Tuzigoot – Just Saying the Name is Fun

We spent one day visiting the Tuzigoot ruins, Montazuma’s Castle and Montazuma’s Well. The Tuzigoot ruins sit on top of a hill and provide a terrific 360 degree view of the surrounding valley. It is a ruin of the ancient Signauan people. It was a warm day – 90 – so we didn’t spend too much time here. We skipped over to Montazuma’s Castle which is not a castle but rather a cliff dwelling ruin. Then on to Montazuma’s well which is a hole in hill. The amazing thing is it’s depth and the fact that the water flows out at a constant 70 degrees. Dipping our feet in the outflow while we sat in the shade of a big limestone cliff was the highlight of our day. Watch out for the poison oak. Luckily we missed it!

Escaping the heat

When the heat got to be too much for us, the girls and I high tailed it for the northern mountains in Arizona. We stopped near Sedona for a few days to catch up with the Rausch family. While Flint was on their farm in Washington, Kathy and the kids were in Arizona visiting with us. It was a most amazing treat to see the Rausch’s and we loved every minute we got to spend with them. We went to Walnut Canyon Northeast of Flagstaff. When the day ended and we were at risk of getting locked into the monument, we had to part ways, Kathy and kids heading home the girls and I heading to Williams, AZ to once again meet Grandma and Grandpa for more fun.

Lake Powell - WOW!

From the photos it is really hard to see the scale which Lake Powell encompasses. It is huge and daunting and absolutely beautiful. Cami, Andi and I received a couple of invitations from Justin and Heather to join them on the houseboat at Lake Powell. Boats, water, swimming, great food and kids to play with . . . what more could you ask for? We ended up going to the houseboat twice before Flint and had a fantabulous time both times. Many, many thanks to Heather and Justin and the kids for continuing to take such good care of us. I don’t have the words to describe what a wonderful time I had on the boat. Just perfect!

Ever wonder what you tounge would look like if it was dry? Check out Lauren's tounge!

Other Tucson Stuff

Sabino Canyon sits at the base of the Catalina Mountains on the north side of Tucson. In the spring months, there is ample water flow through the canyon. From the base you can ride a tram the 4 miles to the top. You can also walk it but as it would happen, Cami and Andi wanted to ride the tram – go figure. We rode to the top but walked all the way down. It was a warm day and very windy. We stopped in several places along the way to hike down to the water and play a bit. Beautiful place!

Tumacacori Mission. South of Tubac, AZ is the Tumacacori Mission founded by Father Kino and other Jesuits. When we lived in the Tucson area, we would spend Christmas eve at the mission. Volunteers line the walkways and walls with thousands of luminaries and people gather to sip hot cocoa and sing Christmas Carrols. The girls and I ventured down to learn more about the mission and of course, earn a junior ranger badge.

As our time in Tucson came to an end we were looking forward to finding some cool weather but we knew we would miss our new friends.

Ft. Bowie

The Apache stronghold. A short hike through a deserted desert will take you to Fort Bowie where the us cavalry fought the Apache Indians for control of Apache spring. The US cavalry help make the passage from east to west safer by fighting Apache Indians. We had a lovely hike among the hills with lots of wildflowers to enjoy.

Tombstone - The Old West at it's Best

Tombstone has character, that’s for sure. Once you get past the nickel and dime tactics the people of the town use to get you to see the attractions, it can be an o.k. place. It's like going to Disneyland only you don't pay the ticket price up front. You have to pay at each attraction and you never know how much you'll have to pay. Just remember that if you are ever inspired to go, negotiate! Tour and attractions that were posted for $5 could be had for $1. Everyone was willing to deal.

Chiricahua National Monument

The more time we spent in Southern Arizona, the more apparent it became that the border traffic from Mexico was a problem. It has turned into a real problem and we had to be careful where we hiked. One place we found was out in south eastern Arizona at Chiricahua National Monument. Beautiful and rugged area. The border traffic primarily goes thru the valleys surrounding Chiricahua rather than through the rugged, rocky mountains. Lucky for us. I could have spend a week here exploring but we only had a day. Too bad.