{"id":2592,"date":"2019-12-09T02:22:05","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T10:22:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mackenziesontheroad.com\/?p=2592"},"modified":"2019-11-10T16:57:59","modified_gmt":"2019-11-11T00:57:59","slug":"swooping-back-north","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mackenziesontheroad.com\/index.php\/2019\/12\/09\/swooping-back-north\/","title":{"rendered":"Swooping Back North"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The southwest is filled with ancient ruins of the Ancestral Puebloans (formerly called Anasazi). The remains date back hundreds if not thousands of years and are being careful restored, maintained or cared for by the government and\/or Native American peoples. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weather gave us a window of opportunity to swing east and north to visit many of these sites around the Four Corners Region. (No snow chasing us at the moment, balmy 60\u2019s during the day and 20\u2019s at night\u2026we can do that.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first area we encountered was a small, off the beaten path, place called Navajo National Monument near Kayenta, Arizona. Knowing nothing about this site, we debated detouring the 10 miles to visit. Once again we decided why not, we were very glad we did. We absolutely love these smaller parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The site gave us our first glimpse of amazing structures built almost a thousand years ago. They were permanently occupied from around 1250 to 1300 AD at which time the Ancestral Puebloans departed for the south and west leaving sealed rooms filled with corn. Why did they leave? Were they planning to return?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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