Holbrook AZ

On September 20 we camped in Holbrook, AZ and used it as our headquarters as we visited the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park.   It was a 26 mild journey through the park.   THe wood was beautiful.   It's hard to believe the area was tropical 225 million years ago, and the trees grew up to 180 - 200 feet tall.

On September 23 we drove to Canyon de Chelly (pronounced SHAY).   IT's a few miles outside of Chinle, AZ.   The canyon is enclosed by four sacred mountains, and the Dine' (Navajo people) call it Tsegi (SAY-ih) Some of the canyon walls are 1000 ft. above the floor.   The 800 ft. spire known as Spider Rock is said to be the home of Spider Woman, who taught the Navaho to weave.   The White House ruin is named for the long, white plaster wall.   The Ancestral Puebloans built and lived here about 1000 years ago.  On our way back to camp we stopped at the Hubbell Trading Post which was founded in 1883 by J. L. Hubbell.   It has been open continuously as a trading post since that time, and was turned over to the National Park service in 1967 as a National Historic site.  Today, as in 1876, American Indians bring handcrafted rugs, jewelry, pottery and baskets to the trader.

On September 24 we drove to the 3 Hopi Mesas and stopped for lunch on Mesa 2 where we had Hopi tostadas and Hopi Tacos.  On the 3rd mesa we visited Old Oraibi, believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America.   It's said to date back to 1200 AD.