June 6, 2005

Farmington, NM to Flagstaff, AZ

We were up and out by 7 a.m. Just past the town of Shiprock was a mysterious monolith sitting out by itself in the middle of an otherwise huge expanse of flat desert. The Indians had a special name for it that I didn't write down, but they said it had spiritual significance for them. What an odd sight it was; sort of like Devils Tower in Wyoming.

The desert in Arizone was pretty awesome too.

Drove to the Four Corners and took pictures. The marker was just sitting in the middle of nowhere, but had an entrance fee and a ring of Navajo vendors almost completely surrounding it where you could buy jewelry and Navajo flatbread. We arrived too early to have to pay the entrance fee and before the vendors had opened their stands. A number of them were just arriving at about the same time and preparing to open their booths.

Rode around Utah. It is really gorgeous!! WOW!! Breathtaking!! These massive towers of rock stand in the middle of valleys that used to be huge riverbeds.
After riding around for three hours, we stopped in the town of Mexican Hat, Utah, for breakfast. This is a picture of the Mexican Hat rock just outside of the town of Mexican hat which looks like it should fall over with the slightest wind, but it somehow manages to have stayed up there for many, many years.

After breakfast, we road through Monument Valley. Amazing rock formations all over the place. We also saw the Painted Desert on the way to the Grand Canyon. Unbelievable and beautiful; the colors were spectacular. Pictures would not do it justice and neither do words.

The Grand Canyon is awesome! We went up in a tower at the East entrance and saw the vastness of the canyon from up high. Then we went to a couple of other look-outs in the park. You could see the tiny-tiny Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon.
From there we drove to Flagstaff, Arizona. Seventy-four miles with SEVERE wind gusts. It was also very cool. Yea!! There is a Buffalo Wild Wings right across the street from the motel!! We put another 450 miles on today!!! Lovein' it!!!!

End Point: Flagstaff, AZ
Odometer at End Point: 17134
Miles Traveled: 450
Places we visited:

Ship Rock Monolith
Valley of the Gods
Mexican Hat Rock
Monument Valley
Painted Desert
Grand Canyon
Kaibab National Forest
Prescott National Forest

Click here to go on to:  June 7, 2005   --Flagstaff, AZ to Ridge Crest, CA

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