Four Corners Trip August 2006

Arizona/Colorado Trip
August 2006

Day 1- Green Valley to Holbrook, AZ. The drive through the Oro Valley, north of Tucson, to Globe was beautiful. The saguaro cacti were huge, plentiful and had the most “arms” we have ever seen. From Globe to Show Low (an official “Scenic Drive”) was spectacular. We were amazed by the size and beauty of the Salt River Canyon. This would be a highly promoted destination anywhere other than the home of the Grand Canyon. We experienced a 36 degree temperature variance during our drive – from 103 degrees in Tucson to 67 degrees in Show Low (at about a mile high in altitude). Thankfully, we recognized Jane’s overly aggressive original plan for Day 1 (GV to Canyon de Chelly in one fell swoop) in time to start the trip a day early. As we pulled into Holbrook about 5:00 p.m., we couldn’t imagine facing another 200 hundred miles.

Day 2- Holbrook AZ to Canyon de Chelly. Had we not begun our trip early, we would have missed most of the sights in the Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert, which will definitely be one of the highlights of our trip. We were fortunate to have a ½ day for a fairly leisurely drive through the Park with stops at all of the points of interest. That is the least amount of time needed to see this spectacular terrain. In order to take advantage of the trails throughout the park, we would have needed the rest of the day. The variety of terrain is what is so impressive – from the Blue Mesa to bright red badlands.

Our afternoon stop at the Hubbell Trading Post proved to be far more interesting than we had expected. Our Navajo guide for a tour of the Hubbell’s home provided fascinating insights into the history and culture of the area. The Hubbell art collection that hangs in the home (now owned by the National Park Service) was unbelievable. Among the many paintings were 175 dubbed “Redheads” by the locals – exquisite portraits of members of tribes from all across the west done in red ink by an artist from Harvard, Illinois. The subjects included Geronimo, Chief Joseph, Sitting Bull – all of the leaders of the day. It was refreshing to learn of a mutually beneficial relationship established between Hubbell (part-Anglo, part Spanish) and the Navajo, and the deep respect each had for the other.

We arrived in Chinle about 4:30 (having lost an hour once we crossed into the Navajo nation which, unlike the rest of Arizona, does go on daylight savings time) and checked into the Thunderbird Lodge. Your basic motel, but with lots of Navajo flavor. After dinner in the cafeteria, we caught the tail end of the sunset from Tsegi Overlook at Canyon de Chelly, which consisted of brilliant pinks and parts of a double rainbow. As if that wasn’t idyllic enough, a young man serenaded the gathering on his flute.

Day 3 – Canyon de Chelly. Big day today. A six-hour wild ride through the Canyon in the back of an army vehicle turned “tour bus” was fabulous but exhausting. The weather was near perfect – tended toward toasty in the sun, but perfect in the shade. Over the river, through the mud – you name it, we did it with concerns about possibly flipping over alternating with images of sinking in quicksand. But it was great. We saw cliff dwellings dating from 500 A.D.; also Spider Rock, the home of the Navajo deity Spider Woman, who taught the Navajo women to weave. The canyon bottom is still farmed and/or grazed today anywhere the Russian olive trees (introduced by the CCC in the 1930’s) haven’t taken over. Locals actually use trails up and down the sides of the canyon for entry and exit – many workers doing so on a daily basis. Amazing. The area is not at all crowded with tourists - we have often been totally alone at viewing points. The tourists who are here are as likely to be foreign as American; we have come across a couple of groups of Italians, several Germans, Spanish and Japanese.

Day 4 – Canyon de Chelly to Pagosa Springs CO (via Aztec Ruins in NM).
Great drive along North Rim of Canyon de Chelly. Stopped to see Dineh College in Tsaile, AZ. Main building shaped like a hogan, all made out of glass. Stopped for lunch at a Mustang gas station/convenience store in Rock Point and came upon a group of 4 French tourists on motorcycles. We were all waiting in line in the Post Office to use the convenience store bathroom (trying to explain this is a highly unusual set-up). Jane claims to never have felt so frumpy as standing next to these blue-jeaned, bandana-wearing Frenchmen (and women). How do they do it?!

