Ancient High-Rise

Hello friends and family!! Apologies for the gap in postings – between the holidays, Jason and I both coming down with colds, and the arrival of grandbaby #6, we’ve been a bit distracted.

That being said – boy do we have stuff to share with you! We have moved on from Southern New Mexico to Southern Arizona. I was always a little baffled by the appeal of Arizona to “snowbirds”. Guess what? I TOTALLY get it now!! We booked a nine-day stay at the Picacho, Arizona KOA. Ummm….we are still here after more than a month lol! This site is beautiful with tons to do, the owners and staff are amazingly friendly, and we are averaging around 70 degrees during the day. Yup, we have kind of “snuggled into” this space. 😊

For this post, I’m going to share our visit to the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. The monument area actually encompasses 472 acres; however, the main attraction is the preserved structures found within a ~1 acre walled compound. These structures were built in the early 13th century by the ancient Sonoran Desert people. Interestingly, although not as clearly visible at the Ruins, evidence exists that demonstrates these same “architects” also built a very large irrigation system – necessary for their agricultural efforts.

The largest structure in the compound is the Casa Grande (big house). Outer rooms/walls are three-stories high and the inner rooms are an amazing four-stories tall. Studiers of Casa Grande believe the few small windows built into the structure align with astronomical dates of importance. With limited tools and materials, the fact that this structure has withstood extreme weather for hundreds of years is truly remarkable.

In 1903 a roof was constructed over the structure to further protect it from the elements. A steel roof replaced the original in 1932 – and is the roof remaining today.

An unexpected but pleasant addition to the preservation efforts made at the Ruins is the presence of the Great Horned Owl – who took up residence in the roof many years ago. They tend to hide away high up in the rafters but if you’re patient, you can catch a glimpse.

Visitors are not allowed within the building – a practice created after years of graffiti and desecration had taken a toll on this important ancient relic.

Walking around the compound, one is struck by the subdued energy that emanates. Meandering through the peacefulness, it is extraordinary to consider ancient humans creating a thriving community from extremely limited resources - especially compared to our current "instant gratification" world. I could almost hear children laughing and playing while the adults went about their harvesting duties. We humans are amazing in so many ways.