Monument Valley

The valley is entirely on the Navajo reservation.  Early on the morning of 1 July 2011, we visited the valley.  


The formations on the right are called the Left Hand and the Right Hand.  They are 10 miles apart.

The Navajo Nation has been attempting, unsuccessfully, to obtain National Park status for decades.  However, since it is on the reservation, they have been able to restrict access without U.S. Government intervention.  The tribe limits the number and types of vehicles that access the valley.  Tickets to ride in a mini-bus to view the valley, are purchased at the visitor's center.  

The mini-busses are staffed by Native American drivers.  The ride through the valley is slow with frequent picture stops and a running commentary.  Because it was so early in the morning, the desert temperatures had not warmed up yet and were pleasantly in the mid 70's.  Our driver said that it would be in the 90's later in the day.

 The Navajo believe these to be sacred grounds and strive to protect them.  Many of the views are recognizable from Western movies made in the 1940's, 50's, and 60's staring John Wayne and others.   However, the tribe no longer "rents" the valley.

On the way back to the visitor's center, our driver sang us a traveling song.   It lasted most of the way back, several miles, to the visitor's center.

Although it is not a National Park, Monument Valley is a must see when touring the southwest. It is close in proximity to Arches NP, Mesa Verde NP, and the Grand Canyon NP.  It is a fantastic place to visit.  

Grand Canyon National Park

The first of July found us back at the Grand Canyon's south rim.  This is the 4th or 5th time we have visited this National Park.  The majesty is absolutely glorious.

The canyon has been formed over thousands of years by the flow of the Colorado river. 


The views are absolutely breath taking

Every time I return, I say that next time I am going to go to the bottom - but riding a donkey does not appeal to me.

If you look closely in this picture you can see the river at the bottom of the canyon wending its way westward.

These pictures were taken around the middle of the day.  I have seen it at dawn and at sunset.  Each time of day, gives off different hues and tones.  

Since the snow melted so late this year, 2011, the valley and the hills still have a touch of green.  In another few weeks the shading will be yellows and browns 

Researchers indicate that 90% of visitors to the park visit the south edge.  The main reason is that the south rim is only a little over an hour north of Flagstaff.  The North rim is another four hours away.  Next time, since I have recently retired and do not have to meet a deadline to get back to work, I am going to the north rim AND going to the bottom of the canyon.

Mesa Verde National Park

30 June 2011


Approximately 1,400 years ago some of the Native Americans from the south-eastern corner of Utah lived in cave dwellings.  The park is near the area now called "The four Corners."  On the 30th of June 2011 we visited Mesa Verde National Park. 

 When approaching the site of the dwellings, it was impossible to know that they were there.  
This "invisible" lifestyle allowed these "Pueblo Indians" (as the Spaniards called them) to live peaceful agrarian lifestyles.


In the past, archeologists called them "Anasazi" which when translated from Navajo means "the ancient foreigners."  The Park Service literature now refers to them as "Ancestral Puebloans."

The indigenous people of Mesa Verde grew crops and hunted game on the mesa tops.

The area called the "Cliff Palace" is the most spectacular.

To get to the dwellings, it is necessary to take a gently sloping narrow path that skirts the edge of the canyon.  To the left is the canyon wall and on the right is a sheer drop to the canyon floor.

 They lived in houses built under the overhangs.  In the summer, the sun did not penetrate the caves so they were cool.  In the winter, the sun warmed the stone & adobe structures to provide warmth.

Some of the structures were three and four stories high.


It is believed that each family lived in a separate dwelling, adding rooms as the need arose.


It is believed that the occupants of Mesa Verde were the ancestors of the Hopi Tribes that currently live in the area.

Archeology has yielded many clues about their tools, weapons, and even trade.  However, since there is no written history, it is impossible to know about their social, political, or religious lives.


This park is a definitely a must see!!

Arches National Park

 On the 29th of June 2011 we visited Arches National Park in southeastern Utah.  When we arrived, it had been raining for a short time.  The air was fresh and the temperature was a very pleasant 72 degrees.

The sheer size of the rock formations is unimaginable unless you are actually there.  The rocks in this picture are over a mile away.  Our guide indicated that they are taller than a 20 story office building.

