In June 2024, Debra and I took a road trip from northern Arizona through central Utah - from our home in Show Low to Salt Lake City. Why Salt Lake City? To renew our wedding vows in our Golden Anniversary year! We did a bit of sightseeing, too. Click HERE to read an intro to our trip.
Our ceremony was perfect and the sights we saw were amazing!
This story, the first in a series, is about the first leg of our trip - from Show to Moab that included a look-see at Canyon de Chelly.
Our ceremony was perfect and the sights we saw were amazing!
This story, the first in a series, is about the first leg of our trip - from Show to Moab that included a look-see at Canyon de Chelly.
Moab, Utah (June 13, 2024) I don’t recall the first time I laid eyes on the red rocks that surrounded Sedona, but I remember the feeling I had when I did:
AWE!
I was wonderstruck by the rugged landscape—a natural spectacle in vibrant shades of red, with massive cliffs and spires sculpted by erosion that were stunning and beautiful.
What made the red rock red? I wondered.
The answer, I learned, was simple:
The answer, I learned, was simple:
Rust
Tens of millions of years ago, when the Sedona area was at the bottom of a sea, porous layers of sandstone—formed from the shells of sea creatures— absorbed a reddish form of iron oxide called hematite. Iron oxide + water + oxygen = rust, and it was this rust that turned the rock red.
How unique, I thought.
Or was it?
How unique, I thought.
Or was it?
It was half past 8AM when Debra and I set out for Moab, a town in eastern Utah that was a waypoint en route to our weekend getaway in Salt Lake City.
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But Moab wasn’t the only waypoint on our journey, as we stopped for lunch at Junction Restaurant in Chinle, Arizona—rated #1 on TripAdvisor, my go-to source for ratings and reviews. We were not disappointed, as our bacon-topped cheeseburger and fries were deelish!
After lunch, while Debra freshened up in the ladies’ room, I Google ‘Canyon de Chelly,’ located minutes from the restaurant. |
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Yá'át'ééh! Welcome to the Homeland of the Dine’
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The canyon is home to Dine' families who raise livestock, farm lands, and live here. People have lived in these canyons for nearly 5,000 years, which is longer than anyone has lived continuously on the Colorado Plateau. In this place called Tsegi, their homes and images tell us their stories. Today, the park and Navajo Nation work together to manage the rich cultural and natural resources.
~ National Park Service
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Canyon de Chelly National Monument—‘Chelly’ is pronounced ‘Shay,’ a Spanish pronunciation of the Navajo word ‘Tsegi,’ which means ‘in between the rocks’—has been on my bucket list for a long time because of its cultural significance and scenic beauty. And while Debra and I did not have time to explore much of the canyon this day, my Google search revealed three overlooks—Tunnel Canyon, Tsegi, and Junction—within a few miles of Junction Restaurant.
When I shared this with Debra, she smiled and said, “Would you like to have a look before we head to Moab?” |
(Oh, how I love my wife!)
“You bet!” I replied, and with that, we drove to Tunnel Canyon Overlook.
This view, from a pull-off along the South Rim Drive, was breathtaking!
“You bet!” I replied, and with that, we drove to Tunnel Canyon Overlook.
This view, from a pull-off along the South Rim Drive, was breathtaking!
The walls of Tunnel Canyon—primarily sandstone rich in hematite—were formed over millions of years as water and wind eroded rocks that were thrust up (a “geologic uplift”) from the earth’s surface. Perhaps Tunnel Canyon was not as grand as the Grand Canyon, but still…it was spectacular!
I was curious about the thick grove of trees we saw on the floor of the canyon. Were the trees fed by rainfall…or does a river run through it?
‘Does a river run through Canyon de Chelly’ I typed into the Google search bar on my phone. Within seconds, I had my answer: Chinle Creek, which originated in the Chuska Mountains northeast of Chinle, flowed through the canyon, and it was this creek and its tributaries that were largely responsible for the lush and vibrant landscape.
The scenes at Tsegi Overlook and Junction Overlook—more red sandstone, which was NOT unique to Sedona—were striking, too!
I was curious about the thick grove of trees we saw on the floor of the canyon. Were the trees fed by rainfall…or does a river run through it?
‘Does a river run through Canyon de Chelly’ I typed into the Google search bar on my phone. Within seconds, I had my answer: Chinle Creek, which originated in the Chuska Mountains northeast of Chinle, flowed through the canyon, and it was this creek and its tributaries that were largely responsible for the lush and vibrant landscape.
The scenes at Tsegi Overlook and Junction Overlook—more red sandstone, which was NOT unique to Sedona—were striking, too!
Tsegi Overlook
Junction Overlook
Canyon de Chelly is owned by the Navajo Tribal Trust for the benefit of the Navajo Nation (pop. 165,000), and about 40 Navajo families—fewer than a couple hundred people, I would think—lived within the boundaries of the park. And wouldn’t you know it…Debra and I met someone who did.
