Monument Valley, the Navajo’s National Park for the Navajo Nation /  by Dave Hileman

We drove to Monument Valley from our campground at Navajo National Monument. It took about an hour and was itself a scenic treat. We had a jeep tour scheduled for 4:00 that afternoon so we spent some time exploring the hotel, grounds, overlooks and gift shop. No place to get a cup of coffee! Our tour driver, Elvis, a Navajo with 18 years of back country driving experience was a gem. We were able to see some amazing natural arches as well as toured an authentic hogan that is still used in traditional ways by Navajo that eschew all modern ways, living deep in the valley, drawing water from wells, no electricity or modern equipment other than cars and trucks. The kids get up at 4:30 to help with the animals before going to school 9 miles away and often walking the distance and always a portion of the trek. We also viewed many of the famous landmarks from films and commercials, like the totem and the mittens. Elvis also shared with us some of the customs of the Navajo, pointed out sacred spots and was invested in us getting good photos, even showing spots where others used a tree or rock to help frame a shot. We arrived back at the drop off 3.5 hours after we left just as the sun was setting. Cindy and I also enjoyed the Lam family who were with us on the tour, nice folks and meeting them made the tour even better.

Just a taste of the day.

The classic view

The Mittens - John Wayne stood in front of the left one in his first John Ford western in the valley, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”

The Navajo are open for business

National Park #339 - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area /  by Dave Hileman

My ambivalence about National Recreation Areas continues as we crossed into the Glen Canyon at Page, Arizona. There we wee able to take a short but somewhat treacherous hike to an overlook of the river and the dam. The VC was closed for renovations but we did stop in the lot for a closer look at the dam. It too was closed to all tours. The water level in the lake is very low. We drove a few miles of a byway with two overlooks. Because of the low water the path of the river was easy to follow. Pretty view points but that is all we did here. We hoped to take a boat to the Rainbow Bridge a National Park unit but the boats cannot get you near it so all trips are canceled. There is a 12 mile hike possible over Navajo land you can take, Cindy was all for the overnight in the desert but I like the comfort of the trailer. First Park of the trip we missed but it won’t be the last one.

National Park #338 - Navajo National Monument /  by Dave Hileman

We crossed the Navajo Reservation to a park that unlike Canyon de Chelly is totally under the National Park Service. It was atop a mountain with some pretty special scenery. The campground, Sunset View, was very nice and completely free. We had a miles long view from our site. The park including some hikes but not all were open because of snow and ice on the trail. We did get to the main portion of the park, a 1.3 mile walk into the canyon edge to view the extensive cliff dwellings below us at Betatakin Overlook. There are only a few days per year that the rangers do tours to the ruins and they are very popular and go quick when announced. They were not taking tours this time of year. We also managed a nice rim hike on Canyon View Trail and then got to a closed camp area and had a long walk back on a road.

Sunset from our trailer.

National Park #337 - Canyon de Chelly /  by Dave Hileman

Canyon de Chelly is a unique place in the National Park system because it is located on Navajo Reservation in Northeast Arizona. It is also different because it is mostly tribal land and it is still farmed in the valley by Navajo as they have for generations. The National Park service is a partner here but the only access you have today is the south or north rim drives and very short walks from a few of those overlooks. To enter the canyon you must hire a Navajo guide and, since many points are sacred to the Navajo tribe you must stay within the parameters of the tour with limited photography and out-of-the-jeep walks. We did not do this for two reasons, first we were committed to a tour in Monument Valley so we did not want a second expense and, two, because the river was high some of the jeeps were stuck or the tour shortened. We originally planned two nights here but in one afternoon and the next morning we were able to view all the points on the two drives we were allowed. The scenery in the canyon is exceptional and the farms we could see added interest to the landscape. We did camp in the local campground with no services for $20.

Can it be? Oh, Joy, another Bird Saturday. /  by Dave Hileman

This is a California Condor one of about 70 wild birds in the US. It is in Zion National Park and the bird was flying at least 1000 feet from me. Am I proud I got this shot. Yes.

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird. Slightly different than the Condor. The Condor has a 9.5 feet wing span the hummer is 3.25 inches at best.

“Who you looking at?”

No, no, no. Just because that steer tried to horn in on bird saturday is no excuse. You must exit up the rocks. Don’t be gruff, just hoof it.

National Park #336 - Hubble Trading Post National Historic Site /  by Dave Hileman

This visit did not start off well. We arrived at Hubble Trading Post about 12:15. There was a lot of red dust swirling about and the road was bumpy. That is ok, it is the west. Some of the parking lot is closed off to complete work on a new roof for the barn. Understandable so I had to improvise parking with the trailer. No problem. We first went to the VC and the sign said open. The locked door suggested otherwise. No issue we will go first to the authentic trading post from the late 1800’s. It was a cool building but one look at the prices and we knew they were not “trading” with us. Very small Navajo rugs started at $950. 6” high wooden dolls, single dimension but hand painted started at $89. So it did not take too long to finish the trading post. It was still a great experience to see this authentic building and there were interesting artifacts all about.

So back to the VC, nope not yet open. Back to the TP, “Is the VC open?” The reply was “I guess he is at lunch.” Well, ok, we can wait. Meanwhile I spot a Great Horned Owl in a tree on a nest. Things are looking up. literally. The ranger arrives and we go into the small museum. After a few questions that we ask and a few Ranger Burbank asked us, he said “This is the best National Park and I will show you why.” He told us to wait on the porch of the house that belonged to Mr. Hubble. We did. He arrived with a couple other folks and it was clear we were going in for a tour. Excited about that.