 One of the names for this formation is "Pilgrim Family."  If you look at it just right, it does look like a woman on the left holding a baby, while the man on the right is carrying a girl on his right arm and a smaller child on his left.

Even though the rock formations appear to be absent of vegetation, the desert floor abounds with plants and wild life.
The green of Pinyon and Juniper trees are a striking contrast to the red of the sand stone rock formations and the desert floor.
We were surprised to see that wild flowers were still abundant.

Our guide stated that Native Americans folklore indicates that the two rock formations, known as Guardians, are protecting the balanced rock.  Could be, who knows...

This is a view of one of the Guardians from the other side.  Geologists say that the band of white was caused by being submerged by an inland sea thousands of years ago.

The arch on the right is said to be thousands of years old.  In another two or three thousand years, the one on the right may also be all the way through the rock.

This rock formation, although it had another name, reminded me of an Egyptian Pharaoh standing at a podium giving a speech.


Maybe I watch too much of the National Geographic programming on TV.

Although we did not walk the 1.6 mile trek to the Natural Arch that is on the Utah license plates, we saw several other arches from the safety of our vehicle and the observation points that were just as awe inspiring as is this one. 

Badlands National Park

On the afternoon of the 28th of June we visited the Badlands National Park on the plains of South Dakota.

The accessible portion of the National Park runs east to west just south of Interstate 90 on the edge of the great plains and skirts the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

There is another section of the park to the south and west that is totally within the reservation and only accessible on foot or horseback.

The lush green grasses of late June are in stark contrast with the sharp rocks and deep crevasses.


It is not hard to understand why Native Americans called it the Badlands.

 Standing at the eastern end and looking westward, the "Badlands" appear to continue as far as the eye can see.


However, not all is barren rock.  

 Although we did not see many, the park literature indicates that Mule Deer, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goats, American Bison, Prairie Dogs, Swift Foxes, Coyotes, Black-footed Ferrets, Bobcats, numerous species of native birds as well as Prairie Rattlesnakes abound. 

It is understandable why the settlers, during the western expansion, before the rail roads went to the south of this area.  It would be impossible to cross any of these in a covered wagon.

A pleasant stretch of beautiful grassland can be surrounded by deep ravines and sharp rocks.



Crevasses like this abound.

  






We found the Badlands absolutely beautiful, but could fully understand why they should have been avoided in earlier times.


This is a park I would like to revisit.

Crazy Horse Memorial

On the 27th of June 2011 we visited the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota


On the right is a rendition of what the monument is suppose to look like if and when it ever gets completed.


The original artist, Korczak Ziolkowski, made the monument his life's work.  He moved to the Black Hills and started the monument in 1947.  Although he intended to complete the monument  during his life-time he passed away without completing the project.  His children have since assumed the effort.  However, since his death in 1982, little progress has been made.  


There is a fee of $10 per person to enter the visitor's center.  It is NOT a federal or state project and, in my opinion, more time is spent promoting the museum, restaurant, and gift shop than completing the monument.

Because the visitor's center and museum is approximately 10 miles from the actual monument it is impossible to experience the magnitude of the project first hand.  

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

On the 27th of June 2011 we went to Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. 

The monument commemorates four past presidents; three that are considered founders of the nation and one believed to be responsible for the western expansion of the country.

   George Washington,

   Thomas Jefferson,

   Abraham Lincoln, and

   Theodore Roosevelt  

The artist, Gutzon Borglum, chose the site because of the broad granite face of the mountain and its south easterly facing direction.  

He knew that the site would receive sunlight for most of the day.

The day that we visited, there were thunder clouds passing through, as seen in this picture, but they soon moved on to the east.

In the early 1920's Mr. Borglum started planning the monument.

Congress approved the $836,000 funding in 1927.  The total cost is estimated to have been around a million dollars and was completed during "The Great Depression."

Washington's head was dedicated in 1930.  Jefferson's head was dedicated in 1936, Lincoln's head followed in 1937, and Roosevelt's head was dedicated in 1939.

Originally, Mr. Borglum wanted to include a national archive & library which he called the "Hall of Records" below and to the right of the monument.

It is estimated that at more than a million visitors flock to the memorial every summer.  


It is awe inspiring and breath taking.  One cannot appreciate the enormity of the project unless actually looking up at these huge statues.