After our visit to Sunset Crater National Monument, we traveled 20 miles to nearby the very impressive and historic WUPATKI NATIONAL MONUMENT. Within the park are four separate and distinct pueblos in different sections of this national land. We visited two of them today, the first being the WUKOKI PUEBLO, meaning ‘Big House,” was inhabited between 1,120AD and 1,210 AD by the HOPI PEOPLE. It is an impressive stand-alone, adobe, multi-story structure, which housed 2 to 3 families, high up on a rock, with visibility over the plains in all directions. The second adobe structure, the granddaddy of the park where the HOPI PEOPLE lived, and also the center of commerce for communities within a one day walk, was the WUPATKI PUEBLO. It served as a meeting, social hub, and trading location for 2,000 people from many different clans in the area. This area, as was Flagstaff, was a major north-south and east-west traveling and trading route. Built over 900 years ago, the structure included over 100 rooms, a multi-level tower, community room, ceremonial ball court, and more, with the community surrounded by absolutely gorgeous rock formations. What an incredible day of sites, experiences and history!!!!!
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