Exceeded Expectations







Today we started out to visit Chiricahua National Monument located in southeast Arizona.  Based on the hour plus drive to get there it did not look like we would see anything that exciting. 

Boy were we surprised.  



The visitor center was built by the Conservation Corp in 1934. It sits at over 5000 feet high in a beautiful ponderosa pine forest.  You drive through a high desert and come around a curve to arrive at this lush forest. There is an amazing drive to the top of the mountain that allows you to see the reason why this area is protected -  “tuffs.”  These are geological phenomena created over 26 million years ago after a volcanic eruption in this area. These “tuff” structures make this destination a must see. 








There is a visitor exhibit at the top of mountain that explains what you are looking at in every direction. This is the land of the Apaches - Cochise snd Geronimo.  Where settlers were massacred for encroaching on Apache land. The vistas are amazing. From forest fire lookouts across the valley to the “face of Cochise” on a neighboring mountain.  Overall a great place to visit.  
The fire lookout


Cochise’s visage 



Even Ricky liked the cooler temperatures at altitude.  

Tomorrow we move to New Mexico.

Comments

  1. ErinJune 6, 2021 at 12:40 PM

    Tuffs so cool! Remind me a bit of Bryce Canyon although not formed same way.

    ReplyDelete

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