Category Archives: United States

Tuzigoot National Monument

Arizona, Blog, International Travel, Uncategorized, United States, , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Tuzigoot is one of those places I’ve always see the signs for but never actually visited. During our Pueblos-of-Arizona road trip, though, Ben and I finally stopped to see it! This reconstructed ancient dwelling is located between Cottonwood and Jerome in central Arizona. It’s a great place to go if you want to see what pueblos actually looked like once-upon-a-time.

 

 

Ben and I invested in a National Parks Annual Pass, which is $80 and gives up to four adults and unlimited children admission into any United States National Park for a year. This includes national monuments, so we invited my parents to come with us and witness this awesome bit of history!

 

 

What to Expect 

Tuzigoot National Monument is the site of a large ancient pueblo that is thought to have housed the Sinagua people about 800 to 600 years ago. the pueblo is pretty big- it has over a hundred rooms!

 

 

The main room has been reconstructed so that visitors can actually walk inside and onto the roof. It’s obviously not exactly like the original, since it has stairs and a concrete floor. But it’s about as close as you can get and still be up to code! While we there, the large room was infested with flying ants. I hate ants with a deadly passion, but it didn’t stop me from going inside anyway!

 

 

My dad gave us an interesting history lesson while we were there. He works for Freeport-McMoRan, the mining company that was formerly Phelps Dodge. Phelps Dodge owns the land surrounding Tuzigoot and used to own the site as well, but they donated it to Yavapai County so that the site could be excavated and serve as a center of history and education.

 

 

Tuzigoot has an awesome visitor center attached where you can enjoy the (hallelujah) air conditioning. There is a museum here, and it hosts demonstrations once a month. You can also buy Native art and baskets here, if you like.

 

 

When to Go

The best time to go to Tuzigoot is in the spring or fall, when the weather is nicest. The summer wasn’t bad, but be prepared for a warm experience!

 

 

If you can, try to go on the third Saturday morning if the month. They do demonstrations from 10:00 to noon at the visitor’s center! When we went, we saw a demonstration on ancient weaving and dying techniques, which was pretty cool. Arrowheads and shoes are up for August and September of 2017.

 

 

How to Get There

If you’re coming from Phoenix, take the I-17 north to Camp Verde. Here, you’ll turn onto the 260 toward Cottonwood and Clarkdale. When the 260 turns into Main Street, continue on this road. Main Street becomes Broadway, and soon you’ll see the turn-off to Tuzigoot on your right.

 

 

Good Things to Know

  • The fee for the park is $10 if you don’t have a National Parks Pass. This fee also covers your visit to Montezuma Castle, should you choose to visit both in the same day.
  • You can get a National Parks Pass online or at one of many offices around the country.
  • Dogs are permitted as long as they are on leashes.
  • Go to Hog Wild Barbecue for lunch. This is not a sponsored link. It is a delicious place that my parents took us to after our trip to Tuzigoot!

 

 

More Pueblos to Visit

Montezuma Well

Montezuma Castle

Agua Fria National Monument

Palatki

Elden Pueblo

Wupatki National Park

The Ruins of Pueblo La Plata in Agua Fria

Arizona, Blog, International Travel, Nature, Uncategorized, United States, , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Do you ever wonder what it was like to live in prehistoric times? I wonder this all the time. We have so much information on how the ancient Romans lived, but there’s so little verifiable evidence about the life and times of the ancient Native tribes in the American Southwest. We do, however, have the remains of many of their homes! Agua Fria National Monument in Arizona alone contains about 500 of them, including Pueblo La Plata. Here’s a little bit about my excursion here and how to find it!

 

Pueblo La Plata

Although there are a ton of ruins in Agua Fria Monument, there’s one in particular that’s pretty well known and has a maintained trail. Pueblo La Plata is a great destination for your trip to Agua Fria National Park, especially if you don’t have the time or ability to take a longer trek into the hills to search out other ruins.

 

 

Although Pueblo La Plata is the easiest pueblo to reach, it’s still pretty far into the park. It took Ben and I about 40 minutes to drive from the park entrance to the end of the road. We actually didn’t quite get to the end of the road, because it’s a pretty rough road and we weren’t in a jeep or anything. That was OK, because it was a beautiful morning for walking around outside!

