Since Ben had the month of July off from work and I was only working part time we got to spend lots of time together as a family. It was tons of fun! Since we have moved here we have been able to go on quite a few little day trip adventures and check out what Northern Arizona has to offer. On our way down to Pheonix in May we noticed a sign for Wupatki National Monument as well as Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Our original plan was to spend most of the day at Sunset Crater and then the rest at Wupatki but it actually ended up being the opposite.
They are only about 30 miles apart but couldn't be more different. Wupatki is hot and dry with very little shade. While Sunset Crater is wooded and slightly cooler.
We didn't understand why the people that lived in the Pleubo's didn't just move 30 miles south to a cooler, shadier area! Although it might not have been like that years ago.Other then a drive through Sunset Crater National Monument that was about all we did besides walk around the visitors center for about ten minutes before they closed. Next time we make a trip we want to camp at Sunset Crater and go on a few of the hikes.
The first pleublo we stopped at in Wupatki was Lomaki. Here are a few smaller ruins on our way up to Lomaki.
Ben was able to push the stroller up a fairly steep incline covered in rocks..but it was unable to make the narrow path up to the pleublos.
Lomaki
Jocelyn had a lot of fun looking at the texture of the walls.
Her Daddy even let her stand on the ground.
I decided to be an adventurous Mom and not be concerned about getting her socks dirty. She was grateful because she LOVED it. She thought that it was so cool that there was a doorway that was the perfect size for her!
Of course we couldn't miss out on the opportunity to take a picture of
the wildlife. We saw so many of these little collard lizards. One scared
me half to death by practically running over my big toe.
It was slightly overcast...but we made sure to keep Jo out of the sun while we were hiking around.
The pleublo on the hill is named Citadel.
Next to Citadel is a sink caused from rainwater dissolving the limestone, causing a natural depression. Behind this sink are the San Francisco Peaks, the highest point in Arizona!
Citadel looks so awesome mixed with the lava rock and was huge from the outside. But, once you got to the top the inside was just tons of rocks everywhere. Some pleublos in this National Monument have been rebuilt, but they have not reconstructed Citadel. They are no longer reconstructing them only trying to perserve. It is neat to see it as it was however, it we do not rebuild them they will errode and one day be completely gone. It is sad to think future generations wont have the opportunity to view in person what life was like for people who came before us.
This Pleublo is awesome...it makes sense why the park is named after it...Wupatki.
At this National Park we also were able to see a blow hole. We were in luck this day as well because the air pressure caused the blow hole to blow out nice cool air.
Wukoki
Of course we had to stop so that Jocelyn could read each sign! She is just like her Daddy!
We had a great day and enjoyed learning about a little more history about this place called Arizona.
The End.
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