Montezuma's Castle

We took a few trips this month before the girls had to go back to school. We always pass so many national parks in a hurry to get where we're going. So this time we decided to stop along the way and visit these places we always see the turn off signs for, but never visit.
Our first stop was Montezuma's Castle, which was on our way to Flagstaff. It was named for an Aztec chief, but the Sinagua Indians were actually the ones who built it and lived there. And it's not really a castle, but a multi-level dwelling for several families. These aren't the only ruins, just the best preserved.


We called this the camouflage tree because the bark reminds us of army fatigues. :) Everyone wanted their picture in front of it, I'm not sure why.

Beaver Creek- Neither Canon nor Dad was ready for this photo op.
We have to be the loudest tourists. It was such a peaceful, quiet place until we got there.

Through this whole trip, it was amazing to see how many foreigners there were visiting these sights. I never realized that people who live in England would want to visit Montezuma's Castle like I want to see Stone Henge.

We like to learn about past cultures and people because it helps us realize that the world is a lot bigger place than our immediate surroundings and keeps things in perspective. What will they say years from now about us?