Southern Sinagua farmers began building this five-story, 20-room dwelling early in the 1100’s. It stands in a cliff recess 100 feet above the valley floor. They use to allow visitors to climb the ladders and roam about the castle, but that ended in the 60’s after years of people stealing...
Right off Interstate-17 (exit 256) is one of two entrances to Agua Fria National Monument. Badger Springs Rd is nothing more than a dirt road that brings you into the border of the monument about 1 mile. After that you are left with a trail that will bring you to...
Before pulling out of the Phoenix area I glanced at a map and saw Buckeye Hills Regional Park just south-west of the greater Phoenix area. The park, “slated for future development”, has only a few pit toilets, picnic tables and well graded gravel roads that will take you one to...
Today is day #4 of driving and only now can I see Arizona on the horizon… actually 60 miles up the road. I have not moved too far on any given day these past few days; only about 120-140 miles per day. This relaxed pace has allowed me the luxury...
With my son in town for the holiday, I have devoted myself to entertaining him as much as I could entertain a teenager. Today we took the hour drive down Hwy 49 to Calaveras Big Trees State Park to see if we can mingle with the huge redwoods… Unfortunately, thanks...
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Casa Grande means “big house” (even I knew this). Obviously it is a very old “stick and mud” house from the natives dating back 7500 years. It is 4 stories tall and only a small part of what is known of a larger community of...
Since we were passing nearby, I stopped in at Carlsbad Caverns so I could hike down the natural entrance. Last year I only had time for the elevator ride and the ‘Big room’ hike, but today we had time for me to make the short 1.2 mile hike down. It...
Padre Island has been the pinnacle of this trip. Although the Formula 1 event was the reason we are in Texas, Padre Island is the furthest point East (and South) we will travel. It is the turn-around point after nearly 3100 miles traveled from Colorado… 2000 from Mom’s house in...
My first ever F1 race, and the entire reason I am in the state of Texas. The past two days has been spent at the new Circuit of the America’s track in Austin spectating the the racing going on. What a joy it is to finally see the F1 cars...
Today we drove into San Antonio to go downtown to the River Walk. While the Interstate part of the drive was easy enough, once we got down into the city itself it seemed that the city engineers were playing a practical joke. One sign would show the River Walk as...
