On a recent morning when the rest of the country was preparing to watch the big football game, I was heading east toward Globe in search of ruins. I had made reservations for the Upper Cliff Dwelling tour at Tonto National Monument. A two-hour drive leads to the park, about 25 miles outside of Globe (though GPS thought it was 17 miles). The ranger and other tourgoers were nice enough to wait for late arrivals. Ranger Jen Harper suggested using the restrooms first and meeting up with the rest of the group along the trail. That was excellent advice given that the tour lasted more than three hours and involved a 3-mile hike.
The ranger stopped often to tell us stories and show us plants we could use to make a salad if we had lived in the area at the time it was inhabited by these tribes. At one point we went off the trail so she could show us a vertical sedimentary rock that had fallen from a nearby mountainside.
We learned that what look like windows are actually doorways.
Inside the cave is a cistern. There is also a small hole where food was likely stored.
Tools used to grind corn were left behind in this room. |
And finally we took one last glance at Roosevelt Lake.

Marette Flora is the founder of Floradise blog and personalized gift shop. Marette is a passionate storyteller and creator. She attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication.
She is passionate about creating helpful and meaningful things.