Southwestern Spirit

Rambling around the southwest, I saw a couple historic sites where Native Americans lived in the past.  This is Spruce Tree House at Mesa Verde, in SW Colorado between Durango and Cortez.  The ancestors of todays pueblo Indians occupied this spot in the 14th century.  They left not too long after building these structures, probably because of a prolonged drought at the end of that century.

Spruce Tree House, like many other dwellings of the period, was set under a rock overhang, which gave some protection from rain and snow.  The residents built fires out in fromt of the complex, which is evident from the soot marks on the rock above.  In places the homes go at least a hundred feet into the alcove.  The irregularly shaped holes on the second floor are actually doorways...originally these houses had balconies on the upper floors.

This is Square Tower House at Mesa Verde.  The Anasazi...now known more widely as Ancient Pueblo Peoples...were building high rises of a sort...this one is four stories high...at a time when Europeans were constructing their big cathedrals.  Advanced architecture was in vogue in both hemispheres.

Here's the Four Corners Monument, where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet.  This plaque is fairly small...you can literally put one foot in all four states with no problem. 

Canyon de Chelly, in NE Arizona, has been settled by Native Americans for many centuries.  Navajo still live on the canyon floor and farm the bottomlands.

White House, in Canyon de Chelly, is one of the better preserved ruins dating from the 14th century.  Cool rock alcove too!

The Lizards enjoyed hangin' at Canyon de Chelly.  It's an interesting place for geology, scenery, history, and culture. 

The Painted Desert near Winslow. 

Jackson Browne, with his guitar, standin' on the corner in Winslow Arizona.  He wrote "Take it Easy" with these lyrics, and the Eagles had a monster hit with the song.  Still one of the best road songs ever.  Only trouble was, when I was taking pictures, no girls in flatbed Fords slowed down to take a look at me. 

The rambling reptiles are displaying their mountaineering skills here, climbing a barrel cactus in White Tank Mountain Park near Phoenix.  This is their favorite area...the Sonoran desert is their natural habitat!  We're going home tomorrow but I promised my saurian friends I'd bring them back to the desert next spring.