 

 

Once we walked about ten minutes, we got to the parking area. There was a path from the parking lot to the pueblo that took about five minutes. Once we arrived, we saw the heaps of stones and outlines of walls that had housed generations for perhaps hundreds of years. Visitors have found shards of pottery and left them on flat stones for the rest of us to see. Like in all archaeological sites, removing objects is not allowed. Thank goodness these things are protected for everyone to enjoy!

 

 

Standing by the walls, we looked out over the hills and canyons. How incredible it must have been to wake up every day to this view! The desert is so beautiful, with so many colors. The red dirt and greenery of the prairie is split suddenly by jagged black canyons, and in the distance the purple mountains meld into the blue of the sky. It’s so remote, and ruggedly stunning.

 

How to Get to Pueblo La Plata

Pueblo La Plata is located in Agua Fria National Monument. This national park area is located between Phoenix and Camp Verde, just south of the Sunset Point Lookout by the Bradshaw Mountains.

 

 

Turn off the I-17 onto Bloody Basin Road going east. You’ll see the sign for Agua Fria National Monument. Head down the dirt road. You’ll cross a stream (it might be dry), pass a restroom (which reminds me of descriptions I’ve read of Soviet prison cells– use at your own risk), and head uphill. Follow the signs to Pueblo La Plata. Eventually, you’ll see a sign directing you to turn left. Continue on this road until your car can’t make it anymore and then walk the rest of the way. Eventually, you’ll get to the path leading to the ruins.

 

 

More Awesome Pueblo Sites

There are a lot of great pueblo sites not far from Agua Fria National Monument! Look for Montezuma Well, Montezuma Castle, Tuzigoot, and Palatki.

I visited several sites on a ruins road trip last weekend, and I’ll be posting a new one every day this week! Subscribe or follow me on Facebook to get notified about each new post.

Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona

Arizona, Blog, International Travel, Nature, United States, , , , , , ,

 

Sedona is one of Arizona’s most intriguing and beautiful locations. You’ve never experienced the magic of Arizona if you’ve been here! This town is built in a geological wonderland, where breathtaking red rock formations rise from the valley floor to create mystical shapes that inspire hikers and painters alike. Ben and I decided to take Kito here and experience some of the things we hadn’t visited before.

 

 

Although Sedona has become famous as a place where New Age mystics come to seek out vortexes, its most recognizable structure is actually Christian. The Chapel of the Holy Cross was built to honor the God whose hands carved these mysterious mountains. On Sundays it is a place of worship, and during the rest of the week it is a popular destination for people of all belief systems.

 

 

The Chapel of the Holy Cross is built right into the a red rock formation in the heart of Sedona. Although I can’t really see the likeness, the church was inspired by the Empire State Building around the time of its construction. The chapel was finished in the 1950s, and since then it has served as a Catholic place of worship.

 

 

 

The chapel is pretty far out off the I-17, but many people stream into its parking lot every day. I have to admit that we were a bit surprised at how busy it was. I guess when it’s too hot to hike, there isn’t much else to do in Sedona. Besides, the Chapel of the Holy Cross is simply stunning!

We walked up the ramp to the chapel and found ourselves gazing out over the beautiful red-rock landscape. Wow! There are few places in the world quite like this.

 

 

Since Kito couldn’t go into the church, Ben and I took turns sitting inside the chapel. There is a huge window that looks out over Sedona, and I’m pretty sure it’s the best view for a hundred miles around. If it had been quieter in there, that chapel would have been a wonderful place to sit and pray in silence. I was a little bit disappointed that the chapel’s popularity has turned it into such a tourist attraction that it’s pretty much impossible to engage in private worship. Maybe it’s different at other times of the day or when it’s not tourist season.

Even though I didn’t find the atmosphere of the Chapel of the Holy Cross to be conducive to devotional activities while I was there, it was well worth the trip! There’s a lot to love about it: the architecture, the view, the town, and so much more. It’s a great stop for any trip to Sedona. Even just half an hour at the chapel was a wonderful Arizona experience.

 

 

Half an hour was as long as we stayed, although you might want to stay longer. It was pretty warm outside and Kito wasn’t enjoying the crowds, so we decided to drive on to Flagstaff. Kito loved the forest, since it was the first time she had seen one!

