Joyous. When chasing wintertime sun and heat, you head south. This was exactly what I was doing when I decided to take a side trip to Montezuma Castle National Monument as I drove south from Zion National Park (where I had spent the night tent camping with temperatures around 10 degrees). I had been cruising along pretty well on the interstate south of Flagstaff when I noticed signs for Montezuma Castle. Being me, I couldn't pass up a visit to a national parks unit so close to my route, so Hoodoo and I got off the interstate to make a stop. We weren't disappointed! While I always enjoy seeing Pueblo ruins, especially those built into alcoves like the one above, this little national monument gets extra points because I could bring Hoodoo on the short paved loop trail to the views!
Bringing a pet on national park/monument trails is almost unheard of, due to a number of factors including resource preservation, wildlife safety, public safety, and the pet's own safety. There are a few units where pets are allowed (looking at you, Great Sand Dunes!) but for the most part pets are restricted to the roads, parking lots, and established campgrounds of most parks. When I checked in at the visitor center I asked the rangers if pets were allowed. When they confirmed, I got probably a little too excited and told them about Hoodoo. Well, who doesn't love an adventure cat? The ladies at Montezuma Castle certainly did, and they came out to meet him. He was perfect, walking on his leash even in a group of other visitors as we made our collective way along the path. He paused to sniff everything (I swear he's more like a dog than a cat!) and took his time wandering down the trail, but we weren't in a hurry. The sun felt great, it was warm enough for only a light jacket, and we were close enough to our destination near Tucson that I didn't feel the need to rush. And the ruins of Montezuma Castle? Icing on the cake of a gorgeous walk.
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