high desert mesas

We’re in Flagstaff tonight. Elevation, 7,000+ feet. Founded in 1876. Settlers flew a US flag from a towering pine tree to celebrate the US Centenial. Thus the town's name.
We left Grand Canyon this morning and started out across the desert toward the Meteorite Crater. We never made it. We were too distracted by the scenery and the Navajo ladies selling crafts beside the road. Around every turn we had our breath taken away and when we reached the Wupatki National Monument about 30 miles north of Flagstaff, we opted to for a volcano crater over a meteorite crater. I can’t imagine that we made a mistake. We spent all afternoon wandering through the Wupatki area viewing lava flows, volcano craters, breathtaking vistas of the Painted Desert, and 900 year-old ruins of pueblo and box canyon dwellings. We were in awe.
After dark, we made our way to Flagstaff, found a bed and a meal. We did our ceremony tonight, and are preparing for the trek back to Phoenix and then home tomorrow.
So I know that journal style blogs are boring, but the good stuff is coming. Probably. Who knows. I always begin to process in retrospect. We have had a ton of fun. Will is so much fun. I even made him laugh a couple times. Honestly. Twice.
So I’m turning in. The sheets are calling my aching muscles.

I’ve uploaded a few of today’s pics. They’re residing with yesterdays in chronological order.
Here they are.