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Camp Verde, Arizona (December 1974) Debra and I, on vacation in Phoenix, headed north to see the Grand Canyon. Just past Camp Verde, we spotted a sign for Montezuma Castle. “A castle in Arizona?” I said. “That sound’s interesting. Let’s go.” With a nod from Debra, I exited the highway and followed the signs to the visitor center. There, we learned that Montezuma Castle wasn’t a real castle, but instead an ancient cliff dwelling. I’m a sucker for ruins from past civilizations, so we pressed on.
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We followed a short trail along a creek and through a grove of trees to reach Montezuma Castle.
This five-story dwelling, with 20 rooms, was constructed high on a 150-foot limestone cliff – hard for enemies to penetrate and easy to defend. It was built and used by the Sinagua people in the 12th to early 15th centuries. In the 19th century, people mistakenly thought it was once occupied by the Aztec emperor Montezuma – thus its name. Montezuma Castle was declared a U.S. National Monument in 1906.
As we gazed up at Montezuma Castle, we were fascinated by the engineering skill and ingenuity of the Sinaguas. It was spectacular!
This five-story dwelling, with 20 rooms, was constructed high on a 150-foot limestone cliff – hard for enemies to penetrate and easy to defend. It was built and used by the Sinagua people in the 12th to early 15th centuries. In the 19th century, people mistakenly thought it was once occupied by the Aztec emperor Montezuma – thus its name. Montezuma Castle was declared a U.S. National Monument in 1906.
As we gazed up at Montezuma Castle, we were fascinated by the engineering skill and ingenuity of the Sinaguas. It was spectacular!