Standin' on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona (Navajo County, Arizona)

 Okay, okay . . . it may be a little cheesy, but it wasn't my idea. Returning to Phoenix from Canyon de Chelly, our group stopped in Winslow, Arizona for a second lunch. Of course, we had to dine across the street from a certain corner made famous by the Eagles' song 'Take it Easy'. And as you can see, the statue is doing just as the lyrics describe, with the mural behind him portraying the second part of the verse:

"Well, I'm a standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona

and such a fine sight to see

it's a girl, my Lord, in a flat bed Ford

slowin' down to take a look at me"

There really isn't much here in this small desert town, but since we were driving nearby anyway, it made sense to stop. And now, I can say that I've been here and stood on that corner. With only an hour or so drive remaining, hopefully the sound of our own wheels won't drive us crazy.

Canyon de Chelly (Apache County, Arizona)

As anyone who reads any of my blog posts will know, I really enjoy finding Native American rock art and ancient dwellings. I've spent a great deal of time in the middle of nowhere in the desert southwest searching for and often finding petroglyphs, pictographs, geoglyphs and cliff dwellings. One area that I've never been able to visit though is Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Part of this is just due to not planning the trip, but the other aspect is the accessibility. The park is administered by the National Park Service, but owned by and contained within the Navajo Nation. Visitors are allowed to drive along the rims, but can only visit the canyon floors with a park ranger or Navajo guide. About a year ago, I learned that REI contracts with the Navajo to plan camping and hiking trips into the canyon. I was anxious to take part in this activity and registered for it some time ago. 

Day 1

When the dates finally arrived, I flew from Atlanta to Phoenix and spent he night at a nearby hotel before meeting my guides and group on Friday morning. After some introductions and a quick discussion of the day's itinerary, we loaded our gear and ourselves onto the van and set off for the northeastern corner of Arizona, where Canyon de Chelly is located. Our group consisted of our two guides and six participants. Along the way, we stopped at Petrified Trees National Park for lunch and some light hiking. It was a great stop and I made a separate write-up about it.

Late in the afternoon, we arrived at the Thunderbird Lodge just outside the park. This would be our accommodations for the evening. After getting checked in though, we took a ride out to the Spider Rock viewing point to take in a magnificent sunset over the canyon. Spider Rock is a tall sandstone spire rising some 750 feet from the canyon floor at the junction of Monument Canyon and Canyon de Chelly. Navajo legends tell of the Spider Grandmother who lived atop the tall formation. We relax here for a short time taking pictures and just taking in the magnificent views before us.

As we wait for the Sun to descend to the horizon, we hear wild turkeys in the lush green trees growing around the dry creek bed in the center of the canyon. We scramble around on the rocks ledges trying to find the perfect shot and finally settle on what we believe will be the best view. A very short time later, the bright light of the orange sun sinks to the horizon and gradually becomes a fantastic shade of pinkish-red, before finally dropping below the distant canyon ridge and leaving hues of pink and orange in the clouds for us to admire. We snap a myriad of photos before heading back to the lodge. 

Once we arrive back, we enjoy a quick dinner in the restaurant and then all attend a Navajo dance ceremony, celebrating their rich culture and heritage. It's here that I learned that the Navajo migrated to this region only about four-hundred years ago, and well after the ancient Pueblo or Anasazi has long abandoned the area.

Returning to my spacious room, I crawl in my bed and quickly fall asleep. We'll have plenty of activity tomorrow and the long drive and big meal has made me sleepy. I'm thrilled to be here though. I can feel how special this place is.

Day 2

I awake early and get a quick shower, before heading to meet my group for breakfast. After we've filled our bellies, we load back into the van and are driven to the White House Overlook Road, where we are let out to begin today's hike. Our overnight gear will be taken to our campsite in the canyon below by truck. We simply carry daypacks.

