Jeep Ride in Canyon de Chelly - 9/28

I can honestly say that this was our worst day of the trip to date. OK, let me rethink that, it is our only bad day of the trip.

We hired a private jeep company to take us into the canyon, the trip took 7 hours and was really expensive. Understand, the only way to go into the canyon is by a Navajo guide. We saw many ruins, petroglyphs and pictographs. That was interesting enough; however, our guide left a little bit to be desired, it was so exhausting that Carolyn & I had words at the end of the trip. That has never happened in any of the many trips we've taken over the years. Not to worry, we've made up and hugged, we were just so darn exhausted and the guide was so trying.

Some of these ruins date back as far as 700AD or before.

I'm forever taking pictures of plants & flowers. These were on the canyon floor.

These are petroglyphs & pictographs ... some are as new as 1800's and some as old as 700AD.

White House Ruins - Canyon de Chelly - Navajo Reservation - AZ - 9/27

Today I walked down to the "White House" ruins. The hike was about 1.5 miles one way with a 600 foot elevation change. It wasn't bad at all. The views into the canyon were stunning. Almost as beautiful as Bryce, only in a different way. When you look at the pictures make sure to angle things so that the picture is as dark as possible. That would be the depth of the true color, really magnificent.

That's the trail down.

There were a couple of tunnels. One I had to go into in the dark for about 5 steps then you could see the other end. OK, I don't like tight places ... much less dark!

See the Indian spirit at the end of the tunnel? Well, OK it was a man coming out of the bright sun light.

The path also included spots where you were walking on pure rock cliff.

This was a cave at the bottom of the canyon. If you look at the picture that is more of a vista view from the top of the path at the beginning of the blog, you'll see this cave.

This was a sheer drop off the path. If you look carefully you'll see that this rock is worn and smoothed by water. I'm guessing that when it rains or in the spring when there is the snow run off, the water must rip through this area.

Hubbell Trading Post - Navajo Reservation - AZ - 9/27

What an interesting spot. John Lorenzo Hubbell established a Trading Post in the late 1890's. He built a wonderful relationship with the Navajo Indians. He was extremely respectful and honest. In 1902, he built a hacienda in the Mexican adobe style. What a place. The walls are two feet thick, there was a courtyard in the middle of the home. The home was really big which surprised me. It had tall ceilings and larger bedrooms than we have in most homes today.

This was our guide. She was a doll. Carolyn is standing by a chunk of really big Turquoise. Hubbell went on a trip and when he returned home, his daughters had put his Indian Basket collection on the ceiling. Some are nailed through the center. Do you have any idea what these baskets are worth? A LOT!! The guide told us that putting a basket upside down is against Navajo tradition. She also said, that when a basket falls off the ceiling, the Park Service requires them to put it back up.

This is a Hogan. It is NOT in the traditional Navajo style. Hogans are a spiritual place for men & women. This one below is in the shape that a women's Hogan would appear; however, the door must face due east. Hogans are not made in this fancy of fashion.

This is a man's hogan. It is made of sticks with door facing due east.

These flowers covering the hogan reminded me a Lilacs.

This is the inside of the Man's Hogan. That is a bench going all the way around the inside. In the center of the room was a big slab of sandstone which was used as a table.

This is the dinner bell.

This is the bread oven. The cook could bake 100 loafs of bread at one time. There was a large support staff working for Mr. Hubbell, there was even a dormitory.

This looked like a Paddy Wagon ... or maybe an animal trailer. I don't know why she's smiling so big ... she must not have known what I was thinking. Just kidding!!!

These were just old wagons that were used by the Hubbell staff.