the entrances were from the roof. This room opens up to the plaza so they believe it perhaps was used to help facilitate community events or even help with trade.

 Looking down at Ben from the top.

Our world may seem pretty small today because of all the methods we have to travel. We may complain about driving to New York to visit family and that it would take forever, but really driving for three to four days across the country is pretty remarkable. Even though back in the time of these people they did not have cars of planes they still traveled the long distances to trade. One of the artifacts they found at Tuzigoot was a Scarlett Macaw's claw which is native to Central America and shells from the East coast. That is so crazy to me!

 Jo enjoyed the stroller and also loved a break from the car seat.

The dogs had the hardest time out of the all of us walking around the monument. They had to hide under the stroller for shade everytime we stopped to read a plaque. Khloe also tried to hitch a ride on Bree's back for part of the way!

Montezuma's Castle

Due to looting in the 1900's much of what was left behind by Montezuma's inhabitants went missing or was damaged. This made it difficult in finding out information about the people and how they lived. 

After living in the Verde Valley for hundreds of years they began to leave in the 1300's from this prosperous land. The Hopi Indians who are decendants state that they just weren't intended to make this area a permanent home. It was a one stop in a much larger migration. The Yavapai who are also descendants state that there ancestors left for a more mobile left style as hunters and gatherers versus farmers.

Mud plaster covered and sealed the walls. Throughout the year due to erosion the plaster had to be redone. This task was completed by the women and children and many of their handprints can still be seen along the walls today. Unfortunately we were unable to see the handprints because they do not allow visitors to tour the castle anymore due to an effort to preserve the structure. So, we admired from afar. 

Castle A

Next to Montezuma's castle are the remains of a larger neighboring castle. They named it Castle A and it is believed to have about 45 rooms; Montezuma's Castle housed about 35. Beam sockets indicate the roof lines which show that the castle was five floors. Evidence shows that castle A burned causing it to fall away from the cliff. This site also had people leaving around the 1300's. 

Unfortunately, that was the end of our little adventure and it was back into the car for another two and a half hours for Little Jo. She wasn't too thrilled, but there was no crying! She had a good meal and fell asleep pretty shortly into the trip and slept all the way back.