Our 17th anniversary adventure through Arizona brought us to Montezuma Castle National Monument on a cool, crisp March afternoon. The comfortable weather made for a relaxing visit as Chris, Lisa, and Kellisa explored one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in the Southwest.
Our 17th wedding anniversary took us to
one of the most beautiful landscapes in the American Southwest—Sedona, Arizona. We expected sunshine and
warm desert temperatures, but instead found crisp air and surprisingly cold
conditions. Even bundled up in jackets, the cool weather couldn't diminish the
incredible scenery surrounding us. Every direction revealed towering crimson
cliffs, sculpted buttes, and massive sandstone formations glowing against
brilliant blue skies.
There are some adventures you remember
not because the weather was perfect, but because you refused to let the weather
keep you from experiencing something extraordinary. Our visit to the Lava
Flow Trail at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in March 2006
was exactly that kind of day.
At nearly 7,000 feet above sea
level, winter still had a firm grip on northern Arizona. Bitter cold winds
swept across the volcanic landscape while patches of snow blanketed the lava
fields and the surrounding ponderosa pine forest. The nearby San Francisco
Peaks rose in the distance, their snow-covered summits creating a stunning
backdrop against the dark volcanic cinders that surrounded us.
