Walnut Canyon

10/6/09

We love finding those little out of the way treasures while road-tripping. Sometimes it's a country road filled with bucolic scenes. Sometimes it's a little known national treasure. Sunset Canyon the day before was one of those. And now, just off interstate 40, we came across Walnut Canyon - a community of cliff dwellings in a quaint, colorful, bucolic canyon.

The native Americans who settled here came from closer to the volcano called Sunset Crater. Driven in fear of the earth to a better place with less fear. They found Walnut Canyon and as we walked around the cliff dwellings, we could understand why this seemed like an idyllic place to live. In fact, Michael began looking for a nice piece of real estate to build his own cliff dwelling.

Being near the interstate, people visited here more than Sunset Crater. Yet we had most of our hike to ourselves. The trail wound its way along the cliff walls and into alcoves perfect for building a home. Partial walls were left and fire blackened walls. We could look across the canyon to other dwellings built between the sandstone stria. We could have stayed there all day, but the open road called us along. So with hearts not sad but thoughtful, we left to find a picnic spot and then back to the interstate.