This day was insanely busy. Just off the wall bonkers. I started the day with a strenuous yoga class and felt ready to take on the day.
After waving good bye to Kimptons for nearly a month, we were on the road headed toward Walnut Canyon. Walnut Canyon is a gorgeous canyon with a huge towering island in the middle. On its own, it is stunning. However, upon closer inspection our eyes spotted nearly a dozen cliff dwellings. We took a short, but very steep, hike to the “island” and were able to walk right up to the ruins. Again, it was easy to picture a life here, living off the land, and doing what was best for your family. We left with two more Junior Ranger badges and more insight into the past.
Our next stop was Sunset Crater Volcano. We knew we’d be seeing another volcano, but didn’t know much else. It was amazing. It erupted only 900 years ago, yet little is known about the actual event. Archeologists have determined that Ancestral Puebloan lived there at the time and had felt the rumbles of something happening early enough to evacuate. What amazed me most was the lava flow, I’ve never seen anything like it. The area was surrounded by igneous rock and ash from the eruption. The coolest part was that archeologists have determined that when it erupted, tribes throughout the entire region could see it and likely resettled in Walnut Canyon. The connections between land and people is this area is undeniable.
The most special moment of the stop was meeting Ranger Amber. We meet very few female rangers and of those we do meet, very few have the spark and spunk we see in Ellie. Amber was an exception. She was immediately enthralled by Ranger Mike’s ranger hat and made a connection with Ellie. Ellie asked her about her educational degrees and Ranger Amber offered support and help if Ellie needs it as she works her way down her own path. It literally brought tears to my eyes to see someone that reminded me of Ellie doing what Ellie wants in the future. I felt like I had a short glimpse into where ever Ellie’s future leads.
Our third big stop was Wupatki National Monument. It was another well preserved pueblo. I didn’t like this one. For one thing, we’ve seen so many at this point and what made this one unique, in my mind, got me all riled up. The government has taken this land from the natives. They don’t deny it. Our government has forced the original people away from their land. And they still are. There is one living member of the final native family of the land as. She lives on Monument property. When she dies, so much is lost. We, as those who took from her, her family, her people, will lose. In fact, it’s too late. The family is angry. Rightly so, in my opinion. And we’ll lose the chancr to maybe learn about the past and connect with a culture that isn’t ours, but so deeply rooted in the land we call ours.
Our final destination of the day is Mather Campground in the Grand Canyon. As crowded and crazy as we thought Sedona was, it was nothing compared to Grand Canyon. The traffic is worse than rush hour in Chicago and the when we could finally get to the Visitor’s Center the crowds we’re thicker than Zoe’s hair. We found a spot to park and the girls got their fourth Junior Ranger packets of the day. We eventually made it to the Yavapai Tavern, an awesome little bar near our campground. We spent too many hours munching on food, drinking Grand Canyon IPA, playing games, and writing blog posts. Our night will end at campground site #204 of 387 at the Mather Campground alone. Then off for more adventures tomorrow.
Turns out the Grand Canyon has cruddy wifi, so pictures can’t be uploaded tonight. Sorry, mom!!
