We get an earlier start today (a bit anyway) and head out 10ish. The weather is beautiful! It's a touch cooler but the sun is shining oh so brightly and the sky is a bright, bold blue unsullied by even a trace of fleecy wisps. We've been blessed with wonderful weather this trip! After gassing up and getting my "Super Tanker" we head north out of Sedona on 89A which travels through the very scenic Oak Creek Canyon as it heads toward Flagstaff. Our destinations today are Sunset Crater NM and Wupatki NM.

We wind slowly up Oak Creek Canyon stopping at one point to hike over to the cliff edge above the creek to take a look-see. There is snow on the ground and I am cautious as I position myself at the edge to capture on film the view. The canyon wall on the other side here rises several hundred feet to the top and is colored in reds and yellows, dotted with trees and shrubs of all types sprouting from the near vertical sides. Below, the waters of Oak Creek flow placidly along, barely tumbling over slight obstructions of small boulders in it's path. Oak and other hardwood trees are visible below, their branches now covered only with bare traces of the snow which fell earlier this week.

We reach Flagstaff and for a while drive on old Rt. 66 before leaving town, heading north again, on Rt. 89 (no A). We have climbed up to about 7000 feet and it has gotten cold, high 20's, brrrrr! Just a bit out of town we take the turnoff to Sunset Crater NM which will also bring us in the back way to Wupatki. The visitor center is just inside the park so we get out of the truck and hurry in. "Man it's cold out there!" Inside we are greeted by a very nice ranger, Anita, who gladly shares her knowledge of the park with us. I purchase a Golden Eagle pass, which will allow me free entry into any federal fee area for a year. Bonus! 

Having been filled in by Ranger Anita, we head east towards Sunset Crater and the short nature walk at its base. On the way there we pass by a huge flow of mostly aa (no that's not a typo) lava, the Bonito Lava Field. It's comprised of huge masses of jagged and crenulated, dark-colored lava piled high on top of another. What a sight it must have been when it was flowing - a river of basalt! At the nature walk we are afforded a nice view of Sunset Crater, a 1000 foot tall cinder cone. There are in fact hundreds of cinder cones in the area, all part of the San Francisco Volcanic Area, of which Sunset is the most recently erupted. It rises quickly skyward from where we stand, a dark black mound of pebbles and stones (cinders) almost devoid of any plant life. The top is a rusty-red color due to the iron in the cinders there which have oxidized over time (rusted), hence it's name, as the top is said to fairly glow in the reddish rays of the setting sun. We linger not long here 'cause the wind is starting to whip us about the ears, herding us back to the warm comfort of the Explorer.

Continuing we start losing elevation as we head towards Wupatki where we will see some very fine examples of pueblo structures. After a bit the Painted Desert can be seen way off in the distance, the panorama of colors visible hinting at the geologic wonders it holds for us in a future visit. The flora has now changed from those found in a Ponderosa Pine forest to Pinyon Pine-Juniper species. I notice a dirt road on my right as I speed by which seems to lead towards a nice looking cinder cone not too far off in the distance. I brake, pull a U-ey and take the spur road which is made of the cinders we have seen all about. Instead of dirt, the ground all around is composed of these dark, nearly black cinders and their crushed and decomposed remnants. We come to a good vantage point of the cinder cone so of course I stop and Tom and I take a series of shots.

Pulling out the laptop and firing up Streets Atlas USA I see that there are a series of roads, some of which can be taken the "scenic way" back towards the main road. Turning on the GPS I can see exactly which one of them we are on at present so I decide to do the right thing and take the path less trod and head east. Almost immediately we are startled by a large flock of Mountain Bluebirds which rises up, out of nowhere it seems, as we drive by. The startlers are now the startlees! The birds are a panoply of flashing blues as they flit about until settling into new locations in the bushes and grasses nearby - away from the disturbance. What a stunningly pretty sight it is! It's almost worth the drive today all by itself!

We continue on a totally washboard surface now, until I spy some lava blobs sitting on the side of a short hill on our right. Time to explore! We get out and walk up the very loose surface. It's hard going, but we are rewarded with a very nice view looking back towards the San Francisco Mtns. (Did you know that the mountains used to be a single volcano? I didn't) Scattered about one can see many cinder cones dotting the landscape, including of course, Sunset Crater. To the right we can just see the Painted Desert, a touch closer now. It's warmer, though not warm, so we descend from the mount after a short interlude of enjoying the scenery of fiery origin.

Hooking up with the main road we keep losing altitude and find ourselves at the boundary of Wupatki National Monument. I'm in a touristy mood so I get Tom to take my picture standing next to the entrance sign. The area is now desert scrub and grasses overlying the basaltic flows which formed the contours upon which I'm driving, the evidence of which is seen in the various outcroppings. Just ahead though the desert rocks meet up with the cinderscape, we are I suppose at the boundary of the Painted Desert (doesn't that name just conjure up a grand vision?), and here is where the first ruin of the day is visited, Wukoki Pueblo. Wukoki was built on top of an outcropping of Moenkopi sandstone from Moenkopi sandstones and siltstones. As such it is a dark orangey-red and it seems to loom up from a bed of surrounding black cinders. Originally 3 stories high, even in its reduced state of height it commands an imposing view of the surrounding countryside. It must have been a beacon for the countryside, looking even today, in its ruined state like a miniature castle. We take a quick tour in, on and around the ruins, contemplating on how it must have been hundreds of years ago when this was somebody's home.

Now we head for and arrive at the park headquarters where the Wupatki ruins are. These are the largest ruins in the area and they are impressive - a long row of rooms and chambers, some up to 3 stories tall, some intact, others barely recognizable. There is a ball court down the way and a big, communal meeting area. All structures are built from the nearby Moenkopi rocks and are mortared with local red-colored mud. The walls look to me like they are built of red-colored slate with matching grout. There are windows, doorways, built-in shelves, even a system to allow indoor fires to ventilate properly without a  chimney. It's really quite impressive. According to archaeologists this site was home for up to 125 people. Imagine!

After leaving the Wupatki (which by the way means "tall house") we head on back to Sedona, passing through Flagstaff again and winding our way back through the now darkened Oak Creek Canyon. Tom picks Italian for dinner so we dine at Spices Restaurant. I had a very tasty Minestrone soup and some delectable shrimp in a garlic, mushroom cream sauce over peas and bowtie pasta. Yummy! (Hey, don't freak. I never said I disliked Italian if you recall). A fine way to end a very fine, adventure-filled vacation!