Before we left our ‘Posts on Payson’ – there had to be a few more FUN ones.

Not many days go by without us getting in a round of golf – so, the Payson golf course was bound to be our host at least one day while in the area.   We have played on courses laid down in the middle of corn fields, vineyards and cow pastures.  Not sure which one this qualifies as – but, it was quite – um – ‘interesting’!

This fairway could use a little TLC.

This little ‘intersection’ was also quite intriguing to us.  It IS a crosswalk for the elk (as the signs indicate) – BUT, it appears that the elk must press the button to get the “WALK” sign?!?!

Beware the Elk Crossing!

And, of course, there is E’s never ending search for the best dessert in town.  This one was pretty good;-)

A low cal tasty treat after dinner.

It was also discovered that there were a few more Prehistoric Community ruins in the area.  While these were not as ‘complete’ and overwhelming as some seen in the southern Utah and Flagstaff areas – they were still something to see.  This ‘Shoofly Village Ruin’ covers 4 acres and contains 80 rooms that were inhabited by as many as 250 people between 1000 and 1200 AD.  UofA archeology dept. has done excavation here to determine the information above and then recovered much of their excavated area in order to preserve the area (a common practice).

Shoofly Ruins in Payson, AZ.

Then it became time to move on to the next stop – Show Low, AZ.  G is really getting a dose of Arizona and learning about all the little corners of the state where E spent time in her early years.  One day was devoted to a sightseeing drive that included Sunrise ski area (where E skied in her VERY early ski days!), Greer, Eagar and Lyman Lake.

Not exactly Park City – but, it was something to ski in E’s 20’s

As we returned to Show Low, smoke started billowing up on the horizon and the RV park notified us that Show Low was on preliminary evacuation notice.  It seemed prudent for us to pack it up and move back north to avoid any last minute traffic jams when the actual evacuation notice was given.

Wildfire just south of Show Low – too close for comfort;-(

A couple of ‘free’ days allowed for the investigation of the Meteor Crater, Homol-ovi State Park and a little more Whimsey in Winslow.

Meteor Crater – the most significant meteorite impact site on earth created approximately 50,000 years ago when a meteor hurtling at approximately 26,000 miles per hour struck the plain with an explosive force greater than 20 million tons of TNT creating a crater nearly a mile across and more than 550 feet deep.  A BIG HOLE!

The Meteor Crater – way to commercialized for our tastes.

Far more interesting to us (as you can probably tell from all the postings so far) were the Homol-ovi ruins.  Around 1330 AD a group of people arrived from the Hopi Mesas (60 miles north) drawn by the lush flood plain of the Little Colorado River.  These people built a 1200 room village housing 750 to 1000 people!  Excavations revealed three large plazas, outdoor activity areas, living, working and storage areas and as many as 40 kivas!  This place was HUGE!  As we looked over the expanse of the development it was easy to imagine the life and work that took place here as the mass of people farmed the area to the west of the pueblo down to the river.

A few of the 1200 rooms

It was about lunch time – so, off to check out the La Posada Hotel – the finest hotel on Route 66 (back in the day)!  In 1927 the Santa Fe Railway and the Harvey family decided to build a major hotel in Winslow – the Arizona headquarters for the Santa Fe Railway.  They asked Mary Colter to design the hotel (she is famous for her buildings at the Grand Canyon).  At a cost of almost $2 million, it became THE place to stay in route from LA east.  Everybody stayed here – Howard Hughes, John Wayne, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Albert Einstein, etc.  AND – E & G ate lunch here!!

The La Posada Hotel in Winslow.

The fire in Show Low gave us the opportunity to spend some time in this area we would not have had otherwise.  While we are safe and sound, the fire we escaped is NOT being kind to the area south of Show Low – and at this writing that area is still on evacuation notice.

Keeping our fingers crossed for less wind and cooler weather to assist the fire fighters –

E & G safe near Flagstaff