Ballcourts and Blowholes!!!!

Saturday, we decided to go on a National Park adventure.
Destination, Wupatki and Sunset Crater. We started at
Wupatki, with Indian ruins and worked our way back
towards Sunset Crater. Some of the things we saw
were really amazing, some we had never seen or heard
of before.

June 27, yes there is still snow on the back side
of the peaks.

Entering Wupatki National Monument.
These ruins were built on the edge of a canyon.

The canyon the ruins were on the edge of, and
where the indians planted their crops and got
their water.

We just happened to catch this gecko sunning
itself instead of selling insurance.

This was the next ruin up the trail, much larger.

This guy had just had a fight with another lizard.
He was running away I guess.

Arizona desert Lily.

David really likes to take pictures of dead trees.

This was a big sink hole behind one of the ruins.
The back side is all volcanic rock.

Wapatki Ruins!!

The big cirlce enclosure is called the ballcourt.
There are over 900 of these throughout Arizona.
These were the very first indoor soccer arena's.
These were built specically for different ball games.

All dad needed was a soccer ball and all of his
sons to play. It is 100 feet long and 70 feet wide.
Do these deminsions sound familiar?


This rock has been carved out the weather.
This ruin sat on top of a very large rock.

This is out in front of the ruin in a large gathering area.

This picture was taken from inside one of the small
rooms at the top of the ruin. At one time the ruin was
at least three stories high.
Making the transition from the desert to the trees.
This is looking back down at where Wupatki is from

Sunset Crater.

The backside of Sunset Crater.
One more odd shaped, dead tree.

This trail leads you on a walk along some of the Lava
flow at the bottom of Sunset Crater. You are no longer
allowed to hike to the top of the crater. David and I both
have actually hiked to the top of the crater. That was a

long time ago before they stopped people from hiking on
the crater.

We were amazed at how trees and plants could
just prow through the hard lava rock. This is an
Aspen tree.

The lave flow and I am trying to hold up one large rock!

This is a cone hole where the lava would blow out of.

This is part of Bonito lava flow, the largest lava flow.

Hope you have enjoyed our little adventure. The

pictures capture alot, but it is much better actually

being there and hiking all of it. Next adventure for the

Miller's is Walnut Canyon. To be continued...........