I visited three national monuments today, all of which were Indian ruins.
My first stop was the elusive Yucca House NM. When I asked about it at Mesa Verde, the ranger was vague about what was there and wasn't sure exactly where it was located. The website said this spot is "not for the casual visitor." But that just made it more interesting to me.
It's surrounded by private property, so you park next to someone's barn. Their dogs were barking at me as I passed through two rickety gates and carefully signed my name in the visitor register that was sharing a box with a hornet's nest. I followed a faint path through the desert to... nothing. There really was nothing to see there, as far as I could tell. From what I read on the website, it sounds like there are a few big mounds waiting to be excavated. Archaeologists know there's going to be tons of good stuff in there, but they just haven't gotten around to it in the past 94 years since it became a national monument. I was hoping there'd be a display or something, but no, just mounds and desert. The first three pictures below are Yucca House.
My next stop was Hovenweep NM. My favorite part about this one was the architecture of the ruins and the fact that they were built into a canyon. It's not far from some of my favorite canyons; walking the slickrock trail made me want to forget about California and just go run canyons. I especially enjoyed seeing the castle. Another great thing about this spot is that it's so remote... When you stop and listen, it's just absolute silence. It had a very different feel than the busy-ness of Mesa Verde.
My last stop was Aztec NM. I am so glad I went here! I think it's been my favorite ruins so far. It's this huge complex, and you get to walk through the rooms. The self-guided tour was so interesting; it was a blend of archaeological facts and the Puebloan emergence story. The best part was the reconstructed kiva. It was built on the original one and made to look the way they think it did back in the 1100's. I was all alone, and it definitely felt like sacred ground. SO cool. The last picture below is an open kiva and part of the complex.
Tonight I'm in Farmington, NM. Feeling guilty for splurging on a room at Motel 6, but it's too hot to camp here.
(Okay, the blogger app is being a pain... The first picture is Aztec ruins, the second one is the Stronghold at Hovenweep, and the last three are from Yucca House.)
My first stop was the elusive Yucca House NM. When I asked about it at Mesa Verde, the ranger was vague about what was there and wasn't sure exactly where it was located. The website said this spot is "not for the casual visitor." But that just made it more interesting to me.
It's surrounded by private property, so you park next to someone's barn. Their dogs were barking at me as I passed through two rickety gates and carefully signed my name in the visitor register that was sharing a box with a hornet's nest. I followed a faint path through the desert to... nothing. There really was nothing to see there, as far as I could tell. From what I read on the website, it sounds like there are a few big mounds waiting to be excavated. Archaeologists know there's going to be tons of good stuff in there, but they just haven't gotten around to it in the past 94 years since it became a national monument. I was hoping there'd be a display or something, but no, just mounds and desert. The first three pictures below are Yucca House.
My next stop was Hovenweep NM. My favorite part about this one was the architecture of the ruins and the fact that they were built into a canyon. It's not far from some of my favorite canyons; walking the slickrock trail made me want to forget about California and just go run canyons. I especially enjoyed seeing the castle. Another great thing about this spot is that it's so remote... When you stop and listen, it's just absolute silence. It had a very different feel than the busy-ness of Mesa Verde.
My last stop was Aztec NM. I am so glad I went here! I think it's been my favorite ruins so far. It's this huge complex, and you get to walk through the rooms. The self-guided tour was so interesting; it was a blend of archaeological facts and the Puebloan emergence story. The best part was the reconstructed kiva. It was built on the original one and made to look the way they think it did back in the 1100's. I was all alone, and it definitely felt like sacred ground. SO cool. The last picture below is an open kiva and part of the complex.
Tonight I'm in Farmington, NM. Feeling guilty for splurging on a room at Motel 6, but it's too hot to camp here.
(Okay, the blogger app is being a pain... The first picture is Aztec ruins, the second one is the Stronghold at Hovenweep, and the last three are from Yucca House.)
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