Chinle, Arizona

I got a blister yesterday, and in the course of getting a bandage, discovered that a pen exploded in my waistpack. Fortunately, not too much damage was done.

We checked out, telling them the kitchen didn't work (they knew) then walked over to one cache, advertised as a travel bug inn. There was only one TB in it, which I traded for. En route to the Canyon, then, there's a nature trail (and we saw elk on it!) with another cache and another travel bug to trade. We got to the Grand Canyon at 8:55.

This time we worked our way out toward the East. I walked a few feet, maybe 20 or 30, down into the Canyon, to say I did! We stopped at Tusayan Ruins and saw some outlines of some Ancient Puebloan homes.

At Desert View, the last stop on the Canyon, I got a dream catcher for Makoto and his bride. I think that'll be a nice wedding present. We had lunch, then reluctantly left the beautiful Canyon behind.

We saw wild horses! Then we went to Sunset Crater NM and looked at the lava flows, but see one, you've pretty well seen them all. When we got to Flagstaff, I drove. The hardest part of this was at first, to get to I-40: once that happened, I was in cruise control and had no trouble at all. Rich took a long nap, and while I had said I wouldn't go the whole distance from exit 201 to exit 333, I came close. It was just so easy and relaxing, the miles just melted away.

There's a Stand on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona! Then I started seeing billboards for Stewart's Rock Shop. Rich had woken up by the time we passed Dinosaur Land, which I'd never heard of, but obviously I will have to go back. I drove us to Stewart's, which was still open (because Stewart herself came to open the door.) She gave us each a piece of petrified wood. Well, then, we HAD to buy something, I suppose, so I found a rock egg I quite liked. They have "dinosaurs" outside, eating people, and ostriches, and a lot of other tourist trappy trimmings.

On we went, across the Rez to Chinle. I was quite surprised at the motel and the whole town. There was a No Vacancy sign. Now, a lot of this trip is about my Mom, but what she knew about Canyon de Chelly is dirt roads, very remote, almost impossible to get to. Not any more!

We had Navajo style meals. And so to bed. The Navajo Reservation is on Daylight Time, the Hopi (in the middle) are not!

High Point: Still the Grand Canyon

Lowspot: Too late for Petrified Forest