Two Grey Hills Rug

On Friday morning, we took Mary and Rick to Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson.  We enjoyed looking at western art, jewelry, pottery, baskets, and rugs.  Papa found a Two Grey Hills rug that he liked, so we bought it.  Two Grey Hills style rugs have long been Papa’s favorite Navajo rug design.  The design was developed between 1910-1915, and is characterized. By intricate geometric designs with four-fold symmetry, woven with hand spun natural wool.  Our Two Grey Hills rug is now serving as a blanket on our guest room bed.  

Saguaros, Petroglyphs, and a Mission

We spent yesterday in Tucson.  We drove through Saguaro National Park with stops to see petroglyphs at the Redemptorist Center and at Signal Hill.

Our next stop was at San Xavier del Bac Mission, founded by Father Kino in 1692.  Father Kino was born in Austria to a family of nobility.  He joined a Jesuit order and was sent to New Spain, today known as Mexico.  He explored and established 24 missions in the area that is modern day Sonora and Baja, Mexico, Arizona, and California.  He spent significant time with Native people.  The original San Xavier del Bac Mission was burned by Apaches in 1770, and the current Mission was built between 1783 and 1797.  We ate fry bread made by the local Tohono O’odham before going inside the Mission.  

Back to Tucson

We left Canyon de Chelly early Wednesday morning, with a stop at Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado.

We stopped at the historic Painted Desert Inn to enjoy the vast views of the Painted Desert.

We drove through the White Mountains and Salt River Canyon, arriving at home in Tucson just after 5 p.m.  We drove over 1200 miles in 4 days.  It was a good trip!

Monument Valley to Canyon de Chelly

We had breakfast with “front row seats” of a beautiful sunrise over Monument Valley.  We lingered over breakfast and soaked it in.  

 

By 8:30, we were on the road in slow motion, driving toward Canyon de Chelly on icy roads.  

We arrived in Chinle by 11, and after walking through the visitor center, our first stop was Antelope Canyon Overlook, with ruins as well as pictographs.  We drove to Spider Rock and several more overlooks, enjoying every one - looking for ruins along the canyon walls.  

We checked into Thunderbird Lodge, shopped a bit in the Trading Post, then met our Navajo friends, Joanne and Janice, Jeralyn and Jordyn, for dinner.  I met Joanne and Janice in Tucson at a Pow Wow four years ago when buying jewelry from them.  We’ve stayed in touch, and all of us had fun catching up this evening.  

Lake Powell to Monument Valley

We woke up to falling snow.  We stopped at the Glen Canyon Dam Visitor Center, then at Wahweap Overlook, with a big view of Lake Powell, covered in snow and low clouds.  We drove to Monument Valley on an icy, snowy road, with Papa driving very slowly.  We arrived at The View Hotel in Monument Valley by 1:30 and no restaurants open.  We had a picnic in the lounge, with fruits and nuts we brought from home, plus chocolate covered bourbon balls that Rick and Mary gave us.  It was a happy picnic!  

We views out the windows of The View Hotel were of a white out, with snow falling and everything covered in snow.  We went to the gift shop, and by 4:30, the thick clouds began to lift a bit and we could see the Mittens.  We went to the dining room for dinner at 5:30, sitting by the window with a great view, of Monument Valley covered in snow and still mostly cloudy.  We are happy to be here!

Sedona and Horseshoe Bend

We were up early this morning at The Boulders.  After breakfast at 7 at First Watch, we began the two hour drive to Sedona.  We made several stops in Sedona to view the magnificent red and striated rocks, most capped with snow.  As we continued driving north from Sedona, up Oak Creek Canyon, there was more and more snow, all the way to Flagstaff.

We stopped for lunch in Cameron and shopped at Cameron Trading Post.  Our next stop was in Marble Canyon, beneath the Vermillion Cliffs, at Navajo Bridge.  While taking photos, a large bird was flying overhead, then landed on the bridge near another similar bird.  They were condors!  The clouds darkened while we were in Marble Canyon, so we hurried toward Page, to see Horseshoe Bend in the Colorado River.  It was a beautiful end to our day!