His English name is Andrew Henry, and we crossed paths in the parking lot at Tsegi Overlook. (As an aside, when I asked him his Navajo name, he said, “I cannot share it with you, as my name is sacred and known only to my family and friends.”)
Andrew is a renowned silversmith, and he had many of his artistic creations—necklaces, earrings, bolo ties, and rings—displayed on a table near his SUV. “I am best known for my storyteller bracelets,” he said, “which depict traditional Navajo life within the walls of Canyon de Chelly.”
His English name is Andrew Henry, and we crossed paths in the parking lot at Tsegi Overlook. (As an aside, when I asked him his Navajo name, he said, “I cannot share it with you, as my name is sacred and known only to my family and friends.”)
Andrew is a renowned silversmith, and he had many of his artistic creations—necklaces, earrings, bolo ties, and rings—displayed on a table near his SUV. “I am best known for my storyteller bracelets,” he said, “which depict traditional Navajo life within the walls of Canyon de Chelly.”
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He showed two bracelets to us—one made of bronze and sterling silver, the other of sterling silver only. I tried on both—they were sized for men—and fell in love with the former…so I bought it.
Andrew gave me a postcard that told his story, with a photo of him at work in his studio at his home on the floor of the canyon. A drawing on the postcard listed each element on the bracelet—Spider Rock, a hogan, cottonwood trees, White House ruins, and more. |
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It was a lovely coincidence to meet Andrew—and with my purchase, I had a handsome keepsake to remember that moment by!
“Satisfied with your look-see of Canyon de Chelly?” Debra asked.
“For now,” I replied with a wink, already formulating plans to return one day soon to see Spider Rock and other formations.
“Satisfied with your look-see of Canyon de Chelly?” Debra asked.
“For now,” I replied with a wink, already formulating plans to return one day soon to see Spider Rock and other formations.
As we traveled north on US-191 towards Moab—it was nearly 200 miles from Chinle, and it took a little more than three hours to navigate this stretch of road—we passed Many Farms and Rock Point, two small Navajo communities, before we crossed the border into Utah.
The section of US-191 north of the San Juan River (in Utah) on up to Blanding is part of the 480-mile ‘Trail of the Ancients,’ a scenic byway “showcasing archaeological, cultural, and historical sites…through some of the most spectacular ruins of the Desert Southwest.” We could not see any sites from the road—although we spotted road markers for some—but there was always something scenic to look at, including more eye-catching red rock formations, as we drove into and through the Canyonlands Region of Utah.
“You can’t experience this when you fly,” I said to Debra. “I’m so glad we made our weekend getaway a road trip!”
We booked a one-night stay at Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn, a three-star hotel that we gave five stars to because the staff was personable, the hotel was clean and quiet, and the bed and bedding were oh-so-comfortable!
The scenery surrounding Moab was as dramatic as we saw in Canyon de Chelly, with towering formations of red rock that created “an otherworldly landscape as beautiful as it is surreal.” Because of the time of day we arrived, my best photos were the ones I snapped as we drove from Moab the next morning. These are two of my favorites.
“You can’t experience this when you fly,” I said to Debra. “I’m so glad we made our weekend getaway a road trip!”
We booked a one-night stay at Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn, a three-star hotel that we gave five stars to because the staff was personable, the hotel was clean and quiet, and the bed and bedding were oh-so-comfortable!
The scenery surrounding Moab was as dramatic as we saw in Canyon de Chelly, with towering formations of red rock that created “an otherworldly landscape as beautiful as it is surreal.” Because of the time of day we arrived, my best photos were the ones I snapped as we drove from Moab the next morning. These are two of my favorites.
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We had dinner at Dewey’s Restaurant and Bar—steak fettuccine for Debra, chicken chimichurri for me. The service was great…and the food was even better!
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“It’s too early for bed,” Debra said. “Let’s take a walk about town.”
And that’s what we did—we strolled a couple of blocks along Main Street in one direction, then backtracked to our hotel—not much more than a mile overall. We stopped in several stores, including Wanderlust Moab and Hogan Trading Company, and left a few dollars behind in exchange for ‘trinkets’ we couldn’t do without.
And that was our day from start to finish—a day in which we “discovered” the majestic red rock country of northeastern Arizona and southeastern Utah.
And that’s what we did—we strolled a couple of blocks along Main Street in one direction, then backtracked to our hotel—not much more than a mile overall. We stopped in several stores, including Wanderlust Moab and Hogan Trading Company, and left a few dollars behind in exchange for ‘trinkets’ we couldn’t do without.
And that was our day from start to finish—a day in which we “discovered” the majestic red rock country of northeastern Arizona and southeastern Utah.