Casa Grande Ruins

Saturday, November 19 we did a large loop of exploration.  We left Queen Valley traveling west on Hwy 60, then onto the 202 Loop and then I10 toward Casa Grande.  There is actually a town named that, but the ruins are located in Coolidge.  We had a fun ride, coming back through Florence to the Florence Junction with Hwy 60 at Marker 214.

The big house is four stories high and 60 feet square.  They refer to the "Hohokahm"[all-gone or all used up] who built it in their interpretive materials. It is made from native materials - Caliche (cuh-LEE-chee) which is a mixture of sand, clay and limestone.  It will soften when soaked in water and is then spread over itself, or frames.  For the big house they brought in juniper, fir and pine from over 60 miles away to form the ceiling or floors.  The Saguaro ribs are laid perpendicular across the beams and then covered with reeds and topped with caliche.


These people had an amazing irrigation system for their faming.  They understood about planting corn - which takes nitrogen from the soil with beans next to it.  Beans add nitrogen and then use the stalks to climb on.  Then squash was planted on the outside to retain moisture with their huge leaves.  These are called the "three sisters".

Cotton field waiting to harvest with bales in background

 These people grew and traded raw cotton, as well as products made from cotton to peoples as far away as Iowa and South America.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park

November 1, 2011 - We traveled toward Superior to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.  We now have an annual pass to all Arizona State Parks.  We only did about half of the area today, as it got way too hot.  Notice some unusual plants we found - among the thousands:

Flowering Agave - related to Yucca

FLowers on Cardon Grande from South America - like Saguaro

Dad called this Palm Agave because it sheds as it grows up

Boogum - looks like a tree