GILA NATIONAL FOREST

We are up in the Gila National Forest/Wilderness area, at a small campground near Lake Roberts. Yesterday we visited the Gila Cliff Dwellings, which is a fascinating National Monument that has preserved a unique look into the past. Here, in the late 1200's, native people built walls to enclose the huge caves found in the cliff-side. It's like a small neighborhood (although much is gone of the original structures, and the artifacts were mostly looted before it was a protected site.) and the trail to get there was steep, but very pretty. Photos to follow! Right now, we are in Pinos Altos - an old mining town - where we drove to get a phone and an internet signal (we had to drive over an hour from our campground!). We may be in this area (without internet or phone) for several more days, but who ever knows? Sometimes it's fun being like the wind, blowing in and out of places the way we do!