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Montezuma’s Well

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Almost all of our tours are done. We have 1 more this after noon at 5pm, a sunset ride but for the most part our time is our own from this point on. So with the day open we decided to explore Montezuma’s Well.

I wasn’t at all sure what to expect. I just knew that I didn’t get a chance to go there on my last visit to Arizona and Sandy is very interested in Native American Culture so an ancient ruin seemed like a good way to spend some time.

Montezuma’s Well is easy to find. It’s clearly marked with large signs right off interstate 17. There are restrooms and a small ranger station next to the parking lot. The ranger was GREAT!. He was so out-going and friendly. He gave us lots of advice about what to look for on our walk. He obviously enjoys his job and is very good at it.

The trail to the “well” is paved and slopes slightly upward. The ranger told us to “drink plenty of water” ,the mantra of the desert , but even with the sun the walk wasn’t uncomfortable.

At the top the trail winds around a large pond of water. According to the literature it is the remains of a large limestone sinkhole. I expected a little stone well not this big hole filled with water! The sides are very steep and deep. Cave dwellings were visible in the walls of the well.

The water is warm but not from being in the desert. Apparently, what ever the source, the spring flows at a steady 76 degrees all year ’round. More than a million gallons of water a day flows continuously through this huge bowl in the desert floor creating a green oasis in the scrubby desert grassland.

A series of stone steps leads down to the water’s edge. The ranger said there were 100 steps. I didn’t count them but if it was 100 it was the easiest 100 I have ever walked.

 At the bottom the path winds through tall grasses and wildflowers until you enter a tree-shaded glen with the water on the left and a stone and cave style dwelling to your right. It was cool and hard to believe I was in a desert.

Sandy had opted to wait on top. While she was  waiting for me to take my little side trip she met some visitors from England that were bird watching. They were lucky enough to spot the Great Horned Owl that makes its home in the cliffs of the well. I, unfortunately, missed that. Still I am glad I explored the bottom.

Back on top and caught up with my sister we found the 2nd trail that the ranger had mentioned. I was able to convince Sandy to try this one. It was slightly steeper and narrower than the “100 step trail” but it was shorter. Only a couple of “landings” down and we turned a corner into a gorgeous glade.

 Huge Arizona Sycamores towered above us, water crest grew green in the stream along the base of the cliff and the water bubbles and gurgles where the well water empties into Beaver Creek. The foliage was so thick it gave a green cast to the light. It was just absolutely gorgeous, just as the ranger had said it would be. It was lovely and peaceful with the water gurgling close by. A perfect place to meditate or spend a day with a book. Still we couldn’t linger too long. there was  so much more that we wanted to see before our trip came to an end.

Back on top in the desert sun, we followed the trail back toward the parking lot.

 We hadn’t seen too much wildlife yet so when I saw one of the little lizards or geckos that seem to be everywhere I took a picture. It may not be much but it’s still wildlife. 🙂

One last note about Montezuma’s Well is that Montezuma was Aztec and the Aztec were never in Arizona. Apparently the early settlers to the area made the assumption that it was Montezuma’s doing and the name stuck. In fact the dwellings had been deserted for over 100 years before Montezuma was even born!

Well with that tidbit of information under our belts it was time to head over to the other misnamed site, Montezuma’s Castle.

Blazin’M Ranch

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Welcome to the Blazin’ M Ranch! This time the doors are open. Here we will enjoy a “Chuckwagon Supper” and a Live Western Show. I would hate to be attending a Dead Western Show…oh never mind!

The rain was back in an on again off again  fashion when we pulled into the parking lot. It picked up a bit as we claimed our tickets and got instructions on how to find our seats once the doors opened to the dining room/ auditorium. Until then we had about an hour to explore the replicated Western town.

There are 5 shops in this little town: a saloon, a winery an Olde Tyme Photo, a museum, and a mercantile shop filled with souvenirs, penny candy, cowboy hats and boots and more. You can also take a roping lesson or shoot a rifle at the Shootin’ Gallery.

We poked our heads into the Saloon first and there was a cowboy there I recognized from my first trip in ’08. Of course Sandy didn’t know who he was. I asked if I could get a picture of the two of them. Sandy had no idea what I was up to until after I took the picture. That was when I confirmed he was part of the show we were there to see. 🙂

My favorite shop is the museum which houses an extensive collection of miniatures, some of which are automated. They are just amazing to watch.

The grounds are attractive and neat except for a ton of the cardboard cut outs that you stand behind to have your picture taken by your friends.

As we strolled around the sun tried to come out again creating a mini rainbow right at the ridgeline.

 As  you can see by the signs there is quite a sense of humor on display already.

Since we weren’t going to drink in the Saloon or try to rope a mechanical cow or even try our hands in the shooting range, we headed into the big barn where the dinner and show will  take place.

 The barn is climate controlled and will seat up to 280 hungry cowboys (and cowgirls).

If you’re looking for a 5 star meal you have come to the wrong place. First everyone gets in a line based on where they are sitting. As you travel through the stations you are handed a tin plate then servers put the food on the plates and you walk back to your table.

