Casa Grande and White Tank Mountain

Move Day today.

Putzed around as usual and finally got on the road around 11. First stop is Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. This is a four story tall building and sixty feet long. It is the largest known structure of the HoHokum (learned this is a negative name for the people, they are now called the “Ancestral People of the Sonoran Desert”) This structure is part of what was a whole village. What is interesting about it is that the walls face the four cardinal points of the compass. A circular hole in the upper west wall aligns with the setting sun at summer soltice. Other holes in the building align with the sun and moon at specific times. Our own little Stonehenge. It was originally built around 1300 AD but there is not much left of it. In the 1930s, they built a fancy roof to help protect the ruins. 

 

What made this special in my eyes is that I could take Miko all around the ruins and also into the Visitor Center. This is unheard of in the National Park system. Yay, Casa Grande peeps!!!

Little Miko at the Casa Grande Ruins

We roamed around the ruins and then a tour started. Miko and I sat and listened attentively to the volunteer who had some insights into why this structure was here and it's importance. We then bugged out and headed on down the road when it came to actually tour the site again. The tour guide, while very knowledgeable tended to be a little long winded so we moved on.

We drove northward and had to drive on I-10 through Phoenix. I am really glad it was a sunday and there was “light” traffic seeing at how there were seven lanes through much of the way. I can only imagine how it is during rush hour.

Our destination: White Tank Mountain Regional Park. Phoenix has five regional parks which are booked up weeks in advance. I lucked out because a couple of days ago, I tried one more time to see if there were any openings in any of the parks and White Tank had some openings. My site is rather cool, not only do I have electricity and water, but looking out the back of the rig I have beautiful mountains and looking out through the front I can see the twinkling lights of Phoenix. Score!!! Again.

During our evening constitutional around the campground, I found out the people across the street from me are from Plymouth Minnesota. What is the deal? Is there anybody left back home? I have met more Minnesotans down here than I have back home. Strange.

Another perk here is the incredible sunsets.

View out my front door