With our Navajo guide and his gorgeous dog, Shiloh, now accompanying us, we're all set to begin the descent into the canyon along the White House Trail. The first bit is a road walk, but soon, we hit the sandstone and make our way down. From what our guide tells us, this area was once the location for a western film called MacKenna's Gold. Since returning home, I've searched for the movie on the various streaming services we subscribe to, but it doesn't appear to be available on any of them. I'll find it though. 

The way down is relatively easy, but somewhat steep. Everyone in our group has experience hiking and backpacking, which makes this much easier. The Sandstone has been carved into rolling hills here along the descending cliff, much like "The Wave", but without the color variations. Here, the stone is almost entirely orange with just small streaks of softer colors.

After only about two miles, we reach the canyon floor and spend some time admiring the White House, which is an ancient Anasazi cliff dwelling and one of the largest in the park. I've seen a number of cliff dwellings at other sites in this part of the country, but they never fail to impress me. The ancient peoples who lived here a thousand or more years ago were magnificent architects and even better rock-climbers. It's my understanding that they build their domiciles in this elevated areas for protection from both predators and from enemies. Who would dare try to and climb to these precarious homes at the risk of falling to one's death. 

From here, we follow the Canyon Road, which is nothing more than a sandy wash that trucks owned by the Navajo travel the canyon on. The ground is level, but walking in deep sand makes for hard work, especially with the Arizona sun beating down on us. Along the way, we encounter a number of wild mustangs grazing. Beautiful animals, which were very valuable to the Navajo after they were brought here by the Spanish. The Anasazi had no such beasts of burden at their disposal since they were here many centuries before the Spanish.

In the cliffs on either side of us, we see several other dwellings and grain storage bins built by the Anasazi. Our guide tells us the Navajo didn't make much use of the abandoned Anasazi structures when they arrived and so they have been left to the mercy of the elements here. For the to have survived for more than a millennia is amazing and a testament to their construction.

We've been traveling within Canyon de Chelly, but when we reach the junction with Canyon del Muerto (also part of the park), we stop for lunch before heading to our campsite further down the later canyon. Our guides built some wonderful Asian-style chicken wraps for us for lunch. We all pop a squat in the sand under some trees and refuel a bit. The mustangs have caught up to us and seem quite curious about our food. They don't cause any issues though and begin grazing nearby. 

After I finish my wrap, I wander a short distance a way to see another cliff dwelling our guide told us about. As I return, the others are heading over to visit it. Soon, with our hunger satiated, we continue our hike to tonight's campsite, which is still about four miles away.

The sand seems to get deeper and we do our best to find more solid ground to walk on, but it's not much use. I remember long ago thinking how much fun it would be to run along the beach, as we see in the movies. That is until I finally did it and realized how difficult running in sand actually is. This is no different. Every step is a workout.

Eventually, we reach our campsite, having hiked about 9.1 miles today. One of our two REI guides came down with the trucks and has spent the day erecting our tents. They are HUGE. This is by far the largest tent I've ever been in and I've got one all to myself. I joke that if anyone is looking for space, I would be willing to rent some out. That gets quite a laugh. I guess we'll be sort of 'glamping' on this trip. We all relax around fire pit and relax while our guides prepare dinner. We talk of the days of high adventure. 

Around six and with our dinner complete, we are summoned to the makeshift kitchen area to fill our plates with a delicious chicken pasta and fresh salad. As night settles and it gets a little cooler, we all settle around the campfire and enjoy some stargazing. With no major cities nearby and only the light of the fire to limit our night vision, we are able to see a vast array of stars. I catch a shooting star directly overhead. Our Navajo guide shares some of the interesting stories and legends of his people about this area. I really appreciate being able to learn about Navajo culture from a member of the tribe. 

With the colder night air settling in, we begin to break away and head to our respective tents. I had set up my sleep system earlier and now only need to strip some layers off and crawl into my sleeping bag. I left the rain fly off my tent and continue stargazing from my back and through the mesh ceiling of the giant tent for a while before finally dozing off to never-never land.

