Northern Arizona; April, 2011

Marko just turned 1 and the temperatures were creeping up in Phoenix so we decided to head north, cool down, and check out a few of the sights. I love history so the area around Cottonwood and Camp Verde sounded like fun. About an hour and a half north of Phoenix you come to a small town called Camp Verde, this would be our base of operations for the next couple of days as we explored what the area had to offer. A little north of Camp Verde are two prime examples of ancient ruins. About 1,000 years ago, the ancient Sinagua used to call the verde valley home. The area was very fertile and a great place for them to farm, hunt, and fish. They were prosperous for thousands of years when all of a sudden, they just dissapeared. It is believed that the more recent Hohokam are decendants of the Sinagua. Well preserved in lime stone cliffs you will come across Montezuma Castle, a 20 room structure built into the cliffs.






It only takes a few minutes to roam around the site, but you will find other ruins not as well preserved. From the looks of it, this area housed quite a few people in it's day and fresh water was abundant due to the the close proximity to Beaver Creek which flows almost year round.

About 10 miles north of Montezuma Castle lies Montezuma Well. A natural spring nearly 500 feet deep with Sinagua ruins laying in the limestone walls and at the base of the spring. The water is a constant 74 degrees year round and the Well fills with more than 1.5 million gallons of water a day. There is an outlet at the base of the well that travels underground for over 150 feet and lets out into an irrigation ditch dated to over 1,000 years old. The Sinagua used this to help irrigate crops for nearby Montezuma Castle.


Ruins along the cliff of Montezuma Well.


View of the cliff dwellings from the water level of the Well.


The Well being overlooked by ancient ruins. What a nice place this would have been to live 1,000 years ago.

About a half hour drive West of Campe Verde is a small town called Clarkdale (just Northwest of Cottonwood). Clarkdale houses some great ruins from the Sinagua culture. This Sinagua village is called Tuzigoot and it is some of the best preserved ruins we have seen. The National Park Service even lets you walk around and into some of the ruins.


Near the bottom of the ruins, you can still see where many rooms were located, and many matate's and mano's are visible.


Looking up to the well preserved and slightly restored top room. Pictures make it hard to realize actually how big this place is and was.


Looking down from the top room.


Inside the top room, the adobe really makes a difference in temperature as it is cooler in the room than it was outside.


A view of the lattia's used to make the ceiling. A very effective form of arcitecture using only what the land supplied.

After Tuzigoot, we decided to head to one of our favorite towns for lunch before heading back to Phoenix. Jerome is a quiet little artists community nestled on the side of Mingus Mountain. While we didn't take any pictures this time around, I did want to share that you cannot rely solely on your GPS unit. A good map and some knowledge of the area you are in are always important when traveling.


A sign clearly stating that your GPS is giving you the wrong directions. Always obey signs that say to keep out. Better to be safe than sorry.

And, the National Park Service says it best. When ever exploring public lands, please be respectful and not take artifacts, destroy the vegitation, and please always pack out what you brought in.



Remeber to Tread Lightly and Leave no Trace.

Chicago, Il: Dec 2010

This year, we decided to spend the Christmas holiday in Chicago with Jacki's side of the family. I know, you're thinking, "Chicago in December? You're crazy!" Well, the last couple of years we have spent Christmas in Phoenix, and Denver, and when we asked Elle where she wanted to go she said, "I want to go somewhere where there is snow, but not Colorado." Well, we were happy to oblige and pay Jacki's mother and brothers a festive visit. And, Elle got her wish, we had snow when we landed and it snowed all night for a couple of inches of new white cold stuff. Sadly, a couple of days later it was 50 degrees and it rained all day, all the snow melted away. We didn't let that put a damper on our fun though. I hate to say it, but we were so busy for the week that we were there that we didn't get too many pictures. We visited the Museum of Science and Industry, the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and of course, Navy Pier. Again, sadly the pictures this trip were limited, and those we did get are not worthy of sharing. Maybe just a few of the Chicago Uncles.


Uncle Chris enjoying time with Marko.


Uncle Clint with Marko.


Uncle Ali with Marko.

We did not get a picture with Uncle Ernie, but we did get to spend a little time with him. Also, as with anytime we go to Chicago, all of the great food! Elle got to help make tamales with grandma, take a very cold ride on the El (which she loved), and got to experience a stuffed pizza from Giordanno's at about midnight. It was a great trip and it is always good to see family.

Remember to Tread Lightly and Leave No Trace.

Sedona, AZ: Aug, 2010

While I was in China, my brother-in-law came out to care for Marko. A couple of days before he went home we had to take him on a trail run. What better trail for a first timer than Broken Arrow in Sedona? What made this even better was that it was raining. We had never run the trails in Sedona during the rain, and while Broken Arrow is scenic, but not challenging, the rain and wet rocks added a whole new level. The slick rock became very slick and traction could at times be a challenge. Coming down from Submarine Rock and going down the Staircase was a lot of fun, as I had never slid down those obstacles before. It was a lot of fun and a great day. We knew Ali had a good time as often times we got comments like, "this is scandelous", and, "I have never had so much fun going so slow before". Anytime you want to hit the trails again, Ali, just let us know. We are always up for a run.





The rain and the clouds gave a new perspective on one of the most scenic areas in Arizona.


Usually slow and steady is the mantra for going down the Staircase. When it's wet, slow and steady still holds true, just be ready to slide down.


Off of the Staircase, the major challenges are over. What a rush, this was the first time we had to slide down the slick rock, and not by choice.

After Sedona, we took Ali into Jerome for a quick look. He had a lot of fun and comandiered the camera a few times. It is always nice to show family from out of town what Arizona has to offer.

Remember to tread lightly and leave no trace.

Aaron