Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki

We awoke Saturday morn from another restful night in a Walmart parking lot.  I went from never shopping at Walmart to becoming Walmarts #1 client.  We met Dave's cousin Karen and her long time boyfriend Ryan for breakfast.  We had a wonderful time catching up with them and hearing all the exciting things happening in their lives.  We then headed up hwy 89 to Sunset Crater Volcano National monument.  Our state park pass has really come in handy.  Sunset Volcano last erupted over 900 years ago, but the hardened lava flow still drapes itself down the mountain side like it just erupted.  It is quite a site to see. It looks like a black, solid rock river below a 1,000 foot high Cinder Cone Volcano.  We took a mile hike around the lava flow and the kids filled out their Jr. ranger booklets.  They really are learning a lot from the Jr. Ranger activities.  They now have 3 Jr. Ranger badges and patches.  After they complete each program the ranger quizzes them and than swears them in.  We left the volcano and drove 12 miles to the Wupatki ruins.  The puebloan people built these masonry pueblos in the early 1100s.  They are a great example of how early americans lived, worked and played.  The kids were most impressed by a natural blow hole.  This small 1' round opening in the ground shot out a cool wind 21 mph.  The wind was so compact that the kids could drop their shoe and it would float up in the air.  It is amazing how a small hole of wind can entertain 3 boys for hours.  The interesting thing about this blow hole is that half the time it sucks in the air and the other half it blows it out.  Pretty cool!  We are now parked at a campground in front of Meteor Crater outside of Winslow, Arizona (and yes when we get to Winslow we will stand on the corner "Standing on the corner of Winslow, Arizona..Eagles).  We miss you all!  Thanks for the comments, we really do love getting them!  The boys can't wait to see who posts.