7-19-17

We (meaning Scott and the kids) slept in. I was awake at 5:45. The kids didn't get up until 8:00. Scott and I answered emails and did a few work things before we were all packed and ready to go at 9:45. 

We drove about two hours to Tuzigoot National Monument. This was a 110 room village on top of a hill. It makes you wonder at what made these people move on when they seemed to have what they needed to make a great society. We made quick work of the visit and then headed over to Montezuma Castle. 

Now one wonders if the Montezuma here is the same that seeks revenge. The answer is no. Montezuma was a common name like John for the English and thinking that these buildings resembled Mexican villages, a Spaniard named it that. This village is very high up on the cliff and was deemed unsafe for people to climb years ago. Many people were paying the $10 per person entry fee and had I not had my National Park pass that has paid for itself three times over, I would have been disappointed with what I got for my money. There was a guy playing a wood flute on the walkway and that was pretty cool to hear the music and see the village, you did step back in time. 

Lorelei learned that she could get an extra junior ranger pin by going to Montezuma Well and we had plenty of time so we did. I liked this way more. It was a giant circle of water with a natural spring in the bottom that scientists have been unable to measure the depth of because anything that goes down gets pushed back up by the force of the water. The people built rooms in the cliff walls that bats are now inhabiting. The well water would have been heavy with arsenic and they dug a canal out to a nearby river that also has leeches in it but despite that creepy factor it was pretty. 

After a hot walk (the ranger said the humidity is the highest he had seen all summer and it is 95 degrees), we headed into Flagstaff and the hotel so Luke could do his homework for French for the next few days since we won't have Wifi in the Grand Canyon. I also was happy to lay around because the sore throat that Luke has been nursing seems to have made its way to me. Looking forward to two nights in the Grand Canyon.