Here's the "natural rock staircase" descending down to the Kokopelli cache from a desert setting of prickly pear cacti...a little tricky to say the least.
Here I am at "The Thimble" with the cache hidden in the rocks behind me.
There were many petroglyphs on a number of rocks at "The Thimble."
And here's the added attraction of Beaver Creek babbling along beside the cache. What a beautiful spot!
Next, we drove over a bumpy dirt road to Montezuma Well, a natural limestone artesian well near Rimrock. Over 1,400,000 gallons of water flow through here each day and the water was used for irrigation by early native American people since 700 A.D. You can see cliff houses in the rock wall. We walked all around the well and along an ancient canal.
Blossoming cacti.
Next, we drove to a National Monument called Montezuma Castle, a 5-story stone and mortar dwelling containing 20 rooms (for about 50 inhabitants) that once housed Pre-Columbian Sinagua people...pretty amazing.
Here's another even larger dwelling that has deteriorated.
We spent the next 3 nights in Scottsdale at the same resort we have been going to for 10+ years now.
The grounds and pool at the Fire Sky (3rd name) are beautiful and relaxing.
Pansies and geraniums and one of half a dozen giant pots with water flowing out of them.
Bougainvilleas are always blossoming profusely in April.
One of Dad's flower close-ups.
On Monday, the spouses formed teams and "built" bicycles for underprivileged kids. Debbie (from Winnepeg) and I put together a cute pink bike called "The Twirl" for Julia from the Maricopa Indian Reservation and made her a giant card. On Tuesday, I sat around the pool and in the pool while enjoying 92 degree weather. That night Dad and I drove out to Chandler to visit my cousin Nancy (Mower/Russell) Jordan. I hadn't seen her in 25 years. On Wednesday, Debbie and I went for a brisk walk to the little man-made lake at Chapparal...about a mile from the resort and enjoyed walking around the lake and watching birds, etc.
Part of the lake with palm trees.
Heron with a big fish.
On Tuesday night, NOREX put on a great dinner around the pool...huge shrimp cocktails and delicious crab cakes for appetizers and a fabulous buffet and dessert bar. For the entertainment, we got Elvis!!!
The King.
Photo opp afterwards. At one point in his performance, Elvis asked if anyone had a napkin he could borrow and I raised mine. He came to get it and then planted a big kiss on my cheek. Whoa!
One of the pools at the Fire Sky at night.
Stay tuned for the rest of our adventure...coming soon.
3 comments:
Wow! Beautiful Pictures! Kokopelli's Thimble looked like a beautiful place. The Montezuma's well and castle were very cool, what a neat place to visit. Sounds like you had a good time at the resort as always. (The flower pictures are lovely.) I'm sure you enjoyed good food and lots of sun. I'm jealous!
That cliff/alcove castle thing is intense! Can you imagine building something like that? I'll bet you're missing that 90 degree weather now, aren't you? ;)
these are my pre-paleozoic tambula rocks. fascinating dwellings and engravings.
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