An article from Traveling Pat!
Patricia is a regular contributor. She has an adventurous spirit with a love for travel. Follow along with Pat as her journey takes her around the world.
Hard as it is to leave Tucson with its wonderful 80- 90-degree weather every day, plus the luscious joy of an 88-degree swimming pool, we reluctantly commence our journey back to Canada. It’s time for us to head back for the summer. The prize at the end of the rainbow though is to be reunited with our family and friends again. So long to swimming every day!
Jag loaded to the gills we drive up to Northern Arizona and the Navajo Indian reservation. This area is home to the revered Navajo Code talkers. Bi-lingual English and Navajo speakers, these brave and clever men created an unbreakable code that confounded the Japanese and contributed greatly to the success of World War 2.
The first day finds us at the
NAVAJO NATIONAL MONUMENT:
Located in the North Eastern part of the state it is about 140 miles northeast of Flagstaff.
During the 13th century, decedents of the Hopi people lived in cliff dwellings or “pueblos” which were sheltered under gigantic rock formations. In 1907 the discovery of these remarkable monuments from the ancient past electrified historians. Along with the dwellings they found fabulous Anasazi pottery baskets and even well preserved ears of corn.
LOWER ANTELOPE CANYON TRIBAL PARK
This is truly one of nature’s treasures and we were extremely fortunate to be able to see this magnificent spectacle. Millions of years of water erosion turned a simple creek into an extraordinary slot canyon. In some places it is 100 feet deep and the walls are made up of layer upon layer of sandstone that in turn has formed all kinds of shapes and colour variations.
Just a few years ago out of the blue, on sunny, hot cloudless day water from over 35 miles away cascaded down from the mountain and blasted through the canyon with devastating force. Unfortunately 11 hikers were in the middle of it. They didn’t stand a chance. A lone plaque in front bears the names of the unfortunate victims. Such is the force of nature.
VERMILLION CLIFFS
This area is chock-o-block with breathtaking sites. These 3,000-foot cliffs loom over the desert floor, towering like majestic fortresses. We drove past miles and miles of red, brown and pink hues memorized by the enormity of it all.
Hope you enjoyed the photos.
Pat
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