Never having heard of it, I must admit I wasn't terribly excited about Walnut Canyon. My vague disinterest evaporated when we entered the visitor's center, precariously perched atop a canyon rim.
There we read about the Civilian Conservation Corps and all the great work they did in the 1930's. Something new we learned was the CCC program was only for unmarried men and they were required to send home $25 of the $30 they earned each month to support their unemployed families.
We followed a path down into the canyon, wrapping around several cliff structures and even got to go inside a few. Looking out across the canyon we spotted several other inaccessible dwellings hidden in the forest. We also learned about a plant called 'Mormon tea' which was used by early Mormon pioneers to treat all kinds of ailments and also happens to be a stimulant.
Next were two interconnected parks. The first one we came to was Sunset Crater Volcano. The site of this 800-year-old volcanic eruption remains nearly unchanged from what it looked like soon after the devastating event. There were beds of lava rock and the side of the mountain was coated with black rock. After having visited Idaho's Craters of the Moon we looked at Sunset Crater as a gateway to Wupatki park, where we found some of the most intact ruins we have come across yet, all the more impressive considering they were constructed atop hill sides instead of set deep in protective caves. Several features make this park unique and memorable.
The first building, a three-story pueblo, was all alone, miles from the rest of the village. Resting on a huge hill it is thought to have been a lookout point and was perhaps home to the important members of the community, given that at the time three-story structures were big projects and very unusual.
The next Pueblo was special too. Not quite as tall as the first but impressive in length, it includes a community room, a ball court and a mysterious blowhole. To this day researchers cannot explain how the hole was used, but perhaps like us visitors enjoy it all the same. (Isaiah's hair didn't photograph as dramatically in the wind as mine).
Thinking the day couldn't be improved we drove into Sedona. Even with the traffic jam, Sedona and the drive there was amazing. We now understand why people speak of it so fondly.
Walnut Canyon
Sunset Crater
Wupatki- The blow hole
Wupatki
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