Spent the day with the boys visiting some historical areas in the area. We started the day at Montezuma's Castle National Monument. There is a short paved walk up to the actual preserved dwellings built by the Southern Sinagua culture between 1100 and 1425 CE. On the way we passed by volunteers that gave the kids info on the Junior Ranger program and a booklet to fill out to get their badge upon completion. It's hard for me to imagine what life was like 800 years ago, so I am sure it was for the boys also, but they took it all in and seemed to appreciate it.
Next stop was lunch picnic and quick dip in Beaver Creek. VERY COLD, Cash was the only one brave enough to get in the water. Beautiful spot to spend the early afternoon.
Final tour was at V Bar V Heritage Site, the largest known petroglyph site in the Verde Valley of central Arizona, and one of the best-preserved. The rock art site consists of 1,032 petroglyphs in 13 panels. We were fortunate that when we arrived up to the panels we had an informative guide pretty much to ourselves. It was fun to watch the boys try and find the different pictures that he was describing. I found it fascinating to see how the seasons were integrated into the panels. With a portfolio of pictures that the guide had taken over the course of a year, he showed us how the sun would shine on the petroglyphs at the solstices and equinoxes of the year.
The boys favorite time of the day, and possibly the whole trip. Pa taught them how to make a whistle with a blade a grass. It was another great day.
