Monument Valley, AZ

A sight to see if you've never been here.

The view from the kitchen window.

And the view from the bedroom window.

The wind got up yesterday afternoon after we got here and blew all night and is still blowing this afternoon. We did have a break this morning but that seems to have come to and end. The tripod is anchored and on the side by the rv to get some protection from the wind. It has stood with a 57 mpg gust. And the dish has been turned on the post with a very high gust.

Its still hazy from the sand blowing but better than yesterday. We took the self guided tour, 17 miles of rough 15 mph rocky/dirt road, and took these pics. We have one more trip to do and then we will move tomorrow. We are staying in the primative parking while the Mitten View campground is under repair. Our space is $5.00 per night while mitten was $10. So far the solar and batteries have worked fine. And the DTV helps pass the time in the evening.

We went to the Gouldings RV park. Its oppsite side of the highway. The park is nestlled in a valley about 4 miles away. It has hookups and laundry. They have a store you will pass that has gas and propane. Its a $26.00 per night parked on dirt. If you can stay a couple of nights on battery, the dirt we are parked on works real well. And its about 6 miles closer to the park.

We Are Now Here

We drove here via US191, 160 and 163 today. Look in that folder for the sights along the way.

Mileage: 135 from our last location
GPS: 36*59.327', 110*6.885', Primitive Parking
DW: 129*, 38*, -39*
DTV: zip code 84536

Canyon de Chelly Floor Tour

We took the tour Thursday afternoon of the canyon floor. Our tour was the short 3 1/2 hours for $44.xx each. It was worth the ride. The all day tour cost more and includes lunch by the campfire.

There were not alot of ruins. Through the years "hunters" have taken and destroyed most of that which was there. Look closely as there are writings in these pics too.

These were the best to be seen as they were on the floor and closeup.

Our tour guide "Dave" is a native American Navajo Indian. He grew up on the canyon floor as a child. Here is our "Road" to and from the canyon.

There are lots more in the folder and in the panaroma folder. Got all that we could before it got windy and cold. We had to get blankets to wrap around us it was so cold. We each had on three layers with our outside cover a light jacket over a sweat shirt.

We have moved this Friday and have a new home. We were not able to get back on line thru the lodge Thursday and did not put up the dish. Pics of our new location will be forth coming.

A New Day and a Tour of the Canyon

We are planning on doing the canyon valley tour this afternoon. The wind yesterday got up to gale force. The sustained wind was 39 with a gust to 57. The wind got strong enough to turn the dish on the pole. The tripod was tied down and weighted with 3 gallons of water. I put the ties around the legs and this probably helped. We are able to get online thru the lodge website. Sice we can use this, the dish has been stowed.

Tomorrow is suppose to be windy again. Another pacific front is coming thru and we will be home to stay. We are planning on moving Saturday. The temp on the city web page says it got to 24 this morning. BURRRRRR.

Canyon de Chelly, south rim drive, Part 3

This is the first overlook called Tunnel Overlook. I took the pics not sure if the panaroma would be made but it did. Now I need the lower left pic to make it look good. We have climbed up the rim by 500 feet approx. As you can see there is farming on the floor. Look in the upper part of the pic for vechicles on the floor. The tour trucks drive thru her and follow the river if there is not a road.
This is the Junction Overlook. We have now gone up another 200 feet approx. From the visitors center at 5510 feet, the Spider rock Overlook is 1361 feet higher. The part 1 and 2 have the individual pics we took and the pic link has all the pics of our south rim drive. There is a north rim drive we will do but probably tomorrow. The wind is blowing today and its a 28 mph with a 45 mph gust so far. Not at all pleasant to be in. Besides, its cold.

Shirley was going to get several pics of the Spider Rock but there was a religious ceremony going on and was lucky to get the one she did get.

Wind Update:

The wind is at gale force. The dish has been taken down due to the winds turning the dish on the tripod. The winds are at 39 steady with gust to 57. This is the forecast till 7 pm. We are on the lodge signal. Glad they don't know how to make there fee work as its free.

Canyon de Chelly, south rim drive, Part 2

Those are tenters down there. This is as close as the camera could get and me braced against the wind. They are atleast 600 feet below us. There are signs warning against your pets off lease and children running wild. The cliff is a sheer drop here.

More farming on the floor.

Can you see the trucks down there and in the distance?

This is the first overlook we came too. And part of the panaroma pic we took.

Canyon de Chelly, south rim drive, Part 1

Spider Rock, or the top of it.

Look very close, do you see the ruins?

Chinle, Canyon de Chelly, AZ

We could have left yesterday but the weather forecast was not good so we stayed another night. We are just east of town at the Cottonwood Park here at the canyon.
















The park in Joseph City was very quite and enjoyable. Plus cheap, $95 for 8 days. Thanks to Wes and Jan for the lead.

We left about 9 am, went to the Loves in town, gassed up, and arrived here around 1:30 MST time. Local time here is one hour later than the rest of AZ. IE, our clock over the sink says 5pm but here its "spring forward" to 6 pm. Confusing! Coming up from I40 we had some very ROUGH roads. US191 was crossed with cracks the whole way. We did 40 most of the way it was so rough.

We will be here two days probably depending on the forecast. Tomorrow the forecast is windy with tomorrow night at 31*. The rain is now Monday.

Mileage: 136 from our last campground, $2.92.9 at Loves
GPS: 36* 8.945', 109* 32.433'
DW: 129*, 40*, -32*
DTV: 86503 zip code

Our Last Day in Joseph City, AZ

A nice panaroma of the "peak" near the north entrance. A history of the land in this area.

At the south entrance visitors center and museum is this pre-historic mammal on display. Not a large critter but more than I would want to meet in the jungle.

We went to the Safeway in Holbrook and got "sticker shock". The prices were double what we were use too. Our oj comes in the large size for about $4 buck. The have it in the medium size for $5 bucks. And the list goes on. We didn't buy much.

We will be moving tomorrow for sure. Our trip is about 120 miles to a campground with no hookups, dump and water nearby. We will be living off our solar system for two days. We will setup the dish and be able to post our travels and stops. We will see you again there.

More of Our Saturday Day Trip

This area is known as "newspaper rock". We guessed it had the Indian writings. This and one other rock had the writings. We are on the bluff above and looking down to a large valley below with a large wash that had water in it. This area got some rain in the last couple of days.

The tree in this pic is in the hillside on both ends. In between the rain and water flow has washed out the soft soil under the trunk. The park service is now supporting the trunk with a concrete beam and concrete columns on the ends.

The trunk is cracked but still in place.

I checked the Gypsy Journal this morning and Nick is still waiting on the new baby. He is in Show Low and they got a dusting of snow.