Stay tuned for more Arizona adventures! I haven’t been posting much since I’ve been busy doing a lot of things, but pretty soon the 3rd Culture Wife blog will be filled with plenty of new posts on interesting things to see in the Western United States.

By the way, we are moving again soon! We still don’t know where, but I will keep you posted. Subscribe and follow on Facebook to stay connected! Until next time.

A Weekend in Lake Tahoe

Blog, California, International Travel, Nature, United States, , , , , , , , ,

 

There comes a time when you have to get out of the heat. And just in case you were wondering, it is HOT here in the Valley of the Sun. Like, your air conditioner is going to die hot. Fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk hot. I’ve seen both those things done in Phoenix this past week!

Obviously, we were extremely happy to escape the 117 degree heat and get somewhere cooler. My dad planned a weekend getaway to Lake Tahoe over Father’s Day, and he he invited Ben and I, my sister, and her friend to come!

 

 

The trip started out with the usual mad rush to the airport. Did you know that Phoenix Sky Harbor offers a bag check in the parking lot? We were eager to use this and skip the lines. However, we still had to wait behind a few people, and by the time we got to the kiosk, we were 30 seconds too late and the computer had shut down early bag checks for our flight. So up the escalator and to the bag check we went, dragging our suitcases and heavy backpacks behind us.

 

 

These are the times when we definitely wish we could get a parking spot at the airport without all the hassle. Sky Harbor actually has a pretty good parking system, and it’s still a pain.

There’s actually a parking lot service out there. It’s called ParkitUSA and it’s kind of like Expedia or Priceline, but for airport parking spaces instead of flights! You can see all your options online and then pick the best price. If you go online to ParkitUSA.com and book your parking with them, you can save time and money with daily parking starting around $2. They do it all–long term, short term, onsite, offsite, and discounted airport parking reservations. I haven’t actually used this service yet, but I can tell you it would make life a whole lot easier during that stressful pre-flight scramble.

Anyway, we did manage to survive the airport fiasco and still have time to grab a Starbucks in the process! We made it on our flight and were soon winging it over the dry expanse of mountainous Nevada desert.

 

 

I can’t even describe how wonderful it was to get to Reno and feel the cool air! Of course, once we drove through Carson City to Tahoe South, it was even better.

 

 

We could see snow on the mountains. How long has it been since I’ve seen snow? Probably a good three or four years.

 

 

Fortunately for us desert rats, there was no snow on the ground. I’m not sure we could have handled the chill.

 

 

In case you’re looking for an escape from the heat this summer, Tahoe is a pretty great choice. Sometimes you just need to get out of town for a while and enjoy some time in the mountains! I’m counting the days until my next mountain adventure.

 

This post contains sponsored links. 

Kito’s First Trip to the Forest

Arizona, Blog, International Travel, Nature, United States, , , , , , , , , ,

 

Kito has been more places in her first year and a half than most dogs see in their lifetime! Although she didn’t love the plane ride that brought her to the United States, she has been enjoying her new surroundings. The desert life has been pretty exciting for her, but she absolutely loved her first trip to the woods!

 

 

Ben took his big Step 1 test, which is the first medical licensing exam that future doctors must take, on the day before our third anniversary. Of course, we had plenty to celebrate on June 7, when his test was done and we had been married for three whole years!

 

By the way– if you want to see our second anniversary adventure in Sint Maarten, read this post. 

 

 

We decided to take a road trip to northern Arizona, where it’s nice and cool. As we drove, we could watch the temperature gauge in our car drop from 101 to 81 degrees. What a difference 20 degrees makes!

 

 

We stopped near Munds Park, which is just outside of Flagstaff, and took a dirt road into the woods.

 

 

Kito was so happy to get off leash and have space to run. She doesn’t go too far away from us, which is good– we did see a coyote while we were walking. Of course, it took off in the other direction as soon as we caught sight of it.

 

 

We also saw a herd of elk. We tried to track them, but that’s pretty hard to do with a dog who wants to play fetch the entire way.

 

 

Hopefully this is the first of many road trips! Kito definitely enjoyed it as much as we did.

 

My New Favorite Travel Accessory! A Stick-On Phone Wallet

Arizona, Blog, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, United States, , , , , , , , ,

 

I found the perfect solution to bulky purses, wallets, and phone cases! Thank goodness, because I really needed this. It’s a phone wallet, and it sticks right onto the back of your phone! I really love this and am excited to tell you about it. I’ll give you hint as to why: it has to do with security, style, and butterflies.