Day 3

I awaken a bit before the everyone else and about an hour before sunrise. It was cool overnight, but not cold. I was very comfortable sleeping. First order of business this morning is to head over to our designated restroom station. Upon my return, I find a camp chair at the fire and continue my stargazing. I catch a second shooting star just over the northern canyon wall. This one lasts a bit longer than the one I saw last night. 

Soon my companions rise and join me, just as the sun begins to illuminate the canyon. We relax around the campfire, which one of the guides restarted. It's not cold, but a nice campfire always warms not only the body, but the soul. Our guides are busy preparing a hearty breakfast of sausage, French toast, and cantaloupe. Soon they ring the dinner bell and we all go fill our plates. It's delicious and quite filling.

With some time to spare before we head out for the day, I decide to explore the canyon nook we are camping in. As I wander around the perimeter, I discover poisonous, but beautiful moon flowers, grape vines, and the poisonous nightshade berries, which seem to be very plentiful here. I also find some small shards that were likely pottery at one time. Perhaps, they washed down from the canyon walls above.

Returning to camp, I take advantage of the sandwich station our guides prepared and make a turkey, cheese, avocado, and hummus sandwich to take with me for lunch. We'll be hiking further into the canyon today and then returning to this base camp to sleep under the stars once more. 

We depart camp about 10:00 AM and travel northwest in a somewhat zig-zag pattern as dictated by the tall canyon walls around us. Very soon after departing, we reach another ruin known as Antelope House. This one however is essentially at the base of the canyon wall and would not have really required much climbing to reach. Also, there is a Navajo-run snack and jewelry stand here. We pause for a short time, while some of my fellow participants browse, but we're soon on the trail again. 

Our next major landmark is Fortress Rock, where more than a hundred Navajo hid from the American military for several weeks. The tall island in the middle of the canyon appears to be unclimbable, but our guide exclaims that the backside has a way up - precarious, but possible. 

As we make our way further into the canyon, we encounter more cliff dwellings, grain silos, and wild mustangs. We also begin to see more petroglyphs and pictographs. These illustrations are a combination of Anasazi and Navajo. The two can be distinguished between by the location and content for the most part. The Navajo art is generally lower to the ground and in some cases represents men on horseback. This timeframe makes a particular panel obviously Navajo, as the Anasazi wouldn't have known of horses.

Some of the works are quite elaborate, including one in an area known as White Cow, where a woman referred to a the Loom Lady still weaves rugs to this day. We are asked to not take pictures of the Navajo or their homes without permission, and being respectful, our entire group carefully photographs the rock art without including Loom Lady's home.

A burro has been following us for a while, but soon diverts across the creek bed and continues on ahead of us. Near Many Cherry Canyon, we see another structure atop the cliff wall, but our guide exclaims that this one is actually Navajo and not Anasazi. Resting at the fork of two smaller canyons, it was used as a lookout when the Navajo and American military were in conflict. Another group of mustangs passes under the dwelling as they walk past us.

Our guides weren't sure how far we would make it today, but with everyone of us being a strong hiker, we reach Blue Bull, which is one of the most amazing petroglyph panels I have ever seen. Before exploring it though, we stop and enjoy the sandwiches we made for lunch. Luckily, we find some cottonwoods with the roots exposed and use these as seats while we feed ourselves. 

With lunch out of the way, we leave our day packs and wander a short distance to the rock art panel. This panel is most likely Navajo in origin due to the types of images, but there are so many. On the right, a large bull stained in blue on the the red sandstone gives the area its name. Horses, human figures, spirals, hand prints and all kinds of other images cover this wall. It's amazing and represents the reason I love finding these types of things.

After spending some time exploring the area, we had back to where we dropped our packs and begin heading back to camp the way we came. The return trip is relatively uneventful and after a couple of hours, are back around the campfire. Our distance for the day is 11.9 miles, which is a pretty decent hike. Luckily, the sand was not nearly as deep in this part of the canyon. I'm not sure I would have made it that distance in the deep sand we had yesterday.

