Tuzigoot, Montezuma Castle & Montezuma Well

Justin's parents came to stay with us in April, during their spring break. Justin had been wanting to see the Grand Canyon since we arrived in Arizona, and we figured the Thompsons would like to see it too, so JT planned out a trip up north. 

Thanks to a day-trip recommendation from Sunset magazine, we stopped in Cottonwood for some pizza at a joint the that came highly recommended. Unfortunately, the joint wasn't open for lunch, but thankfully we had landed on a cute strip of old Cottonwood, where the streets are lined with cute cafes and shops.  

Turns out there is a lot more than a closed-for-lunch pizza place near Cottonwood. It's also where you'll find the Tuzigoot National Monument, an ancient condominium-like village of 110 rooms built by the Sinagua people around 1000 A.D. 

Sinagua is a term given to this group of people with uncertain origins. It's not a Native American tribe, bit rather more of a mystery. Sinagua is a term coined by a scientist in the 1900s around the time they discovered some of the dwellings in the area, such as Tuzigoot. I believe Sinagua is of Spanish origin, meaning without water(?).

Tuzigoot from the bottom 

Tuzigoot from the side (plus the in-laws and my kiddo)

Tuzigoot from the top

A nest with eggs near Tuzigoot

Rolin was given a Junior Ranger badge while visiting Tuzigoot. I think qualification is based purely on cuteness.

"Hi, Lizard!'

Always trying to escape. 

PS -- the hillside town of Jerome is in the background. We stopped there with my parents two months earlier, not knowing this cool historical site was nearby.

After Tuzigoot, we went to see the famous rock dwelling called Montezuma Castle. As you can see in the pic below, it's a housing structure built completely into the side of a rock cliff. It is much more than what you see on the outside; there are many rooms and hallways that go deeper into the rock. Now, looking again, please note that we're standing at the base of the cliff...there are no stairs up to the dwelling, just a rock wall between the ground and dwelling base, about 150 ft. up. The historians and signs on site suggested the inhabitants used many ladders to climb.

This was again a dwelling place of the Sinagua people, utilized from around 1100 to 1425, when it was completely deserted.

We also stopped at a place called Montezuma Well (the coolest of all three places!) The funny thing about Montezuma Well is that the other two sites are packed with tourists, require a fee, have gift shops and rangers and the works. Montezuma Well has none of that, and it's free for everyone! (Note: We were able to get everywhere for free because Lee used his national parks perk card you get as a senior, but still...)

Lee was a champ and carted Rolin around most of the day. 

The well is about 11 miles from the castle. It's basically a giant sinkhole that's filled with fresh water, but no one, still to this day, knows where exactly the water comes from (obviously under ground, but one of the signs noted that many divers with equipment and cameras have tried to put cameras down a supposed source, but the cameras are shoved back out before they make much progress).

The Sinagua people built a few small dwellings in the rock wall around the hole, but nothing as grand as Tuzigoot or the castle.

Here's the well. The two arrows are pointing to two doorways into cliff-side dwellings.

Better shot of the doorways.

This dwelling was built near the water level of the well, down a couple sets of stairways. We weren't allowed inside, but you can see on the right of the pic that the dwelling area goes deep inside the wall (where is is much cooler). 

The heat was getting to me by late afternoon.

The neat thing about the well is that the water escapes through a natural tunnel in the side of the rock (limestone?) and out through a small opening in the back of a hill, which the Sinagua people discovered and made use of for irrigation by routing the water through a series of man-made canals. This is otherwise a desert, folks. There is not a lot of water around, so the well was very sacred, for drinking and irrigating.

This is the point where the water exits the well and heads outside the hill where it was then (and now) routed through canals for irrigation.

The canals have been reinforced as of late, but follow the original route the Sinagua made. This is at the bottom of the backside of the well (it sits on a hill). 

Making my way down one of the stairways to the water. If anyone is looking for a pregnant lady to jump in front of a nice scenery shot, I'm for hire until mid-July. 

Lately, according to our phones...

Here's a collection of randomness, based on photos from our phones:

Adventures in feeding a toddler

Helping daddy build a small garden box

Deciding daddy needed a hug while he worked

Helping to get the soil nice and hydrated

Some of my new gal pals threw me a surprise baby "sprinkle." It was a total surprise and so sweet of them!

