Tag Archives: Travel

Oak Creek Canyon

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It’s the last full day in Arizona. Tomorrow we have to be up early to drive to Phoenix and board a plane back to reality, in this case reality is Albany Airport. So what to do today? We can take a drive…Monument Valley, Sunset Crater, Cameron Trading Post, Meteor Crater, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert…or a spa day…no more tours. I’m “toured out”.

We’ve been kicking this around all week. About the only thing we know for sure is that we’re going to do our souvenir shopping this morning then the day is ours!

Turns out the souvenir shopping didn’t take us long. Sandy knew exactly what she wanted to get and for whom. I stopped by the camera shop and Sandy actually found the last item on her list there so we were done in record time. We decided to take one last run up to the Native American stands on 89 A  for a last look at the jewelry and dream catchers.

After we made the last of our purchases there I asked Sandy if she wanted to stop at Slide Rock Park and she said no she wasn’t in the mood for hiking and it was still too cold for swimming in my book so we drove on up the winding canyon road of  89 A for the last time.

 At the top of the canyon where the road begins to straighten and flatten there is a sign for Oak Creek Overlook. I have never stopped here but figured why not. I don’t know when or if I’ll get back so let’s take 5 minutes and see what it’s all about.

Rand-McNally, that premier publisher of road maps, named this section of 89 A that winds through Oak Creek Canyon a “most beautiful drive” . The designation made it the first scenic drive in Arizona. A breathtaking series of switchbacks and hairpin curves makes maneuvering this highway a challenge unless you obey the speed limits…then it’s not too bad. I can now say I’ve driven this road at least a dozen times and I know what the road is about but as I mentioned in my post about the Bottom of The Canyon I had never looked into the canyon before. As the driver it is far better to keep your eyes and attention on the road.

Now as I parked my car at the top I wasn’t sure what awaited me at the overlook. We could see a lot of people. Far more than either of us expected but as we got closer we realized it was because the Native Americans had set up tables to display their crafts similar to the ones we had left just south of Slide Rock. I wandered through the tables but didn’t see anything more than what I had already purchased. I mainly wanted to see the canyon and it didn’t disappoint.

The walkway along the canyon rim follows a curving path giving you breathtaking  views into the depths of the canyon. Trees rise up and tower along the slopes. I had no idea the canyon was so deep or huge! Now I understand why  Oak Creek Canyon is sometimes referred to as a smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon.

The views reminded me of Joe’s (guide for Native American Journey’s) explanation that Oak Creek Canyon was formed along a fault line and that the fault had shifted twice to create this massive rift. Oak Creek, a tributary of the Verde River, flows along the bottom of the canyon and is credited with carving out much of what is today the existing Canyon. Oak Creek is one of the few perennial streams in this high desert region of Arizona.

As I continued on along the rim I spotted a red tail hawk floating on the thermals. To my surprise I was actually above the hawk when I first spotted him. The sun rays caught his back and feathers and turned him into a golden raptor and then he was circling higher and soon above me. It truly took my breath away to realize that the canyon was so deep that I could stand on the rim and watch a hawk start his upward spiral from below me. I would have expected that at the Grand Canyon but it was a surprise to me here.

As the moment passed I moved onto the last section of the lookout and there was the shot I have wanted since I first drove Oak Creek Canyon in 2008. There were the switchbacks and hairpin turns all laid out before me. Three big loops of highway and if you looked closely way down at the bottom the last bit of highway peaked through.

I am so very happy we stopped here. Even though the stop was short compared to some of the other things we had done, it was a real high point for me in this trip.

We had decided to drive on toward Winslow and the Petrified Forest. That’s quite a long drive so we wrapped up our visit and headed back to the car. I think I was still walking on air!

Schnebly Hill Road and Vista

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Back in Sedona we parked the car in the same lot we’d used before with the 3 hour parking limit. We stopped in the Candy Shop to ask if we would be ok this late in the day if we ran over the limit. We didn’t know much about this tour or how long it would take.

Snoopy Rock

When we were talked into booking this tour we were just passing by a little kiosk and had stopped to look at the Montezuma’s Castle photos on the  wall. That was all the salesman needed. After he hit a brick wall with several other tour offers he noticed the camera around my neck and suggested this tour for Sunset Photos of Sedona. The tour was being booked through the concierge department of Diamond Resorts, the Time Share Group that I belong to so he offered us a discount if we took the tour. After some private discussion we agreed since Schnebly Hill Rd was not someplace we could really take the rental car on our own…or so we’d heard.

We arrived at the kiosk at 5 pm just like the salesman told us but no one was there. We hung around til about 5:10 when I said I would go look for the tour group. The tour was through “A Day In The West.” and I had seen their ticket booth down the street. I left  Sandy at the Diamond Resort booth in case the salesman came back and headed off to find the other ticket office.

