点评:A visit to Northern Arizona is most likely designed around one of the greatest pieces of American nature, the Grand Canyon. However, if you are staying for more than 48 hours, you are going to want to find something else to do and the region has much to offer from nature to activities to culture and history. If you are looking for cultural and Native American history, Wupatki NM is the place to visit.
While there are other native sites in the area including Walnut Canyon NM and even Tusayan Ruins in Grand Canyon NP, nowhere in the region are the pueblos as numerous and as large. Wupatki has multiple ruin sites within its National Monument boundary; however, the best and largest is the Wupatki site where the park has a Visitor's Center with museum, restrooms and gift shop. The location is also strategically perfect directly between Flagstaff and Page and just south of the eastern entrance to the Grand Canyon. It is really an easy visit from any of the three and a perfect stop when travelling between any of the two. It can easily be combined with Sunset Crater Volcanic NM next door and not far from Walnut Canyon NM. Additionally, if you have a National Parks "America the Beautiful" pass while visiting Grand Canyon, all of these National Monuments are also included and free with that pass. Otherwise, there is a nominal fee charged at the VC to see the main Wupatki site. The other good thing is after visiting Grand Canyon, all of these other National Monuments including Wupatki will seem empty.
I had visited Wupatki 5 years ago when I visited Grand Canyon, Flagstaff and Page, so this Spring when I brought 7 couples to Northern Arizona, I knew I had to bring them here. We visited as we travelled from Grand Canyon to Page after eating lunch in Cameron. We did not have enough time to see the other sites in Wupatki, but we did get a sign picture and a great tour of the main Wupatki site. After leaving the VC you walk across the plateau to your fist view of the ruins from above and a distance. This is the best view of the complete site and great for a group picture. We then walked down to the main ruin which has had to be stabilized since my last visit. Here you get a better understanding of this multiple room, multiple story pueblo. You then walk to see a second pueblo and eventually down to a court field used for regional games. For me it is the most impressive Native ruins outside of Mesa Verde I have seen anywhere in the US.
Northern Arizona is an amazing place to visit but you will need to do more than single stop. Again, the best native ruins in the area and a great side visit from any Northern Arizona base, the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff or Page, is Wupatki. Make a plan when travelling between destinations to stop here and you will be informed and entertained.
翻译:游览北亚利桑那州时,大多数行程都会以美国最壮观的自然奇观——大峡谷为核心。不过,如果您打算在此停留48小时以上,就会希望寻找其他可做的事情;这一地区在自然景观、各类活动以及文化和历史方面都大有可看之处。若想了解文化与美洲原住民的历史,那么乌帕特基国家纪念地绝对是不容错过的目的地。虽然该地区还有其他原住民遗址,比如核桃 Canyon国家纪念地,甚至大峡谷国家公园内的图萨扬遗址,但这一区域内没有任何地方的普韦布洛遗址能像这里这样既多又大。乌帕特基国家纪念地范围内有多处遗址;不过最值得一看且规模最大的就是乌帕特基遗址,公园在此处设有配备博物馆、洗手间和礼品店的游客中心。该地点的地理位置也堪称完美:它正好位于弗拉格斯塔夫和佩奇之间,且在大峡谷东侧入口的南面。从这三个地点中的任何一个出发都很容易抵达,在往返于其中任意两地的旅途中这里也是绝佳的停留点。这里还能轻松与隔壁的落日火山口国家纪念区相结合游览,距离核桃峡谷国家纪念区也不远。此外,如果您在游览大峡谷时持有国家公园“美丽美国”通行证,那么……所有这些国家纪念地也都在该通行证的覆盖范围内,可以免费进入。否则,要参观主要的Wupatki遗址则需要向游客中心支付少量费用。另一个好处是:游览完大峡谷后,包括Wupatki在内的所有其他国家纪念地都会显得空无一人。
5年前我游览大峡谷、弗拉格斯塔夫和佩奇时曾到过Wupatki。因此今年春天,当我带领7对夫妇前往亚利桑那州北部时,我知道一定要带他们来这里。我们在卡梅伦吃完午饭后,从大峡谷前往佩奇的途中顺道造访了此处。虽然时间不够充裕,未能参观乌帕特基的其他景点,但我们还是拍下了指示牌的照片,并很好地游览了乌帕特基的主要遗址。离开游客中心后,我们穿过高原,便从高处和远处首次看到了那些遗迹。这是俯瞰整个遗址的最佳视角,非常适合拍摄团体照。随后我们步行前往主要的遗址区,自从我上次来访后,那里似乎进行了加固处理。在这里,你可以更清楚地了解这座拥有多个房间、多层结构的印第安村落。随后你继续步行,参观另一座村落,最后来到一片用于举办地区性赛事的场地。对我而言,这是我在美国境内除梅萨维德国家公园外见过的最令人印象深刻的印第安遗址。
北亚利桑那州是个非常值得一游的地方,不过你需要安排不止一个游览点。这里拥有该地区最出色的印第安遗址,从北亚利桑那州的任何一处据点出发,比如大峡谷,都是一次很棒的周边游览选择。弗拉格斯塔夫或佩奇附近就是乌帕特基遗址。在规划各地行程时,不妨安排在此停留,您定会有所收获且乐在其中。