Rolin and his teddy helped me make Justin's birthday pie

Rolin was mad at me for continuing to (as gently as possible) tell people I will inflict bodily harm upon them if they allow Rolin to get too near the edge at the Grand Canyon. Therefore, he was carried often.

Wearing onion goggles, teehee

Playing with Grammy and Grandpa Thompson at the park

We hung around

Hung around some more

And continued hanging when we got home

Discovering Play-Doh

Checking out the train park with Grandpa L.J

Keeping an eye on the youths at the park

Eating mom's ice cream

Eating dad's ice cream

Just a regular day:

Wearing mom's shoes, dragging Pete the Sheep around, stomping on trains, yelling, "Oh, no!" for no reason, sharing our drank with friends...just a regular day around here!

30-33 Weeks with B2T2

Down to 10 weeks to go by the time I snapped this shot. I remember when I received this dress, I tried it on and it was too big in places. Now it fits just about right. Goodness.

30 weeks

I'm still feeling pretty good. I definitely have more Braxton Hicks contractions this time. Some days more than others. My appetite ebbs and flows. I don't crave anything particular, other than food in general. I'm still more of a salty/savory foods fan vs. sweet, though if you told me there was a fun-size pack of M&Ms left in our HP (the "Harry Potter" closet under the stairs), I bet I could sniff it out in about eight seconds, devour it in about three seconds. Hey, they're small bags.

As for beverages, water. Just water, with lots of ice.

There are days when my ankles are much more swollen than others, but that depends on how much standing I do or how often we go outside. I'm very thankful our neighborhood has a community pool, and so is Rolin. He LOVES the pool. LOVES IT!

As I write this post, I'm currently 33 weeks pregnant. AH! People, that means just about 7 weeks to go. AH!

33 weeks. B2T2 is about 4.5 lbs, 19 in. (about the size of a honeydew)

There are days where I'm proud/embarrassed/impressed/ashamed/surprised by how much I eat. But the funny thing is I don't even realize I ate as much as I did until heartburn comes a'knockin' -- and it knocks hard. It knocks hardest as soon as I've settled into bed with the equivalent of about 78 pillows (it's my hips, guys, they hurt so bad). If B2T2 doesn't have much hair when he is born, I'm going to write strongly worded letters to all the old wives to ask they stop telling such crazy tales relating baby's hair to heartburn.

On a hormonal note, this week I've also become a bit emotional about Rolin not being my one and only. He's become so much more aware and vocal and smart and funny and he remembers things even I don't. He's also started to become a little more of a snuggler, which he definitely is not on a regular basis. It's like he knows he's down to the last few weeks of it just being Rolin, mom and dad. I have all the (from what I've gathered from others) normal mom fears: how will this work with two, will I love them both equally, am I going to turn into a screaming machine... I'm excited for two babies, but Rolin's world is going to be rocked. I guess, overall, I just hope he doesn't become a little shit (excuse me) and start hating mom and dad because we have another little one in the house. I don't think he will, but there is no knowing until we're in the thick of it.

He does "know" there is a baby brewing. He says hello to baby, pats my tummy, kisses my tummy...but it only lasts a few seconds before he pulls my shirt back down and says, "Bye, Baby!" He did, however, want B2T2 to watch TV with him the other day, so he pulled my shirt up so baby could see too:

Rolly and B2T2 watching TV.

I think the reason all these thoughts have been flooding my mind is because last week we toured the hospital where I'll deliver. I've also started washing newborn and 0-3 mo. clothes (and when I say wash, I mean wash, dry and throw into the crib in the baby's room...putting away will happen another day). Also, Rolly moved to a big boy bed almost two months ago (the transition went great!), so I've been slowly converting his old room back to a room for a newborn (read: Justin raised the crib back up).

Lastly, dear readers, other than getting "ready," wrapping up some work stuff and doing my best to tell myself that 109F isn't that hot, I have a goal of posting several more blog posts before baby comes...posts that will cover the last few months, including our trip to the Grand Canyon, Easter and our two-week trip to Washington and Oregon. Stay tuned!

More...wait for it...work pics

I've been trying to get ahead on work recipes and pics for the time I'll be out on maternity leave. Therefore, all I really have time to do, blogging-wise, is post work pictures. I'm including a must-make recipe this time...soooo good! If you'd like the recipe for something else listed below, let me know!

