After our hiking experience in the Superstitions Inari and I decided to head north to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon (which are about 2 and 3 hours north of Phoenix, respectively). On our way to Flagstaff we stopped at a couple of archaeological sites. We first went to Montezuma Castle National Monument. I would've loved to have lived in such a place. Nowadays though you're not allowed to enter the dwelling, which is an extreme disappointment.
The dwellings must have been a pretty ideal place to live: sheltered from cold winter nights and hot summers and next to a river that allowed for cultivation of corn, squash, okra, and other foods. Nowadays there are some beautiful Arizona sycamores growing in the low lands.
We then continued on to Wupatki National Monument, which is basically a bunch of pueblos (sort of like manor houses) in what appears to be the most inhospitable landscapes imaginable. No food, no water, no wood. Basically just rocks and silence. Very stunning. What I found most surprising was that people lived in this landscape, when just a few kilometers away (less than 50, anyway) the desert rose up into pine forest that must have supported some big game.
Highlight of the day: seeing a jackrabbit, a roadrunner, and a fox within a span of two minutes.
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