We stopped at the Aztec Ruins in Aztec N.M. to see a small but excellent example of ancestral Pueblo ruins. [Anasazi, a Navajo word meaning something like ancient enemies, has fallen out of use because it is objectionable to the Pueblo Indians, who are the most likely descendants of those who built the ancient stone buildings. The Navajos are relative newcomers to the area, having migrated, probably, from way North, in Canada.] They had a restored Great Kiva that was wonderful. And a very small museum that contrasted Mesa Verde pottery with Chaco pottery – solid designs vs. lines, “thin” edges vs squared off (see picture of exhibit on the website www.aldixon.net).

We arrived in Pagosa Springs about 6, and went to dinner at Tequilas on the River Walk, overlooking the San Juan River. The food was excellent – Arthur’s carne asada was some of the best he had ever had.

Day 5- Pagosa Springs, CO. We took it easy and enjoyed our nice digs. We spent a couple of hours bicycling around the area. Very Colorado with lots of pine trees and mountains

Day 6 – Pagosa Springs, CO. Took a leisurely drive over Wolf Creek Pass and on to Creede, CO (because the highway to get there was a “scenic” highway according tour map). What a nice surprise to find a vibrant former mining town with great art galleries and a (supposedly) world renowned repertory theater. A Texas couple we visited with at lunch had been there for a week and had seen 3 productions. This couple had an RV that they pulled with a Freightliner (only in Texas?!) – we actually saw them drive down the narrow Main Street in the Freightliner! Pretty amazing. We did the 30-minute drive up and around Batchelor Mountain past the old mines. It was a beautiful drive with a spectacular view of Creede and the Rio Grande valley from above.

Day 7 – Pagosa Springs, CO. Went to Chimney Rock ruins about 15 miles east of Pagosa. This was a community of Chaco-style pit houses, kivas and a Great House. It was inhabited around 1050 A.D. with representatives sent from Chaco, they think. The walls of the Great House appear to be lined up with the Crab Nebula, which appeared about that time as a supernova visible even during the day. We didn’t climb to the Great House as it was perched on an isolated rock that required navigating a relatively narrow path with very steep sides. We have determined beyond a doubt that we are not descended from cliff dwellers.

In the afternoon we “took the waters” at the hot mineral springs in Pagosa Springs (hence the name). It was great – we soaked in 104, 106 and 108 degree pools. We are not sure if they sure if they cured what ailed us, but we did enjoy them.

Day 8 – Durango, CO. We took the narrow gauge train ride from Durango to Silverton. The scenery was spectacular. We also saw some deer and a herd of elk along the river. We had a good lunch at the Bent Elbow restaurant, which was one of the many former “sporting houses” in Silverton. A very good piano player entertained during lunch. The best thing we did was change our reservation to ride the train up and take a “motorcoach” back. Because we were to ride the bus back, our train seats were on the most scenic side of the train going up. Soon after we arrived in Silverton, the clouds, rain and cold moved in. Instead of a 3 ½ hour trip in a cold and wet open air train car, we had a warm and cozy 1 ½ hour return trip on the bus.

Day 9 – Pagosa Springs to Durango, via Mesa Verde. As we packed to leave Pagosa Springs, a hot air balloon came right over our house and landed on the golf course across the street. Arthur was able to get some great pictures. We then headed for Mesa Verde, arriving just after lunch. The dwellings are amazing. We went on the tour of Cliff Palace, but passed on Balcony House. Jane had been there and done that before, so she knew about the ladder trip up the wall at 1000 feet above the canyon floor and was able to warn Arthur away from that potential trauma. We particularly enjoyed the drive around Mesa Top Road at the end of the day without any crowds. We decided one day at Mesa Verde was sufficient, since we had seen lots of ruins en route and still had another stop or two planned.

Our tour guide to Cliff Palace told us that the yucca plant was the Wal-Mart of the Indians: the root was used for shampoo; the fuit was eaten; the fiber from the leaves was used for everything from rope to sandals and baskets.