Zucchini Noodles with Marinara (in Nanny's raspberry bowl)

Kale & Orzo Salad with Strawberries, Feta and Pecans

The BEST Strawberry Shortcake with From-Scratch Biscuits 

Grilled Corn & Lime Salsa with Fish Tacos (recipe follows)

Grilled Corn & Lime Salsa

Roasting the corn makes all the difference in this dish; it brings out a flavor you can’t match any other way. Serve this with chips as a dip or use it as an additional topping for fish tacos or grilled salmon. Delicious! Makes about 5 cups.

Ingredients:

·         4 ears corn, shucked

·         About 2 Tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil, divided (ask me where you can order some)

·         Salt and pepper, to taste

·         1/4 cup diced shallot or onion

·         1 ½ cups diced tomatoes (about 2 to 3 medium tomatoes)

·         2 Tbsp minced jalapeno (include the seeds if you’re looking for a little heat)

·         3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

·         1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Directions: Preheat a grill over high.

Rub the ears of corn with about 1 tablespoon of the Persian lime oil, season with salt and pepper. Place the ears on the hot grill and cook, turning a quarter about every 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cover with foil for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together the shallot/onion, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, remaining 1 tablespoon Persian lime olive oil and lime juice. When cool enough to handle, slice the corn kernels from the cob. Stir the corn into the other ingredients and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Fish Tacos with Cabbage-Jalapeño Slaw

Taco recipe adapted from Food Network. Serves 4.

Fish:

·         1 pound mahi mahi, halibut or white seabass

·         1 lime, zested and juiced

·         1/2 tsp

·         2 cloves garlic, smashed

·         1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

·         Kosher salt

Slaw:

·         1/2 head green cabbage, shredded

·         1/2 cup shredded carrots

·         3 green onions, sliced thinly on the bias

·         1 jalapeño, minced, optional

·         1/4 to 1/2 cup white vinegar

·         2 Tbsp honey

·         1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil

·         Kosher salt

For serving:

·         8 flour or corn tortillas

·         1 avocado, halved, pitted and flesh sliced

·         Grilled Corn & Lime Salsa (recipe above)

Fish: Cut the fish into strips. Combine the fish with the lime zest and juice, paprika, garlic, oil and salt, to taste, in a medium bowl. Let sit at least 20 minutes. This can be done a day ahead, covered and refrigerated.

Cabbage: Combine the cabbage, carrots, green onions, and jalapeño, if using, in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, honey and oil. Add to the cabbage mixture and toss until well dressed. Season with salt, to taste. If using within a couple of hours let it sit at room temperature, if making this ahead, refrigerate until ready to use.

To cook and assemble: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap the tortillas in foil.

Put the fish strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Put the fish and tortillas in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

While the fish is in the oven, taste the cabbage for seasoning and adjust, if needed.

Remove the fish and tortillas from the oven. Put some fish in the center of a tortilla, top with a couple of avocado slices and finish with some of the cabbage slaw and a bit of the grilled corn & lime salsa. Repeat with remaining ingredients and serve.

More work pictures

Here are a few of my recent photos for work. Every two weeks or so we feature another local, fresh ingredient or something made by a local vendor, and I get to experiment with the recipes, test them and take pictures. If you're interested in any of the recipes, infused oils or balsamics, let me know!

Honey BBQ Chicken Wings

Swiss Chard Rolls Stuffed with Brown Rice, Herbs & Bell Peppers 

Hash Brown & Zucchini Nests with Baked Pastured Eggs, Prosciutto & Chives

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Poached Eggs & Walnuts

Broccolini with Honey-Ginger Vinaigrette

All-Choked-Up Pizza with Feta & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Pan-Roasted Baby Artichokes with Garlic & Meyer-Lemon Olive Oil

Herb-Stuffed Artichokes with Lemon & Tarragon Olive Oil

Steamed Artichokes with a Trio of Dipping Sauces

Spice-Roasted Organic Cauliflower Salad with California Medjool Dates and Lentils

Winter Salad with Seedless Satsuma Mandarins and Pomegranates

Roasted Organic Rainbow Carrots & Winter Vegetable Medley with Wild Mushroom and Sage Olive Oil