2017 Day 4

Our sunrise at Monument ... Holy Smokes again!

Then we wandered nearby and saw a sign saying a demonstration for a Navajo hogan would take place at 8:00. It was almost 8:00 so we pulled into the hogan parking lot and entered the Navajo residence that is similar to an igloo, but made out of wood, bark, and dirt. The demo and talk we witnessed was actually for a tour group of 8, but we kind of tagged along and acted like we were part of the group. It was an interesting few minutes of learning more about the Navajo culture.

We stopped in Mexican Hat - Pee Wee and I actually stopped there 9 years ago in journey number one. The rock formation that gives the town its name and looks like a Mexican hat is still there, and probably will be for a few thousand more years.

Being around Navajos gave us the inclination to form our own names, so Barry is now "Spotted Dust," because he saw some spots in the dirt at Mexican Hat that were put there by some rain drops last night. Rain here is that rare. Pee Wee is "Looks At Clouds" because every now and then he looks at the clouds and tells us the animals he sees in the clouds. I'm "Two Dogs," because I noticed several dogs today and they were always in pairs.

We stopped for ten minutes in Bluff, Utah because Spotted Dust spotted the Twin Rocks, which are well known rock formations.

Then we drove an hour to the Four Corners Monument, which is the only place in the nation where you can stand in one spot and be in 4 states. Those 4 states are Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. We covered all 4 states in our photo.

While at Four Corners, we were able to do another good deed. Pee Wee made friends with an old Navajo woman who was selling jewelry in a booth. She told Pee Wee she was hungry but could not leave her booth. So after our photo session at the 4 corners spot we presented her with Navajo frybread from a concession stand far from her booth. She was very happy and loved hearing about our trip.

Then on to Canyon de Chelly. We met a man yesterday who told us it would be a great stop and he was right. We all thought the canyon actually holds more beauty than the Grand Canyon, just not as astonishing.

Our last stop was a 28 mile drive through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Park. All I can say is Arizona is loaded with much more than its fair share of beautiful and incredible sites. Our car is filled with "Unbelievable!" and "Look at that!" and "Incredible!" The Painted Desert and Petrified Forest did all that and more. Spotted Dust and Looks At Clouds are sitting on one of the petrified logs and Two Dogs is looking out at the Painted Desert in the photos below.

We don't know where we're going tomorrow - we're staying in Holbrook, Arizona - not far from Winslow. Maybe we'll stand on a corner there and look for a flatbed Ford.