My oldest daughter had an internship with the National Park Service in the 2012. She was stationed at Montezuma Castle in northern Arizona. After a conference in Phoenix that fall, we were able to travel north to visit with her and explore the area. Here you will find pictures of Montezuma Castle, a prehistoric cliff dwelling built by the sinagua people. The other parks at this location are the Montezuma Well and Tuzigoot. It is clear why the ancient sinagua chose this area to settle.
After spending a few days in the Verde Valley, we took a loop around northern Arizona. We saw the red rock of Sedona, prehistoric dwellings at Wupatki, and the volcanic cone at Sunset Crater. We had a couple of great days at the Grand Canyon. The weather at the Grand Canyon was a bit of a challenge for photography; a front came through bringing clouds and a brief snow shower. This was a fascinating area of the country and I look forward to making future trips to further explore the region.