For dinner tonight, our guides have prepared a fajita-like spread with chicken and flank steak. Though, I didn't actually make a taco out of mine, I did really enjoy the meal provided. It was just the body needed after a hot day of hiking. With night settling in, we once again, return to our tents and call it a night. With a slight chance of rain, I had put the rain fly on this morning before we left. I also wanted to try sleeping a different way to relieve some of the back pain I've been experiencing. I used two of the camp chairs in my tent and essentially reclined into one while in my sleeping back, while putting my feet up on the other. I can't normally sleep like this in a tent, but with the spaciousness of these tent mansions, I figured I might as well give it a try.

Day 4

I slept in just a bit later this morning, but I'm still the first one up. I think the comfort of sleeping in chairs as I did last night allowed me to better relax and get better sleep. As I make my way out of my tent, others are stirring as well and soon we get another campfire going to ward off the cool morning air. It was good sleeping weather again last night, but a fire to warm up by is always nice. 

With this being our last day in the canyon, we eat a quick breakfast of muffins and fruit and begin breaking down our tents and gear to be hauled by truck back up to the top. The massive tent disassembles much easier than I had expected and within just a few minutes, I'm all packed up and ready to go. I offer to assist others, but they all seem to have it well in hand and I just relax for a bit and enjoy the last embers of the campfire. 

Soon our gear is loaded onto the trucks and we begin our shorter, but more adventurous hike out of the canyon. Returning part of the way we had hiked on Saturday afternoon, we reach the Bear Trail, as our guide calls it. From here, we begin ascending the canyon wall. Most of it is pretty easy, but there are some really steep sections where we need to use both hand and tole holds that have been carved into the sandstone. It's a bit of a work out and I'm reminded of how badly I need to drop a few pounds. 

After about 3.6 miles and 800 feet of ascent, we reach the top and find our loaded van awaiting us. This is where we leave our Navajo guide and we all thank him for sharing his expertise and culture with us. I believe everyone offers him a gratuity, which he richly deserved. With our gear already in the trailer, we climb aboard and head back towards civilization. We return to the Thunderbird Lodge, where we stayed on Friday night for a restroom break and use the nearby picnic area to enjoy some Caesar chicken wraps for lunch. Now we just have a four or so hour drive to get back to Phoenix, though we'll make one more stop along the way.

Petrified Forest (Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona)

I'm in Arizona for a few days to do some camping and hiking in Canyon de Chelly National Monument with REI. From Phoenix, it's a four or so hour drive and to break up the monotony and give everyone a chance to stretch our legs, we stopped for lunch at Petrified Forest National Park. As this is my first time visiting this park, I was looking forward to exploring a little bit.

While our guides prepared some lunch for the group, most of us explored the Giant Logs Trail behind the Rainbow Forest Visitor's Center. Even though we're well into October, it's still very warm here in the open desert and I'm glad to have had some sun protection on. The trail winds and wanders through some terrific specimen of petrified trees. As I understand it, about 225 million years ago downed trees accumulated in river channels and were often buried by volcanic ash. Over the eons, groundwater carried silica and other minerals from the ash into the logs where it gradually replaced the organic matter and petrified the logs. The beautiful colorations are attributed to this minerals, while the structure is due to the cell walls of the formerly living trees.

I've seen petrified wood many times before, but not in such concentration. The ground is covered with beautiful sections of logs as far as the eye can see in practically every direction. While the crystals now forming the objects are incredibly hard to the touch, there is no mistaking their former incarnation as living trees. The structures are quite obvious. It is curious though that the logs break into such perfect sections, almost as if cut with a chainsaw.

After enjoying a wonderful charcuterie lunch, we climb in the van and continue on our journey, but before too long, we stop at another trail for more sightseeing at he Crystal Forest. Here, we make a loop of approximately half-a-mile through even more stunning examples of the crystalized wood. The quantity of specimen here just blows the mind. To think that all of these 'rocks' were living trees in ages past. In some examples, it's even possible to see the bark separating from the inner wood - astounding!

