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Montezuma Castle National Monument is about 51 miles south of Flagstaff on I-17. The castle is a well-preserved cliff dwelling built in the twelfth and thirteenth century. It is a 5-story structure built into a recess in a white stone cliff about 50 feet from the ground originally occupied by Sinagua Indians who farmed the surrounding land. A short self-guided trail takes you past the castle but it can only be viewed from the ground; tours inside the structures are not permitted.

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Camp Verde, elevation 3100 feet, and 86 miles north of Phoenix was my first stop. I was looking for Fort Verde Historic Park and the story behind the Forts existence. The building shown here is one of three structures that housed army troops after a call for help was issued. The local Yavapai Indian, Dilzhe'e Apache Indian and the American settlers could not get along. In 1875 the US Army was sent to stop attacks on the settlers. After several encounters the Indian eventually surrendered and an estimated 1500 Indian were marched 180 miles away to an encampment at San Carlos, 90 miles east of Phoenix. It was an unhealthy encounter where 25 years later only 200 of these people returned to their homeland in the Verde Valley.

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