The house was unique, long center hall for lots of family & guest activity and 6 or 8 bedrooms off the hall each with a separate door. A small courtyard off the back of the hall led to the school room, storage and the dinning room and kitchen. The dinning room furniture was hand carved in three years and over 110 years ago it cost $10,000. We saw the chair Teddy Roosevelt sat in.

It was the art that was astonishing. In the hall was the only painting of Geronimo that he ever sat for and one I have seen in many history books. There it was. Wow. There were scores of red Conte Crayon on paper, portraits on the walls, like 120 or more. They were called “Red Heads” about 10 x 14, framed and of Indians. They were all done in person by one artist, Elbridge Ayer Burbank. On the wall were the famous, like Sitting Bull, and the not well known, ordinary men and women from 112 different tribes. A truly unique, irreplaceable collection and a window into a long gone era.

Then the connection. Alvis Burbank took us on the tour, Elbridge Ayer Burbank did the portraits.

Indeed, it is a special park, even more special for the people fortunate to be on a tour with Ranger Burbank and his deep, passionate connection to his Navajo culture and his pride of this place. We were enriched by the experience.

Geronimo

Part of the interior of Hubble TP

About 1/2 of the long center hallway, Hubble house

Note all the “red head” portraits. They covered nearly every wall.

National Park #335 - Tonto National Monument /  by Dave Hileman

Tonto is yet one more of the neat cliff dwellings we have visited en route we traveled up steep hills, tunnels and red rock cliffs. This one over looks a large impoundment, Roosevelt Lake, so the view is quite different that what the builders of this dwelling would have seen. This was built by the Salado Culture about 1200-1300. There is a small spring at the base of the hill that they used and still runs today. The lower cliff dwelling is small and located up a one mlle paved switchback trail. Once there you have access to a ladder that takes you to both sides of the home complex. These people were expert spinners and weavers. They estimate about 40 people lived here.

This feather was left by a modern tribe that believes they trace ancestors to this place. The ranger said the leave prayer icons like this feather when they visit.

National Park #334 - Casa Grande National Monument /  by Dave Hileman

Low expectations again were proven wrong. We allowed about 45 minutes for this stop and stayed over 2 hours. We were able to join a ranger talk and it was well done with a history that predated many of the ruins we have been touring. This building under a roof for protection dated from 800 to 900 years ago. The culture is much older with evidence of canals being built as early as 1300 BC and well established villages from 600 AD. The mature form of these occurred from 900 to 1450. At one point there were 250 miles, hand dug with sticks - of irrigation canals in this Gila River Valley supporting a large population in many walled communities. This four story structure, it is thought, was built to aid in managing these canals. Speculation that a massive flood destroyed the canals and thus forced the population to disburse for they could no longer feed the community. It took months to dig a few feet of these canals with the crude digging sticks they used. .

This male Great Horned Owl found shelter and a great place to hunt in the rafters of the protective roof.

National Park #333 - Chiricahua National Monument /  by Dave Hileman

I am enamored with this park. Chiricahua is the name of an Apache tribe and these mountains are the heart of their territory. Just a bit north is Fort Bowie that we visited a few years ago and the route of the Butterfield Stage and a place the Apache often raided. This is the area from where most of those raids began and that made the Apache so difficult to find or subdue. Rugged, remote, thousands of nooks and crags, ample water and resources and beautiful as well. The park has a lower valley that was once home to the Faraway Ranch and left mostly intact, there is a 2.4 mile trail in the Bonita Canyon that connects it to the campground. You can hike in the high country where the peaks are over 7000 feet with several trails to chose from. The road to the top is five miles of narrow lanes and steep cliffs. We hiked Echo Canyon - 4.7 miles but left the most popular trail, a 7.5 mile hike for another visit someday. In any of the four primary trails you find fascinating rock formations at every turn, cross creeks both dry and running and go through different ecosystems.  Chiricahua is where two major deserts, Sonoran and Chihuahuan, along with two mountain ranges, the Rockies and the Sierra Madrean in Mexico meet creating a very unique environment called a “sky island.” We saw critters only found here, new birds and scenery that is hard to beat. I hope to return here for a longer stay.

Guess! /  by Dave Hileman

We parked the RV on the late side at a state park just north of Tucson as the sunlight was fading fast. While I was leveling the trailer I looked up and there was the moon just coming over the mountain across from us. Beautiful.

Mesilla /  by Dave Hileman

This is an old town and once the seat of the Mexican government for this territory. It is also where the ceremony for the transfer of land following the Gadson Purchase was held. This restaurant is a quite famous and a regional draw - unfortunately we were unable to eat here on this day. The town is cool. We saw where Billy the Kid was tried and convicted of murder - he later escaped. He was gunned down by the lawman who brought him to trial in Mesilla. Wyatt Earp’s brother had a saloon here. The bandstand was built for the transfer ceremony and still holds the center of the square. Across from it is the smallest Basilica in the US. Lots of shops, good ice cream, photographic arts, specialty foods and excellent pecans. They grow lots of pecans here.

Fort Leaton a Texas State Historic Site /  by Dave Hileman

While it is called a fort and it is defensible it was really a trading post and an important stop on the trail between San Antonio and Chihuahua, Mexico. Here travelers could stay, get repairs done, pick up new animals, store goods, get news and food. The trading post was a luxurious home with storage, stables, guest rooms and lots of animals to refresh the ones coming along the trail. The typical freight wagon used 8 or 10 oxen.

20 foot high freight wagon pulled by 8 to 10 oxen