If Tuzigoot was today’s equivalent of last week’s visit to Wupatki, Montezuma castle parallels last week’s visit to the cliff dwellings at Tonto NM. In this case, we couldn’t enter the buildings, only admire them from the footpath below, but they are very admirable. … More Laura’s Journal: Montezuma Castle National Monument
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
Thither & Yon 