 

 

Why do I need a phone case wallet?

 

Let’s start with my life in high school. If you knew me in high school or college, you will remember the gigantic tote bag from my teen days and the backbreaking pink backpack from college. I was the kid who had anything you needed. Once, someone asked for a rubber ducky and I had it. True story.

Once I graduated, I was done with all that bulk and weight. I became a bit of a minimalist, and bought a thin phone case with a wallet slit in the back. It was great– until last week, when I dropped the phone on asphalt and — SMACK! — gave it a nasty crack in the screen. The problem was the chintzy case! All because I had to have the wallet case.

Obviously, I need a more protective case. They don’t make many of those with wallets in the back. However, last week, I was introduced to the Pocket Wallet by Alban, an adhesive credit card sleeve! This is the best of both worlds, because I can stick it to the back of any phone case and it adds only about two millimeters of width. My husband, Ben, loves it, too! He stuck one in his favorite color to the back of his Otterbox.

 

 

Phone Pocket Wallet Features

Although the concept is pretty simple, there are many excellent aspects to the credit card sleeve. First of all, it is great at holding up to three cards. There’s virtually no way these things are going to slip out. I love this, because I can keep my driver’s license in here. I can just grab it and run if I need to drive somewhere, and I don’t have to lug around my purse. Look, ma, no hands!

 

 

Speaking of no hands, this credit card holder limits the need to grip your phone. So you can relax your hands while you’re texting or carrying around your phone. All you have to do is slip a couple fingers into the built-in strap, and you’re good to go! My mom decided to try out her new Pocket Wallet today on her run. Rather than stashing her phone in a lap belt, she slid the strap onto her fingers. Not only was it comfortable, it also allowed her to have better access to her music, GPS, and timer.

 

 

In addition to the convenient storage and finger strap, the Alban Pocket Wallet credit card holder also protects your identity. You can slide your credit cards in here with no worries, because the phone card pocket is lined with RFID blocking material. I can walk around knowing my identity is safe. After all, to quote the infamous Tim Hawkins parody, “I know ya’ll really wanna be me.”

By the way, check out the cool designs you can choose from. My favorite is the pink flower credit card holder designed by artist Vanessa Kiki Johanning. It is so pretty and stylish!

 

 

My Initial Impression

Today, Ben was taking the biggest test of his life (more on this later), so my mom and I had a girls’ day. We went to Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale, Arizona, and we brought along our phones with our new Alban credit card sleeves. Not only did we enjoy all the built-in features, but we discovered an unadvertised perk offered by the credit card sleeves! Apparently, the brightly-colored flower on the case designed by Vanessa Kiki Johanning also attracts butterflies!

 

 

There are 3,000 butterflies in the Butterfly Wonderland enclosure, but none of them were very interested in landing on us until we brought out the phone wallet designed by Vanessa Kiki Johanning. All those bright colors are apparently just as appealing to butterflies!

 

 

How You Can Get an Alban Phone Case Credit Card Sleeve

If you want a slim, affordable and stylish credit card pocket for your phone, you’re in luck! The Alban credit card protector sleeve is just a click away.

Pocket Wallets on the Alban Website: 

Guess what! We have a coupon, just for 3rd Culture Wife readers!

15% off! Enter code: 3RDCULTUREWIFE at checkout through end July 2017 with FREE SHIPPING. 1 coupon per email address for whole order.

Plain Colored Pocket Wallets: $14 (Reg $14.99) for a 2 pack
Pocket Wallets Designed by Vanessa Kiki Johanning: $18 (Reg $20.00) for a 2 pack

Website: AlbanGifts.com

Phone number: 1-888-438-0881

Pocket Wallets Designed by Vanessa Johanning: 

Price: $15- $20 for a 2-pack

Website: VanessaJohanning.com

Amazon: Rose Garden Wallet 

Pink Sunshine Wallet

 

These credit card phone pockets are a great buy. You can use them with virtually any phone case, and they are super convenient! Plus, they add a great pop of color to your look. Grab a two pack so you can share one with a friend! My whole family is loving them right now, and you can, too. This is the best must-have travel accessory I’ve found so far. Enjoy!

 

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