Wupatki National Monument

The Wupatki National Monument, northeast of Flagstaff, has been recovered and restored by archaeologists to show how Native Americans lived before the european settlers arrived.

This area was a center for trade and agriculture and the ruins show that the people had a sophisticated culture. Several hundred people lived in this village, farming and hunting in the area.

It is a very interesting place to visit, giving insight on a culture we had not envisioned.

Grand Canyon with the Lippards

We spent two different days with Tom & Marilyn at Grand Canyon. The first day we stopped to see the IMAX movie at the visitors center, then went into the park.

We stopped at tow or three overlooks, then looked over our shoulders at a massive thunderstorm coming in. It hit, with rain turning to hail. Ended up with 2-3 inches of hail on the ground.

A snowball fight at Grand Canyon in late fall? You bet.

After the storm let up, we decided to go back to Flagstaff and the RV. Driving back we went through areas where the hailstorm had left several inches on the road. Memories of Buffalo winters.

The second day was much brighter, but still chilly.

We were able to take the shuttle busses from the central village to the eastern end of the road and worked our way back.




There's no question that Grand Canyon is one of the most awesome venues in the country.

Flagstaff/Sedona, AZ

Brother Tom Lippard and wife Marilyn met us in Flagstaff, Arizona. We were in a very nice RV park there, at the base of a beautiful mountain, in a site with patio, lounge chairs, and firepit. The days were still warm, but we enjoyed the firepit several evenings.

45 minutes south of Flagstaff is the village of Sedona, set in a beautiful valley between red rock mountains.
We got there in the late morning and wandered the village shops and restaurants and ate lunch at a place with an outdoor view of the scenery.

After lunch we boarded a "Pink Jeep" for a tour of the area.

It started quietly but soon became a very exciting trip.

This is us with our Jeep driver, Mike.

These are posed for effect. Turn the picture 90 degrees ccw to check the setup.

The tour was great fun - as you can see, there were some white knuckle areas. In addition, a quick thunderstorm went through, making the rocks slippery and giving Mike extra chances to slip & slide.

We'd recommend this tour if you're ever in Sedona.

Gallup, NM/Canyon DeChelly

Several people we met told us that if we were near Canyon De Chelly (pronounced "De Shay"), that it was a must see. So we stopped overnight in Gallup, NM which is also on Route 66 - was fun to see the "66" signs, restaurants, and other businesses using the logo. Canyon De Chelly is a red rock canyon, very picturesque and unique for a couple of reasons. It is a national monument, administered jointly by the National Park Service and the Navajo Nation. It is entirely on Navajo land, and they run farms and ranches in the canyon valley.

There are roads on both sides of the rim, but the only way to get into the valley is by hiring a guide for a tour.

These views are typical. The canyon walls range several hundred feet up from the valley floor.

This pueblo village is four hundred years old. It was abandoned after a massacre of the natives by Spanish conquistadors.

Albuquerque/Santa Fe

The first night we spent in Albuquerque was the final night of their annual "Balloon Festival". By the time we got to the festival grounds it was getting dark, but the ballonists put on quite a light show. Many additional attempts at photos didn't turn out, unfortunately.

The next day we took a walking tour of "Old Town" and ended up at this restaurant for dinner.

Many cities and towns in Arizona and New Mexico are participating in a tourist marketing program based on Route 66. This sign is on the main drag in Albuquerque, but we saw many other examples in Holbrook, Gallup, Flagstaff, Williams, and Kingman.

These photos were taken in Petroglyph National Monument, a mountain full of this type of early human communication. No one seems to know exactly what these pictures mean - many have offered conflicting theories. The present day native Americans have been reluctant to share their myths and legends as much of it is considered sacred.

There is a Native American museum here, very informative, but photography is prohibited at most of the areas.
We spent one day in Santa Fe. These shots were taken on a bus tour of the area. There are many art galleries here, showing sculpture of all kinds as well as paintings.

We both agreed that one day could not do justice to the Santa Fe area. We'll put that on our list to return some day.