Our menu consisted of some kind of cold corn salad…I only tried 1 bite and don’t really know what to say about it. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t my cup of tea either. Next I tried the “Cowboy” baked beans.  I have had more flavor out of a can of beans from the supermarket. I think they forgot the molasses or something. Pretty poor fare so far.  The baby back ribs weren’t bad. They were fall off the bone tender and had some flavor. There was extra BBQ sauce on the table so I’d have to rate them a bit better. Next I tried the chicken and like the baby back ribs it wasn’t too bad and the extra BBQ sauce was there to help it along.

The roasted potatoes were pretty good. They were covered with cheese. Kind of made me think of cheesy potato skins. But the biscuits were the shining star of the meal. They were GREAT! I was just about to go begging for another one when a tall, tall cowboy came by flinging biscuits at anyone who asked for one. In the condiment basket in addition to the butter we found jam and packets of honey. Oh yeah Honey! We were now in heaven. There is nothing like a warm biscuit with butter and honey.

I would have been content with that but along came another cowboy with dessert. It was fruit cobbler (still warm ) and vanilla ice cream that was beginning to melt from the heat of the cobbler. That was pretty darn good too..although I will still vote for the biscuits as the number 1 food item. There was water, lemonade and coffee on the tables for beverages and the servers were quick to keep the pitchers filled up.

I tried for a shot of the stage before the lights went down. Do you see the Jackalope?

That prong horn was the only one we saw the whole trip!

The show is filled with old favorites (Happy Trails to you, Cool Water),  a Patsy Cline Set, a sing-a-long and the local bum/ clown for comedic effect. The surprise is that “Otis” can sing. Like the Jim Neighbor/ Gomer Pyle paradox, when Otis opens his mouth for a rendition of Tennessee Ernie Ford’s 16 Tons your mouth just hits the floor!

The show also features  our friend Jimmy from the Saloon earlier. He’s the lead guitarist but like George Harrison of  the Beatles, he is kind of quiet, letting his guitar do the talking for him even when he is featured in his large red sombrero performing a classic flamenco tune that had us clapping and stomping along.

Still my favorite moment of the whole evening, the reason I insisted we come back here again, was the finale. The song Ghost Riders on the Storm is a great classic anyway but the lights are down and the strobe light outside starts flashing calling our attention to the big windows along the side of the barn and there he is…the Ghost Rider on a racing, raging steed! It makes my pulse start racing just telling you about it. I love that part of the show!

Once the house lights came back up and the cast took their bows the crowd started to file out of the barn. The Ghost Rider and his trusty horse where available for pictures but since it was raining again we skipped that and headed right to the car. Time to head back to the condo in Sedona and decide on our destination for tomorrow. We’re on our own…only 1 tour booked and that’s not until 5 pm so we have lots of options!

Eagle Update

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UPDATE: Back in October of 2010 when this blog was still hosted by Blogger, I posted that an injured Bald Eagle had been spotted by the Verde Canyon Train Crew and rescued. The  Eagle was taken to a Wildlife Rehab Center in hopes of saving it and returning it to the wild. The train crew had noticed it’s mate keeping watch when they came to collect the injured bird. They hoped to be able to return it to the wild to reunite with its mate. Sadly the story did not end well. The rescued eagle was suffering from lead poisoning and did not recover. It is believed that the surviving eagle eventually found a new mate.

Eagles and condors both are subject to the risk of lead poisoning. Both birds tend to scavenge for food and sometimes the dead animals are ones that have been shot by lead bullets. As the birds eat the meat they ingest bits of lead from the bullets. If they eat enough of this tainted meat they develop lead poisoning and die.

There are bullets available that are not made of lead. Not being a hunter myself I can’t tell you what they are but I do know that there is a movement to encourage if not force the use of non lead  bullets when hunting near National Forests or other protected habitat.

Memorial Day Thanks

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As we enjoy the wonderful weather and a day off from work to barbecue and party, take a moment to give thanks to those brave men and women whose sacrifices make our life style possible.

Remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They gave their lives that we might have ours. For them there is no tomorrow, no second chance at life or love, but thanks to them we have our life, our freedom and our chances to live.

Remember those who returned but suffered unspeakable injuries to body, soul or mind. Brave men and women traumatized by their injuries or the injuries to others that they witnessed or perhaps by the actions they had no choice but to take.

But these actions and sacrifices paid for our freedoms. They kept our shores safe. They stood up for our way of life.

As I think about Memorial Day and all that it stands for I am grateful to all who have done their duty to safeguard this great nation and our freedoms but I am sad too. I feel for the families left behind or the soldier who once able-bodied is now missing a limb or worse. My heart aches for those who returned so stressed and traumatized that although their body is sound, their emotions and  feelings are forever scarred. This is the price we pay for our freedom. This is the price our soldiers paid for us.

 On this Memorial Day honor them, thank them and pray for them. Keep safe those who even today are  fighting for freedom in foreign lands. Pray that someday we will gain the wisdom to be able to put down our weapons and live in peace and respect throughout the world.

