After getting our fill of Flagstaff, we took off to Chinle, AZ. Along the way, we explored Walnut Canyon National Monument, Meteor Crater, and Petrified Forest National Park

Meteor Crater

Petrified Forest National Park

The artist of the time had made their presence known.

No I did not take this photo!
This photo was taken in the 1930's and it looked better than mine in color.

Chinle

We finally made it to Chinle. While we stayed there, we took a grand tour of Canyon de Chelly National Monument. I heard you could go individually with permission or with a private guide, but we opted for a group tour.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument.

The morning we toured it rained very hard. If we had not been on a tight schedule, I would have wanted to postpone the visit by a day. But we went anyway. Glad we didn't, because the rain did stop and the place wasn't so crowded. The guide was very thorough with the historic details of the place.

White House Ruin

Kayenta

After Chinle, we took off to Kayenta. I thought Monument Valley was awsome in spite of the lifetime of photos everybody has probably been exposed to. But being there and seeing it was a pleasant experience. Naturally, being aware of this valley's fame it was easy to forget that is also a neighborhood community. Family's living in eight sided hogans were there as they were in Canyon De Chelly. (Not too many of course.) Signs were posted everywhere, like Chinle, to not take photographs of the locals. (I don't blame them! This is their neighborhood not a theme park)

Monument Valley

Here in this valley we again opted for a group tour. (Cheaper)

While on this tour, the guide took us to a set up hogan where an elderly woman showed us the steps to how the rugs were and still are made. I was struck when the guide said we could photograph her doing her demonstration.

(She was old and spoke no English. To me that spelled vulnerability.)

The Europeans snapped away. I love to photograph people, but here, I just didn't have the heart to take her picture, after seeing the expression on her face. Neither did my husband.

That hogan visit was the only thing I did not like about the tour even though I appreciated her effort to show us how the rugs were woven.

The next morning we went to checked out Navajo National Monument. which feature the ruins of Betatikan Ruins and Keet Seel ruins. The plan to visit either got scratched. Betatikan was going to require a 10 mile rugged hike. If you are not in good shape, it would not really be recommended and I started to feel an illness coming and did not want to take any chances. Keet Seel required a reservation of at least a month in advance. So we scratched that plan.

Four Corners

To make up for it, we drove all the way to Four Corners. We took a few pictures of each other being in four states at once by putting one leg in Mew Mexico, another leg in Colorado. One hand in Arizona and the other hand in Utah.

Hey, you have to do the goofy waste of time thing once in a while!

On the way back we stopped at various stores/venders and shops along the way.

Elephant`s Bluff

An old lady set up shop for making sales at Elephant's Bluff.

I found myself leaving my husband to avoid embarrassment. He, being Egyptian born, knew how to bargain with all the methods he learned from early childhood. I was only used to the shopping malls where the methods of payment are negotiable, not the prices.

Anyway, he did keep his promise and stayed fair to the vender and let that grandmother make a fair sale.

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