Montezuma's Castle & Well

We were going to go camping as our final Spring Break activity, but we had friends that went and absolutely froze their buns off. We could have chosen to camp in a warmer area (desert bleh!), but I'm a big-tree kind of camper, so we decided on a day trip instead. We headed north to Montezuma's Castle for a history lesson.

Now for yours...The Sinagua Indians built this 20-room, 5-story dwelling into the limestone cliffs of the desert 1000 years ago. It was amazing.

Here is us braving the 1/3 mile trail and 70 degree weather in our tank tops... (I got fried!)

Then we headed up the freeway for another 5 miles to Montezuma's Well, which was even more amazing. This well is a naturally occurring well 365 feet across at 55 feet deep. The Indians also built cave dwellings into the side of this cliff. Check it out above Landen's right shoulder.

Here, we could take a trail down the outside of the bowl-shaped well to see where the water exits to a river and where the Indians diverted the water with a 3-foot deep, mile long irrigation channel.

D-D-D-D-Da-Diva! Talia bought these fancy shades with her own money at Forever 21 while on a mall excursion with 3 of her friends also during Spring Break.

It was SO windy, it was CRAZY! I'm no wind-speed-guessing expert, but I'd say the gusts were 50 mph! Tom had to carry Madilyn lest she fall off the cliffs! You know how people think of AZ as having lots of tumbleweeds...? I always thought that was funny. Of course, I'm a city-dweller. Up here in the high country, there are MILLIONS of tumbleweeds! We took out a couple in our Land Rocket.

It was fun. We brought the I-pods, and the kids all listened to them almost the whole way in the car - both ways! It was the most peaceful day trip we've ever had! :)