Always remember…

Verde Canyon Railroad

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After 2 early mornings to get to the Grand Canyon we took it easy this morning and got a late start. We thought we could go to the Blazin’ M Ranch before we took the Verde Canyon Railroad so we would have time to visit their Old West display but when we arrived at the ranch there was a sign that it didn’t open until 4pm. No problem, we took a leisurely ride over to the Verde Canyon Railroad depot to collect our train tickets and visit the gift shop.

We arrived around 11:30 and were surprised to see other passengers arriving too. We thought we were early. The desert smelled like rain and the weather report was for “showers”. We were keeping a close eye on the sky. The wind that had plagued us all week was still with us and still had a cold edge to it.

When I made the reservations the operator said they had a special for people doing the combo with the Blazin’ M dinner show. The special upgraded us to First Class. I jumped at that even though I expected that we would spend a good part of the trip on the open air viewing car. Now with weather threatening I was glad I made that decision.

We had time to spare so decided to have lunch before we got on the train. Neither of us realized that the First Class upgrade included lunch! Anyway, while we were eating it started to rain so we finished off our lunch quickly and headed to the little museum on the property along with about 30 of our closest friends. If they weren’t friends when we went in they certainly must have been when we got out. It was crowded with everyone looking for someplace dry to wait out the storm.

The museum was small but interesting with artifacts, photos and history of the Verde Canyon railroad spread out in front of us in cabinets and in displays. It only takes a short time to go through the museum depending on how long it takes you to read the captions.

Since the rain wasn’t showing any sign of letting up the railroad was considerate enough of their customers to start boarding us early. It meant a longer wait in the cars before we pulled out of the station but at least we were dry. Once again we heard how unusual the weather was for May, normally a dry month for this area.

It wasn’t too long before we heard the “All Aboard” and we began to slowly roll out of the station.

We passed the huge black slag mountain left over from the days of copper mining and heard the story of the former boom town of Jerome that became a ghost town and is now a thriving artist colony. Many buildings in the town have been rescued and restored to maintain its historic appearance. Even now, on my 2nd trip to the area, I still haven’t visited the town. They say 3’s the charm so maybe on my next trip!

The Verde Canyon Railroad trip is a 4 hour rail journey celebrating the glory days of the Iron Horse.  Travel is in vintage cars that have been painstakingly restored to invite today’s traveler to “step back in time”.

 There are 3  types of cars: Pullman  Standard, Budd Stainless Steel  and a refurbished  AC&F caboose. The AC&F identifies the builder of the caboose. It’s like saying a Pullman Car.

When you ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad you are really getting 2 seats for the price of one. Each seat purchased gives access to a 2nd seat in one of the open air viewing cars. In nice weather more people are outside than in so they can enjoy the beautiful canyon and watch for wildlife. Prefer indoor seating, don’t worry about the view; all of the enclosed cars have panoramic windows.

Everyone watches for wildlife starting with the engineer all the way back to the last attendant on the last car plus all the passengers! When something is spotted word flys through the cars as each attendant is connected by ear piece to the next. On this trip we were lucky enough to get good views of not one but 2 bald eagles. One was perched on a craggy bluff, the other in a tree right next to the track! Unfortunately the only picture I was able to get was of their empty nest. I’ve seen the Bald Eagles on both of my trips and failed to get a photo either time. Like I said 3’s the charm…maybe next time.

The Verde Canyon has been occupied for a long time starting with the cliff-dwelling Sinagua. The train passes some of these ancient cliff dwellings but you have to keep your eyes open to catch them.. After the Sinagua came the nomadic Yavapai and the Tonto Apache followed by the farmers and cattlemen. And speaking of cattle, see that cow laying down over there? Out here that’s called Ground Beef! ( yes you can groan)

Many of the acncient cultures left thier mark throughout the canyon by petroglyph and pictograph.

According to local Native American lore, the Verde River is female. She provides an oasis in stark contrast to the surrounding arid countryside. The Verde River is fed from 5 creeks which flow down from the Colorado Plateau: Sycamore, Oak, Beaver, Clear and Fossil Creek. When it rains on the plateau the Verde gets fed the runoff.

The ride reaches its half way turnaround point at Perkinsville station at milepost 18.5. At its peak Perkinsville had  10-12 families living in the vicinity. It even had a small school, a general store and a post office but when the smelter closed in the 1950’s and the railroad switched from steam to diesel the  town became a ghost town.

In the 1960’s a few movie companies came to visit filming scenes for some of the classic westerns of the day like How the West was Won. The story is that during that filming the water tower that had stood by the tracks was blown up for one of the scenes but for some reason did not make the cut. The footage ended up on the editing room floor.

To turn the train around the engine is uncoupled and switched to a side track to pass by the train to the other end and be re-coupled. It’s a pretty amazing sight to see that engine passing by the window.

The return trip was as lovely as the outbound. We even saw a small rainbow as we passed in and out of the rain showers.  Back in Clarkdale we said goodbye to the railroad and headed to our car for the short drive to the Blazin’ M ranch.