Left Wolfie in Flagstaff and headed out for an overnight trip through Navajo Nation land. I had an early morning tour scheduled in Monument Valley and figured I’d make the most of the journey out there by configuring a full day road trip around Arizona. The first stop was a site that I remembered visiting as a kid on a family road trip, the Meteor Crater and Barringer Space Museum. 50,000 years ago, a meteor traveling at 26,000 miles per hour struck the Earth and formed a huge crater. A very neat site to visit.
The next stop was Petrified Forest National Park because I can’t skip a National Park. Enjoyed driving through the park and seeing the colorful cliffs and rock formations and of course the petrified trees. The entire way there I was traveling along what was historic Route 66.
The next stop was the Hubbell Trading Post which is the oldest operating trading post on the Navajo Nation, operating since 1878. I arrived as the park ranger was closing up for the day, so he asked if I wanted to follow him around the site while he locked up. Ended up being a special tour into areas of the residence that most people don’t get to see. I then did a little shopping in the trading post itself before continuing on.
The last stop of the day was Canyon de Chelly National Monument to enjoy the scenic views of the canyon before sunset. One of the most famous views is of Spider Rock, a 700-foot sandstone spire.
As I drove towards Monument Valley area the sun had set and was not able to see much. That morning I woke up and watched the most beautiful sunrise while I drove to the site. Had to stop a couple of times to take pictures, it was just so pretty.
It was cold and rainy but would stop raining at the perfect moment to get some beautiful pictures and take it all in. I was the only one booked for the morning tour, so I had the guide all to myself and really had a chance to learn about the land and Navajo.
Before driving back to Flagstaff, I went a bit further down the road to stand where a famous scene in Forest Gump was filmed. It was the point where Forest decided to stop running and return home. A special moment as I was in the home stretch of my journey with less than a month to go.
