2010 Sedona
While driving from California to Arizona, we stopped for two nights near Sedona. On the day we left, we stopped by Montezuma Well and Castle.
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Montezuma Well The day after we hiked and drove around Sedona, we headed South and stopped by Montezuma Well, a natural sinkhole that's constantly fed by underground springs at a lovely 76 F degrees. The 'well' does not support fish, but the water flows out through a 'swallet' and meets up with nearby Beaver Creek. The area includes ruins (can you find them?) built by the Sinagua people that disappeared around 1400 for unknown reasons. The name is a misnomer, as Montezuma (Aztec) never made it this far North, but the people that first named it didn't know that. I HIGHLY recommend stopping by, it's a very cool place with great information.
![<span id="date">_12/20/10_</span> <span id="title">Cliff Castle</span>
Today we left Sedona and headed South to Tucson. Along the way, we stopped at Montezuma Well and Montezuma Castle, about 10 miles apart. Both are misnomers, named by early settlers that thought they were Aztec when, in fact, the Aztecs never made it this far North. They were built by the Sinagua people, who vanished from the area 500-600 years ago for reasons unknown.
This is obviously the 'castle', not the well. It's 100 feet off the ground and would have had ladders to get to it when it was in use. Other ruins are nearby, but none as spectacular as these - 4 levels built straight into the cliff.
I'll post more photos in a separate gallery, but in case you're wondering what the well is - it's a sinkhole that's fed by underground springs, so there's constant water at the bottom. Sinagua ruins are all around the rim, as well as inside the well. Both stops are just minutes from I-17 and they're well worth the stop.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Misc/2010/Sedona/15240272_8L6AX">More photos!</a>
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#746015794_t6zyp">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Misc/Sedona/i-MNFfGK4/2/fe303792/Ti/2010-12-20%20Cliff%20Castle-Ti.jpg)
