Natures Art Photography

Tonto National Monument

These are pictures of the Lower Cliff Dwellings. Visitors can tour the Upper Cliff Dwellings from November through April. Trips to the Upper Cliff Dwellings are guided tours only.

The Salado people built these beautiful two-story cliff dwellings which contained 29 rooms. The rooms were small yet accommodated 2-5 people in each. The Salado exchanged “cotton, pottery, and intricate weavings” along the Salt River trade route.

The hike from the visitor center to the Lower Cliff Dwelling is mild to moderate (4.5 out of 10 for difficulty). The path is paved to make the trek easier, but it is a steep climb. Fortunately, there are several stopping points for visitors to catch their breath! I saw kids as young as 7, and adults in their 70’s during my visit.

Little known Mount Rushmore Fact:

In 1885 New Your lawyer Charles Rushmore traveled to the Black Hills to inspect mining claims. When he asked his guide, William Challis, “What’s the name of the mountain?” Challis reportedly said, “It’s never had one…till now…we’ll call the damn thing Rushmore.”

Sources: https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/trip-ideas/story/75-surprising-facts-about-mount-rushmore

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/mount-rushmore-1

I love driving the back roads because gems like this old shack pop up all the time.

I like a good challenge and my wife recently said, "you should turn one of your Grand Canyon pictures into an Andy Warhol-type picture."

This album is dedicated to the world of night photography. It has been created with love for your enjoyment.