I'm not exactly sure why, but I really like to tromp through ruins. We've enjoyed seeing Mesa Verde, Mayan ruins in Belize and Tikal in Guatemala among others. I like wandering cemeteries, learning about history (in fact my master's degree is in music history), dabbling in my family genealogy, etc. The last time we were in Arizona in 2006, we drove down to Casa Grande to see those ruins.
This trip we saw four sites of the Sinagua Indians - the prehistoric Desert People of the Southwest. Sinagua is the Spanish word derived for these people which means "without water." I found that very interesting since, not only does central Arizona have plenty of rivers and creeks (yes, I know it's the desert, too), but the Sinagua in the Phoenix area dug extensive canals and waterways for agriculture.
The first place we visited was the Pueblo Grande Museum and Archeological Site. This is a Hohokam village right next to the Sky Harbor Airport.
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| Pueblo Grande |
On our way up to Sedona, we stopped at Montezuma's Castle as well as Montezuma's Well. Both are part of the same National Monument, though separated by a little distance. Though much smaller in scale by quite a bit than Mesa Verde, this cliff dwelling is still picturesque and worth a visit. The well, which is a large sinkhole, cannot sustain fish since the water is too concentrated with carbon dioxide.
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| Montezuma's Castle - just for looking at |
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| Montezuma's Well - notice the little dwelling in the upper left-hand corner |
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