Day 3

Ranch Sonora RV Resort Florence, Arizona

For the last two nights we have heard the coyotes howling in the middle of the night.  We saw this one this morning on the road to Casa Grande.

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument preserves the ancient ruins of the Ancestral People of the Sonoran Desert.

We watched the video which was well done and helped to give the site context.  We were very fortunate to be able to take a tour with Dick Fox, a volunteer at the park.  He was fun and knowledgeable!  He clearly enjoys what he does!

This structure was 4 stories high.  It was fashioned out of mud or a primitive form of concrete.  It took 3,000 tons of “caliche” to form the walls.  There were no tools with the exception of stones and wooden digging bars.  The walls were layered and allowed to dry before additional layers were added.  The walls were reinforced with wooden beams of juniper, fir, and pine.   The wood was hand carried or floated down the river from 60 miles away to this site.  Casa Grande was built around AD 1350.  The walls each face the four compass points.  There is a circular hole in the upper west wall that aligns directly with the setting sun at summer solstice.  There is a hole directly in the center of the west wall that receives the prevailing western winds to cool and ventilate the building.  There is a hole on the upper right-hand corner that aligns with the great moon…the position of the moon when it is closest to the earth.  This occurs every 18.6 years…but these people were able to ascertain the correct placement of the aperture.

We often think of ancient people as being primitive.  This society established a system of canals that diverted water from the Gila River.  This enabled them to irrigate crops so that farming yields were increased and reliable.

This site is considered sacred to the Ancestors of the Sonoran Desert People.  There are festivals and celebrations here.  There is a pair of great horned owls that nest in the old structure.  The native people consider the birds sacred also.

Remnants from breakfast?!?

We rode our bikes around the town of Coolidge.  There are a lot of empty buildings here but the town is clean and well cared for.  We stopped at Tags Café for omelets.

Tim got a haircut for $10.00 while I did some shopping. 

We stopped on the way back to the campground and took our bikes off the Jeep and cycled on some country farm roads.  It was flat, easy riding and even though it was almost 90 degrees, it was a nice day to be on bikes. 

There are 400,000 acres of cotton growing in this area.  It is time for harvest. 

Tim had just said that the mice probably like the cotton for their nests…look what I found…see the cotton stuffed into the hole?

We stopped to take pictures of the life of cotton…from blossom to cotton ball!

We grilled chicken quesadillas and pineapple and Tim watched Game 1 of the World Series.  Such a pleasant evening!!!