THE BEAUTIFUL RED ROCKS OF SEDONA

Chase Field

Today was the day that I would leave the Phoenix area and head north. But first I made my way to downtown Phoenix and a quick stop at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and at the Talking Stick Arena, home of the Phoenix Suns.

Then it was a short drive to the Arizona State Capitol Building and the adjacent Wesley Bolin Memorial Park.  The Bolin Park was somewhere that I have longed to visit as it has the signal mast and anchor from the USS Arizona which was sunk on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

Navajo Code Talker

There is also one of the big guns from both the USS Arizona and the USS Missouri. The significance is that the United States enter the War in the Pacific when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and sunk the Arizona. The War ended when the articles of surrender was signed on the deck of the USS Missouri. 

There a a number of other monuments and memorials in the park including one dedicated to the Navajo Code Talkers.  After reading several books about these code talkers, I am of the opinion that they along with the Tuskegee Airmen are the often forgotten heroes of the War.

From downtown Phoenix I made my way north on Interstate 17 and climbed into the mountain leaving behind the saguaro cactus as I climbed above 6,000 feet. It took me about an hour and a half to make it to Camp Verde where I made a quick stop at Old Fort Verde Historic Site. The it was on to the Montezuma's Castle National Park.

Montezuma's Castle

Montezuma's Castle is one of the best preserved of the cliff Sinagua People.  The main structure of the dwelling features 5 stories and is comprised of some 20 rooms. It is believed that as many as 60 people would live here at any given time. There are other "rooms" in the cliffs adjacent to the main dwelling. These rooms were thought to be used for storing food and other necessities, but there is evidence that these smaller rooms were also used at living quarters.
dwelling that were found in the southwest. This dwelling was built between 1100 and 1400 by the

Montezuma's Well

As I was walking back up the concrete path from the Castle to the Visitors center a rattle snake was crawling across the walkway. One of the Park Volunteers quick caught it and put it in some kind of a thin tube and was preparing to remove it to a less populated area. 

From the Castle I made my way back to Interstate 17 but quick saw another "Brown Sign" and could resists a taking a little detour to Montezuma's Well. I had never heard of Montezuma's Well and had no idea what to expect.

It was about a 5 mile drive off of Interstate 17 to the parking area. The its about a 1/3rd of a mile walk up the hill to the "well."  Turns out Montezuma's Well is a natural limestone sink hole that produces 1,500,000 gallons of water each day from a deep underground spring. The well is 386 feet across and a couple of well preserved cliff dwelling are along the rim. It was well worth the detour.

Red Rocks of Sedona

From the Camp Verde Valley it was about an hour drive over to Sedona, a small town that caters to artiest, and outdoor enthusiasts that flock to the the area because of the beautiful Red Rock cliffs and buttes that surround the area. Word and photos can no way capture the beauty of the area.

From Sedona it was on to Flagstaff where I hooked up once again with the Mother Road, Route 66.  The Historic Road runs right through the downtown historic district of Flagstaff. I enjoyed walking around Flagstaffs portion of America's Main Street.

Gettin' My Kicks on Route 66

I am spending the Night in Flagstaff and will be heading out to scratch off another thing on my Bucket List. Tomorrow promises to be another exciting day filled with some awesome beauty.