Canyon de Chelly National Monument

Canyon de Chelly National Monument<br /><br />Canyon de Chelly is quite unlike Monument Valley. Where Monument Valley is stark and golden desert, Canyon de Chelly is pink and warm. It is one of the most appealing of Arizonas canyons. This park boasts towering sculpted rock formations, sheer and colorful cliffs, and picture postcard scenery. It is inhabited both by modern day Native Americans and memories of ancient ones. 1350, abandoned their dwellings forever. Their spirit infuses the ruins within the canyon walls. Hundreds of ancient communities, many of them poised on sandstone ledges within colorful caverns, give witness to the earlier vitality of this place. The Navajos arrived in the area sometime before the eighteenth century. Even today, a small enclave of Navajo families live in modern dwellings on the canyon floor, tend sheep, and grow crops. The rug room at the Hubbell Trading Post rivals any museum collection in the world. If youre in the market for a Navajo rug, this is an ideal place to shop. The knowledgeable salespeople will be happy to tell you about the patterns and weavers. The only modern day touch is that, along with the name of the weaver, youll also occasionally find a Polaroid photograph of the weaver attached to the ticket. You also can browse through exquisite jewelry, sandpaintings, books, and trinkets or even pick up food supplies if you plan to camp in the area. Groceries are sold in the front room. This chapter from the DayTrips series describes many fascinating, exciting, and many free of charge things to do, most within a two hour drive of Flagstaff. Each Day Trip includes destination highlights, places to visit along the way, choice restaurants and lodging, and shopping.<br /><br />Canyon de Chelly is quite unlike Monument Valley. Where Monument Valley is stark and golden desert, Canyon de Chelly is pink and warm. It is one of the most appealing of Arizonas canyons. This park boasts towering sculpted rock formations, sheer and colorful cliffs, and picture postcard scenery. It is inhabited both by modern day Native Americans and memories of ancient ones. 1350, abandoned their dwellings forever. Their spirit infuses the ruins within the canyon walls. Hundreds of ancient communities, many of them poised on sandstone ledges within colorful caverns, give witness to the earlier vitality of this place. The Navajos arrived in the area sometime before the eighteenth century. Even today, a small enclave of Navajo families live in modern dwellings on the canyon floor, tend sheep, and grow crops. The rug room at the Hubbell Trading Post rivals any museum collection in the world. If youre in the market for a Navajo rug, this is an ideal place to shop. The knowledgeable salespeople will be happy to tell you about the patterns and weavers. The only modern day touch is that, along with the name of the weaver, youll also occasionally find a Polaroid photograph of the weaver attached to the ticket. You also can browse through exquisite jewelry, sandpaintings, books, and trinkets or even pick up food supplies if you plan to camp in the area. Groceries are sold in the front room. This chapter from the DayTrips series describes many fascinating, exciting, and many free of charge things to do, most within a two hour drive of Flagstaff. Each Day Trip includes destination highlights, places to visit along the way, choice restaurants and lodging, and shopping.