April 5, 2013

Boondocking in Sedona, AZ

Palatki Heritage Site

When we arrived on Monday, we noticed a sign for the Palatki Heritage Site.  We did some research and discovered that it was only a couple of miles up the dirt road from where we are boondocking.  Palatki Heritage Site includes prehistoric rock art and ruins and is part of the USDA Forest Service. 

 

 

We called the number listed on the website after reading that reservations are recommended because only groups of 10 or less are allowed up to the ruins at one time.  When Monte called he was given a reservation for 12pm. 

I was in the middle of shaving my legs so I rushed to get ready as it was already 11:20 when he made the reservation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We drove the short distance to the Ranger Station.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We checked in with the volunteer manning the desk. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The work camping couple is from Oregon.  They were happy to give us information about work camping at Palatki.  Later on we spoke to the ranger in charge who asked us if we would be interested in camp hosting this summer.  We politely declined because we have only been on the road for a little over eight months and want to do some more traveling before considering making a work camping commitment for four months.  She jokingly asked if we would change our mind if she begged. 

While waiting for our turn to go up to the ruins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

we looked at some of the exhibits and artifacts. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hike up was short and considered easy but I still got a little winded as we climbed and was sorry I didn’t have my trekking poles with me. 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a volunteer guide at the site who gave a brief history and answered questions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ruins, built in the red rock cliffs, were home to the Sinagua, who are thought to be connected to the Hopi Indian Tribe.  Polatki means “red house” in the Hopi language.    The Sinagua took advantage of south-facing overhangs in the rock and it is believed they created the ruins from 1100 to 1400 but there are pictographs and petroglyphs that are much older.

 

The ruins can only be viewed from behind a roped off area because prior to the restriction tourists caused erosion and deformation to the area. 

 

 

 

 

  

Through photographs, taken in the early 1900s, it was shown that almost 90% of the original structures have been destroyed.  Early visitors dug up bones of the dead buried beneath the ruins to take home as souvenirs.

 

 

 

View from the ruins.

We heard voices approaching from below us and that was our cue that we should leave because there is only a small viewing area. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We made our way down the trail and followed the signs for the pictographs. 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 It was an easy hike up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were several people already there listening and watching as the volunteer guide used a laser pointer to point out and give an interpretation of the meaning of the pictographs.  This area had a much larger area for viewing so we took our time.    

 

  

 

 

 

 

Views from the pictographs.

 

 

 

 We stopped into the Ranger Station before leaving to give our name and telephone number on the slim to impossible chance that there is a Pumpkin sighting.

It was after 1pm by the time we pulled out of the parking lot at Palatiki so I entered “parks” into the GPS and saw there was one only a few miles away. 

15 minutes later we were sitting at a picnic pavilion at Posse Grounds Park. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ate lunch while enjoying a spectacular view. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a “Hippy” bus in the parking lot with several “Hippy” clad people inside.  I made the remark to Monte that we are not much different than them in that we are wondering around living on the road.  BUT doing it in a much more upscale way because as much as I love being in nature and natural settings, I also like my creature comforts.

 

After lunch we took a ride up 80-A along Oak Creek Canyon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I had originally thought we would be able to take this route to Flagstaff when we are ready to move on but it has too many switchbacks, curves and elevation gains.  So, although it will add a couple of hours of driving and many miles we will take the easier RT 260 to I-17.

 

 

When we had driven a few miles and were ready to turn around we took advantage of the entrance to Slide Rock State Park to do so.   The park gets its name from a slide rock that visitors may slide down a slick natural water chute. 

It was still early as we went through Uptown Sedona.  We saw an empty parking spot and grabbed it. 

 We walked up one end of the street and down the other looking in shops and taking pictures. 

We went into the fudge shop because it smelled so good.  But when I turned to ask Monte what he wanted, he replied that he didn’t want anything and had only come into the shop because he thought I wanted something.  I didn’t want anything either so we moved on. 

 

 

 

Of course, we had to stop in a market so Monte could buy a Mountain Dew. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we stopped to take a posed pictures of ourselves in the same spot we had taken a picture on our visit to Sedona in 2006. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

I was getting tired and was not looking to buy anything so we started back home.  We made one detour when we saw the sign for Upper Red Rock Loop Road. 

  

 It had been another great day exploring but our little buddy was never far from our thoughts.

As much as I know I shouldn’t still have hope that Pumpkin is alive and will return to us, I did have a glimmer of hope return when we pulled into the site-just for a second-that he would be sitting on the mat waiting for us. 

Pumpkin, we hope you are having a grand adventure.