Montezuma Castle

First stop this summer was a week-long training in Montezuma, New Mexico. Why Montezuma???? It is the home of a World College (International Baccalaureate), housed in the picturesque Montezuma Castle.
The Castle is a majestic structure, perched on top of the hill, overlooking a valley, currently home to the World College. It was once a hotel with a claim that a number of presidents and dignitaries slept there. It has been remodeled but they kept it basically true to the original structure. Well, let me clarify…the Hotel burned down a couple of times so it’s true to the last rendition of the famous hotel. They have wonderful spiral staircases, an ancient vault (so heavy it actually started sinking into the floor) and a fabulous veranda for attempting to catch the cooling breezes. The stained glass work is spectacular throughout the building.
You can hike up in the hills behind the castle, in fact you can stand on one of the original verandas…or what’s left of it. The weather was warm and pleasant – hiking was a great way to spend the afternoon especially after sitting all day long. The valley was a gorgeous green blanket of trees and grasses, though I imagine it dries out quite a bit once summer is around for a while.