A Day At The Castles - Montezuma and Cliff

I think this is my third trip in this area around Sedona.  This is the first time we are really spending time doing something other than just experiencing the vortexes around Sedona.  Yesterday, Kim's aunt and uncle took us out to see Montezuma Castle.  We were half way there when Uncle Bill realized he'd left his wallet back at the rig - the wallet with the National Parks Senior Pass in it that would get us all in for free.  The good news was that it turns out that the "senior" means age 62, not 65, so Kim was able to now apply for the Senior Pass!  I've been waiting for this for quite a while.  So much more to explore when we are on a tight budget.

It was a short drive (maybe 20 minutes) from the Thousand Trails Verde Valley Preserve.

There is a ⅓ mile paved pathway down to the view points.  Very easily accessible for most everyone, wheelchairs and scooters included.

From the brochure:

"Southern Sinaqua farmers built this five-story 20 room dwelling sometime between 1100 and 1300.  It occupies a cliff recess 100 feet above the valley......Occupants found reliable water in the creek and fertile land on the nearby terrace."

The brochure mentions that Early American settlers marveled at the structure.  Heck, I'm in awe.

To think families lived in what is basically the side of a mountain.  They used ladders to access the rooms.  Multi-generational families lived together, and grandma was the boss!  I kind of like that dynamic.

I've become enamored of the shapes of trees.  Many of the photos I take are to help me remember how they look when I pull out my sketching pad or paints.

And I few additional shots from around the area.

We spent a few minutes checking out the gift shop and then on to lunch.

My father-in-law always talked about the Cliff Castle Casino and how much he enjoyed it.  We decided to stop there for lunch.  It's a smaller casino.  The smoke level was not too bad.  Our choices for food were Johnny Rocket's (hamburgers) or the buffet.  We decided to try the buffet.  $11 for lunch.  It was pretty good.  I thought the chicken-fried steak was especially good.

After lunch, we decided to test our luck.   I found a keno machine I liked, and I had good luck with my grandkids birthdays.  I left the casino up $20!  A good day, all in all.