At the “A Day in the West” ticket office I explained we were waiting down at the other location but that no one was there. The ticket agent said the salesman must be new because we were just supposed to come right there. She had our reservations in the computer so I trotted off to get Sandy. When I got there Sandy said no one had shown up there yet so back to a”A Day in the West” we went.

The folks at “A Day in the West” were a lot of fun. They all had a great sense of humor and were joking and kidding each other while we waited for our driver. One of the things I love about these tours in the jeeps is how gentlemanly the drivers are. I have seen women drivers but I haven’t had one for a tour, but the men offer their hand to help you in and out and are very attentive to your needs. I can’t say comfort because if you are looking for comfort you don’t want to take a jeep ride!

These jeeps are  four-wheel-drive high-clearance vehicles and although I won’t say for sure that they have special axles it sure feels like each  wheel can move independently. When they tell you to buckle up …do it !

On my last trip I took the Soldiers Pass off-road trip and I sat in the front. It was bumpy but I didn’t feel like I was being tossed all over. This time I let Sandy have the front seat thinking I would have a good vantage point for pictures in the back. Boy oh boy! I don’t know what the ride up front was like but if it hadn’t been for the seat belt I would have been on the floor or bounced  out of the jeep as soon as we hit Schnebly Hill Rd.

On a map Schnebly Hill Rd looks like any other meandering ride through the region but in fact with our guide pointing out the various rock strata and filling in the cultural background, this tour became a lesson in time, geology and local lore.

Back when Sedona was first settled the farmers and tradesmen took their goods to market in Flagstaff. The trip required the settlers to travel south 11 miles to  Beaver Head Station where they could then head east then north and in the process travel up a mountain. The whole trip took 4 days  one-way. Needless to say they were always on the lookout for a shortcut. The result of that quest was Schnebly Hill Rd. It took persistence, back-breaking manual labor using the picks and shovels of the day and a little black powder to eventually carve  a rough wagon road out of the steep canyon and connect with a dirt road that ran from Phoenix to Flagstaff.

Carl Schnebly wasn’t the first to use the wagon route but he was the one whose name stuck. He first used the road to transport lumber to build his home. Then once his home was complete he used it to make regular runs to Flagstaff taking produce for sale and returning with supplies and eventually the mail for his general store.

On a side note once Schnebly started acting as postmaster he had to submit a name for his settlement. Oak Creek Crossing and Schnebly Station were rejected as being too long so the little settlement became Sedona, named  after Carl’s wife.

Along with regaling us with these stories, our driver was mindful of the fact that we took the tour for photo ops. No camera in the world has a fast enough shutter speed to over come the shaking I was taking in the back of the jeep so frequent stops became the name of the game. We still had a lot of haze in the atmosphere but I did manage to get some photos although not the  really above average shot I am still looking for! (Any excuse for a return trip )

Schnelby Hill Rd zigs and zags 13 miles before it intersects any other road but our tour only covered about half that. 6 miles up rugged Bear Wallow Canyon we pulled over to a scenic overlook. This is Schnebly Hill Vista. We hopped out to stretch our legs and shake off the bumps and of course enjoy the view. It wasn’t sunset yet but it was close and it was beautiful.

We got pictures and also took some of the jeep and out guide before we clambered back into the yellow monster for the return trip down through the canyon. Sandy hates heights and expressed that concern to our driver. He was really nice so if nothing was coming the other way, he hugged the far side of the road away from the canyon drop off. Of course perched high in the back as I was, I could see it all! 🙂

You can see the winding dirt road we traveled in some of the pictures.

All together we were probably out for about 2 hours. It was a worthwhile trip but if you have back problems or any physical issues that can be aggravated by being shaken up like a cocktail mixer, I would suggest a different tour. By the time we got back I was treating the jeep like a bucking bronco and using my legs to absorb some of the worse  of the bounces and that seemed to make it a bit easier.

All in all it was a fun tour and I didn’t mind the bumps that much. It wasn’t a “sunset” tour but you could call it a “late afternoon” tour.

Tuzigoot National Monument

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Tuzigoot National Monument is the third leg of our journey to see the ancient ruins of the Verde Valley.

More Passport Stamps awaited me at the Visitor Center.  The Visitor Center has been undergoing renovations since November 2010. It looked like they are putting the finishing touches on the landscaping when we were there. Some facilities are available and there were rangers to offer advice and information. The restrooms were open. Have you noticed a trend? With all the water we were being encouraged to drink we took advantage of restrooms when ever they were available!

Anyway, we were now at Tuzigoot which means “crooked water” in Apache.

As you leave the visitor center a paved path leads off to your left. Follow that path and you will find yourself climbing a small hill. Located on this hill are the remains of a Pueblo village attributed to the Southern Sinagua. The site has been dated to around 1125 and was occupied until the early 1400’s when, like so many Sinagua sites in the area, it was abandoned.

