Wupatki Ruins National Park

Today Mark and I went to the Wupatki Ruins, and they were pretty amazing.  The signs said that ruins dated from the 10th and 11th centuries, and they were still standing, amazingly.  To get to Wupatki we had to drive through the Sunset Crater Park, so we took some pictures along the way.  Then we went to visit all of the ruins in the National Park, there were six dwelling sites all together.  Wupatki, Citadel, Nalakihu (which we didn't get a picture of), Box Canyon Dwellings, Lomaki, and Wukoki.  Wupatki was really cool, with a game court, and a blow hole.  The blow hole is a hole that goes down really far into the earth, and the cool air blows out of it.  It was fascinating geological stuff!


The Wukoki was by far the most impressive to me.  It was built on a large outcropping of rock, so you can see it from miles away. 

Sunset Crater National Park

The link to their site is: http://www.nps.gov/wupa/index.htm

Signage

Mark in front of the Wupatki National Park Visitors Center

Wupatki Pueblo Ruin

The current resident of Wupatki

Closer look at Wupatki

An interesting tidbit.  The guide said that the rangers from the early 1900's actually moved into and lived in the Wupatki ruins with their wives.  The government charged them $10/month to live there.  Imagine that!

The Citadel Pueblo Ruins built on top of a high hill

Mark headed to the Box Canyon and Lomaki Ruins

Box Canyon Dwellings.  These were the most preserved of the ruins.

Current Resident of the Box Canyon Dwellings.  Cool Lizard, huh?  He did a really funny wiggle for us too!

Lomaki Pueblo

Lomaki Pueblo.  Must have been some oddly shaped people living here.  Look at the passageway.

Resident of Lomaki Pueblo

Signage

Wukoki Pueblo Ruins

Wukoki Pueblo Ruins