Eddie & Michelle: Featured Galleries and Collections

Canyon De Chelly National Monument

davisedward@hotmail.com (Eddie & Michelle) — Mon, 11 May 2009 01:24:15 GMT

Friday April 3rd

After the 10hr drive into Window Rock, Arizona the night before I started early and had breakfast at the Quality Inn Navajo Nation before starting the 70 mile drive to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. The scenery changed considerably while driving there and it started to look more like that 'southwest style'. I had to stop a few times to take photos from the edge of the road. I also came across my first tumbleweed experience. Ever since leaving Oklahoma the wind was very strong and with the strong winds, there were a bunch of them blowing around. If you hit them while driving most would just shatter and break but some would get stuck under the car. I discovered that the hard way when one I purposely ran into decided to lodge itself into the front gate of my car.

I arrived at the Canyon and the wind gusts were strong!!!!
For nearly 5000 years, people have called this Canyon home. Even now, the Navajo live and work here. Canyon De Chelly is home to ancient cliff dwellings.

Along the drive, there are a number of overlooks. At one of the overlooks a navajo indian came along and introduced himself and pointed out some points of interest. He was also selling some paintings that he did on some rock slabs and I bought one for $20. At the next overlook there was another Navajo who I saw this time painting onto a piece of rock slab. I bought this one as well and was allowed to take a photo of the artist holding his work. After this I arrived at the White House Ruins Trail. This is the only trail that you can take down into the Canyon with a Navajo guide with you.

The trek is 1.5miles and is definitely worth it. The way the light hits the orange and red rocks is neat. Once I arrived at the ruins the winds had kicked up so much sand that visibility and light was getting really low. What started off as some strong winds ended up turning into a dust storm and I started to regret wearing a t-shirt as the sand being blown against me started to really rip against my skin. The ruins are not small but they look like tiny toy/clay house models when they are compared to the size of the sheer cliff that they are placed in. This particular dwelling consists of 80 rooms and was inhabited between 1040 and 1275.

The trek back up the canyon was strenous amd visibility was really poor. I drove to Spider Rock (again the views were amazing) before driving back towards Holbrook. Right ouside the park is a town called Chinle. Occasionally while driving there was so much sand blowing across the roads that it was hard to see (like a very thick fog). On the way to Holbrook .....

Monument Valley Sunrise to Set

davisedward@hotmail.com (Eddie & Michelle) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:21:54 GMT

Holbrook

davisedward@hotmail.com (Eddie & Michelle) — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:31:49 GMT

During the drive from Canyon De Chelly to Holbrook, the wind, while still strong, had died down so that it was no longer a duststorm. I arrived in Holbrook and booked a room in a teepee at the Wigwam Hotel. Spending a night in a teepee was kind of neat. Had a Navajo taco ( a fried flatbread) at a small cafe in town that was open. Holbrook is an old Route 66 town and in the parking area for our hotel were a bunch of old vintage 50's and 60's cars.

Pecos National Monument

davisedward@hotmail.com (Eddie & Michelle) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 03:22:52 GMT

Lower Antelope Slot Canyon

davisedward@hotmail.com (Eddie & Michelle) — Sun, 10 May 2009 22:20:26 GMT

The city of Page in Arizona is the closest city to the Antelope Slot Canyons (Upper & Lower). We visited Lower Antelope Canyon. This canyon is part of the Antelope Canyon-Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park. After paying the entrance fee we had an Navajo guide escort us to the entrance of the canyon ….. a slit in the ground. I had seen photos of the entrance, but didn't realize the opening was just a little crack in the ground. You maneuver your body into the tiny opening and gradually walk down further underground. Eventually you are greeted with an open cavern space of wind and rain swept rock. It really is amazing to see. When the light comes through the small openings up above you're greeted with the most amazing warm colours on the rock. Much of the walk through the slot canyon is very narrow and I often find myself about to fall over as I'd lose balance. Luckily all I had to do was fall sideways and the wall of the canyon would stop me from landing on the floor. The cavern goes for some distance. It can get claustrophobic and there are a lot of photographers down there. Michelle ended up coming up but I spent way too much time down there taking photos. It was very neat. Once you leave the canyon you kind of have to wonder, “How did someone find this or even know to look down a small crack in the ground??”.

Sunset in Page, AZ

davisedward@hotmail.com (Eddie & Michelle) — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:07:01 GMT

After the Antelope Slot Canyon (and spending much longer there than we had planned), we decided to spend the night in Page. We were treated to a beautiful, fiery sunset for our troubles.

Santa Fe 2

davisedward@hotmail.com (Eddie & Michelle) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:21:37 GMT