Sunset Crater Volcano

After spending the night on volcanic ash, which was pretty cool, I did not have huge expectations for what we would see when we arrived at Sunset Crater Volcano. As we followed the scenic route, I saw what I determined from the map to be a volcano. We stopped to take pictures as best I could from the view we had on the road. There is a trail that leads to the top of O’Leary Peak, but we were not up for the nine-plus mile hike.

I don’t recall what the conversation was, but I vividly remember the stunned feeling I had as we turned a bend in the road to get our first glimpse of the lava fields. The dark and jagged remnants of the lava flow caught me entirely off guard. We stopped to walk the trail through the lava field. The pieces of lava made a metallic sound when dropped. It was a surreal experience walking around on what was molten lava 900 years ago. It was a violent yet beautiful landscape.

Our next stop was Sunset Crater, the volcano that erupted, creating a seven-mile lava flow and covering an 810 square mile area with ash as much as 40 feet deep. It is one of 600 volcanos in the area. Ash still covers the mountain even after so many years. The landscape is so sensitive that hiking is not permitted. The ash-covered mountain rising out of the lava-covered land beneath creates an astonishing image.

We left Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, following Loop Road, and continued to Wupatki National Monument, about a 20-mile drive. On the way, we stopped at the Painted Desert Vista, where we saw a stunning view of the Painted Desert’s colorful cliffs in the distance.

Wupatki National Monument

Our first stop in Wupatki National Monument was the Wukoki Pueblo, a three-story building on top of a sandstone outcrop. We were able to see the structure long before we got to it. The pueblo stands out among the desert rocks surrounding it.

It was a treat to walk into the building to explore the three rooms and the plaza. The doors were small, making crouch a more appropriate word than walk.

Just down the road, we found the Wupatki Pueblo. The multi-level, high-rise with 100 rooms also had a ceremonial ball court, a large plaza, and a community room, most of which you can still today. It was fascinating to walk around the ruins. The architecture was extraordinary. I was particularly intrigued by the use of lava rocks in the construction. We could imagine the ceremonies that must have taken place in the circular community room. We could almost see the bonfire in the center of the circle.

As we continued our journey, we stopped at Doney Mountain for a picnic lunch. It was a beautiful spot for lunch, and we enjoyed watching the bird activity while we ate.

Our next stop was at Nalakihu and Citadel Pueblos. Nalakihu Pueblo, from the Hopi word for “House Outside the Village,” sits just below the Citadel Pueblo. In 1933, archeologists excavated and reconstructed the pueblo. Reconstruction was a common practice at the time but required a lot of guesswork and often destroyed the details of the original construction. In 1953 the rebuilding was dismantled, leaving only the actual walls as the excavation uncovered them.

The Citadel Pueblo, built on top of the mesa, was an impressive structure. The three-story walls conform precisely to the mesa’s edge. The village is estimated to have had 50 rooms, but now only the outer walls are evident. I felt a sense of reverence as I walked amongst the fallen rocks inside the walls. It felt as if I could see forever as I looked across the prairie in every direction.

Our final stop before leaving Wupatki National Monument was Lomaki Pueblo and the box canyon dwellings. The trail took us on a short walk from the parking lot, where we first saw the two box canyon dwellings. As we continued to Lomaki Pueblo, we saw a sign that showed what we were looking at on the horizon. It was a spectacular view of where we had started our day. We could see volcanic cinder cones in the distance, the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, O’Leary Peak, Sunset Crater Volcano, and the Citadel Pueblo Ruin.

The Lomaki Pueblo was fascinating. I was in awe of how much of the original structure was still standing. As we walked among the ruins, I couldn’t help but think how amazing it must have been to be one of the settlers happening upon these structures so long ago. As captivated as I was, knowing what I was going to find, I can’t even imagine the enchantment of discovering them unexpectedly.

A Spectacular Drive

After leaving Wupatki National Monument, our next destination was the north rim of the Grand Canyon. The drive up Route 89 N was the most spectacular scenery we have seen yet. The multi-colored cliffs seemed to go on forever. We enjoyed seeing the homes at the base of the mountains along the way. We noticed a large number of yurts used both as homes and outbuildings.

There were multiple stands on the roadside where Navajos were selling jewelry and potter. We stopped at two. The jewelry pieces were beautiful, but I didn’t find anything that I had to have. At the second stand, among giant boulders, I had a lovely conversation with the proprietor. Her uncle handmade all of the pieces on her table. I found a must-have piece of pottery, but the price was far more than what I had to spend.

As we continued our drive, I couldn’t believe how many times the scenery changed. The mountains on the right faded away as new mountains on the left appeared. The cliffs were so steep and high. We couldn’t help but wonder if there was anything at the top.

We crossed the Colorado River to find there was a pull-off on both sides of the bridge. We stopped and walked across the river on the Navajo Bridge. Again, I enjoyed the experience much more than Chris did. The bridge was too high for his comfort. There were beautiful rock formations around us. When we went into the gift shop, the cashier told us that there had been condors seen on the bridge earlier in the day.

As we worked our way west, the Vermillion Cliffs appeared on the right. The colors running through the cliffs were stunning. I would love to go back when we have time to explore the area further.

We climbed the mountain just as the sun was setting. The view as we wound our way up was spectacular. As we neared our campsite for the evening, we could see the evidence of a recent forest fire. The charred trees spoke of the devastation caused by the fire.

Before settling in for the night, we visited a local store where we picked up two gourmet cookies. We went with a traditional chocolate chip and then went outside the box with a lemon zucchini cookie. Both were delicious. I thought the zucchini cookie would be weird and was surprised at how much I liked it. I was happy that it was too sweet for Chris’s taste because I had that much more to enjoy.

Our campsite was beautiful. Ponderosa pines surrounded us, and we had the entire area to ourselves. It was a magnificent, peaceful spot for the night.