Mary Lynn and I finally had a chance to take the Harley out and go riding. I was supposed to play water volleyball and MLA was supposed to go to a lapidary class however, it was such an incredibly beautiful day we decided to go riding instead.The other evening we met Larry & Shirley from Spokane, Washington, who also ride. So we located their RV site and asked if they wanted to 'come out & play".
Thirty minutes later we were headed east towards the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. These the local community of Casa Grande takes its name from these ruins.
For over 1000 years the Hohokam thrived in this hot arid climate by building a complex series of irrigation canals. At one point the had over 110,000 acres under irrigation in the southern Arizona territory and raised 11 different crops including, corn, several varieties of beans, gourds, agave (source of fibers, food and, at least in modern times - tequila), etc.
In addition to the canal system they built multiple compounds that housed various community functions. The specific ruin that were named Casa Grande by archaeologists during the 1800's is a building over four stories tall and 60 feet to a side. The people living here were sophisticated enough to create an opening in the buildings wall through which the setting sun was visible on the longest day of the year, the summer solstice.
They were even able to calculate and create an opening that captured the winter solstice, which according to the ranger giving today's talk, only happens once every 17 years. Clearly these folks were great observers of the earth cycles and the heavens above.
Huge trading networks crisscrossed this the area from modern day California to Texas and deep into Mexico.
In any case, it was a great day for riding the Harley and exploring some of the local area's history.
See Ya!
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