National Parks of the West 2012 Day 8: Arizona National Parks Continued

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Yay! More parks! I don't know whether I say that enthusiastically or down and depressed.

More parks and parks! Do they ever end?

I needed to head up north for more parks on my way to Salt Lake City. On a whim I decided to tour two National Monuments: Sunset Crater and Wupatki. They were on the way so I decided to loop through them as I headed north.

Sunset Crater is a volcano that exploded some time ago. The nearby tribes have ancestral memories of the events that have been passed down through the generations. Certain legends are based on this cataclysmic event of gods and great spirits and animal guides. They do not let you hike up to the crater but you can see the cinders and lava flows that were left after its explosion. In all it is an interesting monument to visit.

Its neighbor Wupatki National Monument is also very interesting. The monument is dedicated to the various ancient houses and centers that are in the area. There are some big houses and some excellent ruins on the site. One ruin is situated perfectly on top of a rock. Nearby is a a big city center of ruins. It is fun imagining what all these people would do out here in the middle of their nowhere.

The signs say that the centers were mostly for ceremonial and religious purposes. Who exactly were these people? So many questions. Their long abandoned and crumbling ruins combined with their petroglyphs have really sparked my imagination and inquisitive mind. I shall have to do some research.

I ended my day by heading up to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. I've been so worn out from travelling that I didn’t feel like doing much. I just headed over to the lake area for a bit and then to Horseshoe Bend for an amazing bend in the river below. I felt like jumping off of it and flying away. I don't know where the temptation comes from. Flying...I'd love to do that over all the sights I've seen the past week!

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