Lava Beds National Monument: lava as far as the eye can see! Well, not hot lava. This lava hasn’t been hot for at least a thousand years. It’s cool. Really cool. (See what I did there?) So. Cool lava. Miles and miles of black, broken landscape standing testament to the power of the earth. When … More A tale of two unsolicited pieces of advice
Wednesday, April 28, 2021TUZIGOOT NATIONAL MONUMENT Tuzigoot (an anglicization of the Apache word for “crooked water” given to this Sinaguan site by a member of the excavation crew in the early 1900s) is a hilltop pueblo that bears many similarities to the pueblo at Wupatki. Whereas Wupatki was mainly a non-residential trading hub, Tuzigoot was … More Laura’s Journal: Tuzigoot National Monument
We’ve visited several historic pueblo sites now, and every of them has been impressive for how the architecture of stone and mud has held up over the centuries, but this one is the first we’ve visited made entirely of adobe, with no stone cores in the walls. I couldn’t stop staring. This incredible structure is three stories tall. The only wood in the whole structure is in the ceilings/floors between levels. A three story building made of hardened mud. Still standing after 700 years. By comparison, how’s the last mud pie you baked holding up? … More Laura’s Journal: Casa Grande National Monument
Driving from the highway to the visitor’s center, I was struck by the incredible color contrasts in the landscape. The ground is covered with black volcanic sand, and bright orange sandstone pokes through along every ridge. … More Laura’s Journal: Wupatki National Monument
My first cliff dwellings! Tonto National Memorial is a bite-sized park way out in the desert boonies. From Cave Creek, it was a little more than a two-hour drive, but the drive was so beautiful. Red flag warnings went up all over the state today as an immense dust storm blew into the area. Majestic mountain ranges (which I didn’t even know existed until a few days ago) turned into atmospheric ghost ranges. … More Laura’s Journal: Tonto National Monument
Thither & Yon 