6/8 Aztec Ruins National Monument

No, no Aztecs have ever lived here or in the town of Aztec, but somehow these ruins got that name.  I needed to drive the 30 miles to town to get propane and groceries, so I figured this would be a good time to visit this place.  I tried to head out as early as I could because it has been horribly hot here--highs in the daytime of low 90s, which is very hot at least for me.  
With my senior pass, I get into all federal facilities free, which is nice. 

These ruins are really pretty impressive because of their size and the number of rooms. 

It is interesting to notice the stonework.  Some work is very fine with well-shaped stones and other areas is rougher.  And you can also tell where areas were walled up and other areas opened in ancient times.  

This kiva is the only building here which has been completely restored.  Many of the walls have had cement put on top to stabilize them, but this is the only building which has been completely rebuilt.  

Nice entrance, although I don't think the ancient people had steel grab railings.  

This is a reconstructed ceiling, but you will see some very similar original ceiling in some later photos. 

A few photos of the complex.  

This kiva has been patched up a bit, but is mostly original. 

Without the cement patching on the top of these walls, they would continue to fall apart.  

This was a series of rooms you could enter by bending down to get through the doors.  I managed to get through only one door because it was hard bending down.  The ancient people must have had better backs than I do. 

Some parts of the complex was three stories tall, as you can see from this photo. 

 This is an original ceiling. 

A collection of grinding stones. 

And another ceiling. 

This is the back wall of the complex. 

And just a couple of photos of the displays inside the museum.  There were a lot more, but I did not take photos. 

I spent a couple of hours here, but it was about 1:00 pm by the time I left and really getting hot, so I was glad to get in my motorhome and get the AC running!  Whew!