Rustic Real Estate 3/2/18

This morning I got a good 3 miles in out to the pay station I was telling you about.  Tomorrow I'll try to get a picture of it.  I guess we are going to stay one more night so I will have to play with it again.  The weather is warming.  Up to mid 70's today and beautiful blue skies. 

After breakfast we took a ride over to the Tonto National Monument which consists of a visitor center (where they collect your entrance bucks -- we had none because we have that invaluable pass, remember?) and a fine example of cave dwellings.  Apparently these Native Americans, the Saldado tribe, built these fine apartment like dwellings and lived here from 1200 - 1400 AD.  No one knows why they skeedadled outta here.  Could have been that they were just tired of climbing the 350' into their homes everyday.  Probably looking for flatter digs.  No, I don't know, just guessing.

The name of the tribe was given to them because of the fact that the Salt River used to run right by this place.  Now it is damed up and it is a reservoir called Theodore Roosevelt Lake.  So it is hard to imagine what it was really like here before this "lake."  Apparently these Native Americans were pretty good craftsmen at building stone walls but their stuff was workmanlike and not nearly as pretty as the Anasazi's.

In the late 1880's this place was discovered and in 1903, Theodore Roosevelt made it a National Monument.  Lots of bad stuff happened over the years but relatively recently the Park Service has taken steps to restore and protect what is there.  Here are some pictures for you!!

Roosevelt Lake from the walk to the cave dwellings


Nice apartment in the cave

Russ is checking the place out for safety


Hopefully you can see where this little apartment house tucked into the side of the hill.  This photo was taken from the visitor center so it is a bit far off.


Have a great night everyone -- Friday!!  Shot night!!




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