The day started out perfect for sight-seeing ... low 80s by mid-morning and sunny. We toured the Canyon de Chelly south rim for a few hours, then headed for Flagstaff. The day ended with thundershowers and a forecast of more of the same for the next few days.
We decided to tour with the trailer today. We left the campground at 8:30am not knowing that we'd gain an hour with a time-zone change.
 |
| Leaving site #30 at Cottonwoods Campground |
This drive offers seven overlooks: Tunnel Canyon, Tsegi, Junction, White House, Sliding House, Face Rock and Spider Rock. The views expose more ruins that the North Rim Drive because the builders preferred south-facing canyon walls. Unfortunately, the ruins are a long way away. The drive took about three hours.
Tunnel Canyon Overlook ... the canyon is about 275 feet deep at this point. The layers of rock reflect its change from flood plains to deserts.
 |
| Tunnel Canyon |
Tsegi Overlook ... the Navajo home and farm below are used during warm weather. They grow corn, squash, peaches and apples. Horses and sheep graze in the canyon. The Chinle Wash runs only after heavy thunderstorms.
 |
| Tsegi Overlook |
Junction Overlook ... this ruin gets its name because it's at the junction of Canyon del Muerto and Canyon de Chelly.
 |
| Junction Ruin |
White House Overlook ... this village once housed a dozen families. It may have had 80 rooms and at least 4 kivas.
 |
| White House Ruin |
Sliding House Overlook ... this ruin is located on a narrow ledge (see center) across the canyon. The sloped ledge required retaining walls to keep the home from sliding into the canyon.
Face Rock Overlook ... Navajo history says Face Rock reports names of misbehaving children to Spider Woman.
 |
| Face Rock |
Spider Rock Overlook ... this is the most prominent landmark in the canyon. Navajo believe Spider Woman lives on the top of Spider Rock. The canyon is about 1,000 feet deep at this point.
 |
| Spider Rock |
The Route:
We traveled 253 miles to Flagstaff. The route was simple ... US-191 south to I-40 at Chambers, then west on I-40 to Flagstaff.
 |
| Heading south on US-191 |
Clouds formed on the horizon as we traveled west. The sky darkened and it started to rain as we approached Flagstaff.
The Campground:
Carol picked a new campground for this stop. It turned out to be a mile down the road from the KOA we stayed in four years ago. We're at J&H RV Park. It's nice and convenient for our sight-seeing plans.
It was raining when we arrived. Dick did all of the set-up except put down the stabilizing jacks. We'll rock around a bit until the rain stops.
You've taken some WONDERFUL shots of this area! A gorgeous part of our country!
ReplyDelete