The original pueblo was 2 stories high in places containing 77 ground floor rooms. Entry, like at Montezuma’s Castle was by way of ladders through the roof. Originally the village was a small cluster of rooms housing about 50 people but by the 1200’s the population had doubled and then shortly after doubled again as drought in the outlying areas sent refugees looking for food and shelter.

It was fascinating to climb among the ruins, amazing to think that there are any remains after all these years.

We climbed to the top of the ridge to very topmost ruin and looked out over the Verde Valley.

 In the west we could see the black slag pile in Clarkdale by the river. 

 If we looked very closely we could make out Jerome on the mountain side and Cottonwood.

 There is a flat area across from the ruins that used to be  where the tailings from  the smelter were deposited. In 2007 a few feet of soil was spread in this area and seeds from native vegetation scattered. In time it is hoped the area will recover boasting mesquite and creosote bush.

To the south you can see the Verde River crossing the end of the ridgeline and turning south recognizable from our train ride.

Views of the North and East are of the surrounding ridges and mountains. Not familiar with that side I can’t really tell you what we were looking at but you could certainly get a long view of the surrounding land.

We took our time wandering through the ruins but soon it was time to turn our thoughts to the evening tour. Not exactly “off roading”, we were taking a ride up Schnebly Hill Rd, Sedona at sunset. We had to met our guide and driver between 5 & 5:15. The tour starts at 5:30 so it’s time to get going if we want to be on time.

Castle in a Cliff

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After we left Montezuma’s Well, we got back on the interstate for another exit or two until we saw more signs. This time for Montezuma’s Castle. Both Montezuma’s Castle and Montezuma’s Well are National Park locations so I was able to collect park passport stamps at both locations. It was nice to have such well-marked parks. Often when I’m looking for a location the signs are vague or missing. These were right there in your face. No way to get lost! 🙂

As we were driving on the access road to the Castle parking lot a roadrunner crossed right in front of the car. Those little guys are fast! I could imagine the ” Beep-Beep”! As I was the designated driver there was no camera handy so Mr. Roadrunner escaped without a portrait.

The parking lot is paved and lined and in excellent condition. Once you park, your path takes you past the restrooms to the visitor center. The whole walkway is like a covered portico. The visitor center had a small gift shop and several rangers available to offer suggestions and answer questions.

Passing through the 2nd set of doors sets you on a shaded , paved path that is very easy walking. As you round the first bend in the path the Castle is right there in front of you. What an amazing sight! There is this huge adobe building clinging to the cliff face. The living area extends backward  into the cliff itself. This is the best preserved cliff dwelling in North America.

Unlike Montezuma’s Well, I had seen pictures of Montezuma’s Castle and even watched a documentary at one time so I thought I had an idea what to expect. Boy was I wrong. Nothing in my experience made me ready to see this building  clinging to the side of this cliff. It made me think of the nests swallows build that seem to just hang on the side of a cliff or barn. It is mind-boggling that these ancient people were able to accomplish this gravity defying feat.

The “castle” clings to a Verde Valley limestone cliff. The workmanship demonstrates the skill and tenacity of the Sinagua. They were very daring builders to put it mildly. Access to the dwelling would have been by ladder, with entry to the individual “apartments” through entry holes in the thatched roofs.

The building itself is  5 stories of stone and mortar that contained about 20 rooms and housed as many as 50 people. It’s precarious location perched as it is on the cliff, provided some protection from their marauding enemies. As you can see from the photo with the people at the base of the cliff, that structure is pretty far up there!

A natural overhang offered protection from the elements and provided shade from the hot desert sun. The ruins were so well-preserved when discovered that there were many artifacts still in the building. These artifacts supply archeologists with many clues about life at that time but it hasn’t answered the most burning question…Where did they go and why did they leave?

Farther up the path and still within sight of the “castle” there are more ruins. These were not as well-preserved as the main building, possibly because access was much easier. Built on the same pattern as the cliff dwelling most of the artifacts have been removed over the years by looters.

As the path turned back toward the visitor center leaving the ruins behind there is a small kiosk with an interactive display of what the cliff dwelling might have looked like in its hey day with the people performing the tasks and climbing the ladders in pursuit of their daily life.

The dwelling and the surrounding area has been a National Monument since 1906. Access to the dwelling has been denied since 1950 to preserve what remains of the site and to prevent further damage and looting.

The visitor center  includes a small museum with many of the tools used by the Sinagua to build the dwelling as well as other stone tools used for grinding grain, bone needles for sewing and ornaments. The Sinagua were talented artisans.

Over 350,000 people visit the monument annually. I am pleased to say I am one of them. A very interesting and worthwhile stop on our itinerary.

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.