Day 10 – Durango, Colorado. Durango turned out to be a very pleasant and beautiful spot. We spent the morning bicycling on a 5 mile long paved trail along the Animas River. There were several parks along the way and some really cool new condos. This was the day we were to meet our neighbors from Maryland, Tom and Linda, who were on an extended camping trip throughout the west. They were coincidentally scheduled to be in Durango while we were there. We spoke via cell phone (the wonders of modern technology) and found out that their campground was just north of our hotel. We decided to ride the Durango Trolley downtown that evening for a Mexican dinner.

After our bike ride, we headed downtown for lunch at a very nice restaurant called the “Seasons” that we had spotted. As we sat on the patio finishing an absolutely delicious special of Ahi Tuna and a “slaw” unlike any we had ever tasted, in walked Tom and Linda for lunch! So our paths crossed at lunch as well as sharing a tasty (but very spicy) dinner together.

Day 11 - Durango to Bluff, Utah. Our first stop was the Anasazi Heritage Center near Dolores, CO. This is a beautiful and fabulous museum about 10 miles north of Cortez, CO. It is a museum for interpreting the history and culture of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and to hold over 3 million artifacts, many of which were found during archeological digs prior to the creation of the McPhee Reservoir. We saw pottery unlike any we had seen – including mugs that looked just those we buy today! We tried our hand at weaving and grinding flour from corn. As we walked up the trail to the Escalante Pueblo ruins above the museum, we were treated to a close-up view of two bald eagles riding a thermal right above our heads. It must have been a sign?! Of what, I am not sure, but . . . . At the top of the trail were spectacular views of Mesa Verde, the McPhee Reservoir and the Great Sage Plain (which was a new one for us).

On the recommendation of a guide at the museum, we stopped for lunch at the Roundabout Junction Café – out in the middle of nowhere. Thank heavens it was there and good, since we were a long way from anything else. He recommended the Navajo Taco – the best in the area – consisting of fry bread smothered in beans, cheese, ground beef , chili sauce, guacamole and sour cream. They were delicious, but huge! The café was full of local folks.

Our next stop was Hovenweep National Monument. Now we really were in the middle of nowhere. The ruins here were different in that they had lots of tall towers. No one is sure what the towers were used for, but they were pretty impressive. Archeologists believe that the inhabitants deserted the pueblo about 1300, as little as 20 years after their completion. We talked to a student intern from Western Illinois University who was working in the visitor center. Her internship was for 4 months, and she seemed to be about the only person at this remote site 24 hours per day. She goes into Cortez once a week to buy food. She was scheduled to get a roommate soon, and was understandably excited at the prospect.

We arrived at Bluff, Utah at the Desert Rose Inn just before dinner. We visited the Twin Rocks Trading Post, which had an amazing collection of Navajo baskets – beautiful colors and patterns. The red rocks and bluffs in this area were amazing.

Day 12 – Bluff, UT to Monument Valley. When we arrived in Monument Valley, we opted for a tour offered through Gouldings Trading Post and Motel (where we were to stay that night). The tour was fascinating but very DUSTY. Anyone can drive through the Valley, but the Navajo-led tours provide insight into the people living in the area. We were surprised to learn that about 300 people live within the park, many without electricity or running water. Many do have propane generators so they at least have refrigerators. The families often have summer and winter abodes – summering in the Valley and moving lower in the winter. The “hogans”—six-sided or round buildings--in which they live remain fairly cool in the summer, but they also build “ramadas” to live in that are outdoor facilities providing only shade. Navajos do not like to live together in villages, preferring to live in isolated houses or small family groups. Many of these places have both a modern house or trailer as well as a traditional Hogan.

Day 13 –Monument Valley to Green Valley. We made the trip in just under 8 hours (460 miles). We covered a total of 1995 miles on our trip.

Overall, the temperatures during our travels were quite pleasant. Even in Monument Valley, where it was around 90 plus degrees, the dry heat kept it from being oppressive. Of course, we had our wide-brimmed hats and lots of water, both of which are essential.