Exploring the Sedona Region, Arizona
April 25th– April 28th
We based our visit of the Sedona Region out of Dead Horse Ranch State Park, an unappealing name for a very pretty park. As we drove in through the cottonwood trees, we were impressed by the sea of green after weeks in desert landscapes. The “green” was thanks to the Rio Grande which ran through the park and provided water to the region.The campground, however, was more reminiscent of the desert. Mesquite trees provided our only shade and privacy, but we settled in quickly for a couple of days of exploring the area.
We started our visit with some prehistoric ruins. The first was Tuzigoot National Monument, a large pueblo built on a hilltop by the Sinaguans, ancestors of the Hopi Indians. They were given the name by the Spanish “Sin agua” or “no water” because they lived in an arid desert climate. The Sinaguans abandoned this site after a couple hundred years for unknown reasons. Apparently, the mining company found it after. There was a reclaimed site from a copper mine just below the ruins. Our next stop was Fort Verde. It didn’t resemble the “forts” that we usually think of. There were no walls to protect it, only a couple of fences marking the property. It served as post of command in Arizona during the Indian Wars. The park was actually closed (due to the state budget cuts, they had reduced the opening hours) so we could only visit the remaining buildings from the outside. Something I found interesting in reading the information panel- they had a very difficult time getting doctors to move to these military outposts. Most of the “doctors” were actually naturalists from museums who wanted to collect specimens in the west. I’m not sure how effective they were in treating the soldiers’ wounds…
Our next stop, only a few miles away was Montezuma’s Castle, a group of dwellings built into the side of an impressive cliff. In fact, the site had nothing to do with Montezuma, the Aztec emperor for which it was named. It was another settlement of the Sinaguans. The homes are well-preserved, and you can’t help but marvel at how the inhabitants using a system of ladders climbed into and out of them each day. Nearby, we visited Montezuma Well, a natural spring formed millions of years ago by the collapse of a limestone cavern. This beautiful place certainly had special significance for the Sinaguans who also settled the cliffs and caves around it.
After a morning full of prehistoric history, we got back on the road towards Sedona, famous for its red rocks and new age healing vortexes. We were a little skeptical at first, but were marveled at the impressive landscape. We spent the afternoon in Sedona enjoying the scenery. First, we did a hike among the red rocks and then we drove up to a very unusual church that is perched on a rock. From the outside, it looked strange, but from the inside, the view was breathtaking.
Our second day in the region, we visited some other towns in the region around Cottonwood (where the park we were staying was located.) We took a long, beautiful drive through the mountains and Prescott National Forest to Prescott, the old capital of Arizona. There was a nice little town center, though fairly quiet. We got a couple of good pictures of old saloons on Whiskey Row, but unfortunately it was too early for a whiskey or a beer. It was also freezing; we hadn’t counted on the temperature drop which was surely due to an increase in altitude. Maybe Prescott would have been more fun at night. We wanted to picnic in the national forest, so we started the drive back around lunch time. Unfortunately, when we got there, all of the public areas were locked up, with no explanation. We were either too early in the season, or they’re also suffering from reduced funding. So we continued to Jerome, an old mining town, which has been revived as a little tourist town. Jerome was particularly charming, perched on the side of a mountain. Maybe it was too charming, at lunchtime, we couldn’t find a parking spot anywhere in town. At the bottom of town, we found a small city park, with a picnic area. The park was built over an old mine shaft (it was covered by clear plastic and you could peer down inside.) There was also some old mining equipment on display…a most unusual picnic area. We spent a little time in Jerome and saw a glass blowing demonstration, then we stopped in Cottonwood on the way back to the campground for some homemade ice cream. We finished the afternoon hanging out next to one of the lakes and then going for a run on the nice park trails.
Our third and final day in the region, we returned to Sedona, to do some more hiking in the Red Rocks. We did a nice hike past an enormous sinkhole and pools with tiny albino frogs. Then we drove up to the Airport Mesa to marvel at some of the views from the airport. The road between Sedona and Flagstaff had some spectacular views. We made four little stops as we continued on the Colorado Plateau: the first to hike down a canyon and soak our feet in ice cold water, the second for lunch at a little picnic area over the river, the third for a hike up the Telephone Trail., with beautiful views from the top of the canyon, and the last one at lookout point and Native American Craft market. It was a beautiful day and the more we climbed in altitude toward Flagstaff, the cooler and windier it got. Next stop: Flagstaff, Gateway to the Grand Canyon.
Tags: Arizona FR, BIG TRIP 2011, In English 2005-2006
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