Since the United States Government decided to give me a day off of work, we decided to go explore some more of our great state! We made the trip up through Globe to see some ancient Indian Ruins. There are lots of different cliff dwellings in the state, and some are larger than others, but Tonto National Monument is the closest.
The view from the bottom of the hill provides a glimpse of what to expect at the end of the hike. It was a gorgeous day for hiking, with temperatures in the 70's and a slight breeze.
The girls were ready for the hike! They both brought hats to wear on the climb (Allie is more utilitarian with a sun hat and Hadley more for flair with a pink construction hat).
Part way up, we stopped to see the overlook over the valley below. There were lots of cactus on the mountains, and we got to learn about them during the walk (Saguaro do not have arms until they are 100 years old!).
The desert has its own beauty if you stop to look for it. There are many varieties of cactus and a few wildflowers sprouting through the thorns.
The ruins at the top were very interesting. At one point about 70 people lived in this small shelter int he rocks! It was a two story house with about 14 total rooms when it was all intact. It would have been close confines for that many people!
Miles enjoyed the cool breeze flowing though the structure and seeing all the different rocks.
The girls kept walking around to all the different rooms and thinking about what it would be like to live in a house like this.
We had a better appreciation for house on the way down. It was a great hike going almost straight up the mountain (half mile to climb over 450 feet!) and we all managed to walk the whole way (except Miles). Hadley may have had a struggle getting her tiny legs to the top, but she enjoyed the family time.
Back near the trail head we got a great picture! A fantastic day of hiking that was only slightly overshadowed by the scorpion Hadley found at the park where we ate lunch (thankfully she didn't try to pick it up).
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