Finally, we make our way to Newspaper Rock, which is a series of large house-sized boulders with numerous petroglyphs carved into them. The guides made an unplanned stop here after I explained my interest in Native American rock art. The examples here are well worth seeing, but must be viewed at quite a distance unfortunately. One of the guides shares her binoculars with me, which makes the whole stop worthwhile.

After this last stop, we are back on the road and headed for our destination inside Canyon de Chelly. I'm really grateful to our guides for having made this stop. It was well worth it and it was nice to get a little exercise on what would have otherwise been a very lazy day driving to the park.

Woodfin Falls (Jackson County, North Carolina)

 

For my final diversionary stop along my route to Asheville, NC, I drive a short distance up the famous Blue Ridge Parkway to Woodfin Falls. Confusing the parking area, I mistakenly stopped at the Woodfin Valley Overlook first, but quickly realized my mistake. The area I actually needed was another mile or so up the road. Once I arrived, I quickly headed across the road to the sounds of children playing. When I arrived at the ridge above the waterfall, I was a little disappointed. I bet this waterfall is beautiful after a rain, but there isn't much to see after the dry spell we've recently had and only a trickle of water flows over the cascades. It's still a pretty area though and I'm happy to have any chance at all to visit the parkway again.

Cullasaja Falls (Macon County, North Carolina)

 

The next planned stop on my route towards Asheville, NC sees me stopping at Cullasaja Falls. With the road wrapping around the gorge of the same name, there isn't much room to park and I struggle to find a spot that keeps me off the road. Eventually, I back my way into what I think will be a safe spot, but it's really sketchy here due to the blind twists and turns of the road. 

I make my way just a few yards scrambling down over a series of rocks until the beautiful waterfall comes into clear view. With the fall colors, this truly is a beauty and I'm really glad I stopped. It's probably possible to make it down to the base, but with limited time and no desire to injure myself, I settle for my current view and snap a few pictures before heading back to the car and continuing on my journey.

Tessentee Bottomlands Trail (Macon County, North Carolina)

 
I'm on my way to Asheville, NC this morning to meet some friends and attend a craft beer and music festival, but along the way, I always look for interesting sites or places to stretch my legs. When reviewing the trails near my route, I stumbled across the Tessentee Bottomlands Preserve and Trails. It peaked my interest enough to take a very short detour to check it out.

When I arrived at the parking area, I easily found parking along with two other cars and quickly start my way into the woods along the obvious trail. The route is wide and well maintained as it meanders through the wooded area at the confluence of the Little Tennessee River and Tessentee Creek. 

Before long, I come upon an old farmstead that I had read about at the trailhead. Here an old house with turn of the century equipment stands as a reminder of how the people of this area lived a century or more ago. A few related structures remain behind the main house and the rusted and decayed frame of some type of farm equipment or vehicle sits in a mess of weeds across from the house. I take a few photos and then head on. This is only a short trail, but with all of weekend luggage in the car, I don't wait to be away too long.

From there the trail splits into several different loops. I opt for one that I think will take me towards the river, but instead just makes it's way around a high point in these bottomlands. Still though, the area is very pretty and it's nice to stretch my legs a bit. Eventually, I do find a connecting trail and way down to the river. It leads right to the confluence of the two streams. The water is fairly muddy, but it's obvious that this little river is somewhat deep at least here at the confluence. Several pieces of driftwood have gotten hung up here and it all makes for a fairly scenic spot.

Returning to the trail, I encounter a couple that have found a beautiful little view looking down on the creek through some of the autumn foliage. They very considerately off to move and allow me to take a couple of shots. Serene is the best word I can think of to describe the feeling of this place. 

Just a bit further and the trail begins to cut back towards the parking area, but has changed to single track now and undulates through the woods. There are a number of roots lining the surface and in one spot, small logs have been hammered into the ground near a tree overrun with grapevines to form a set of steps up a particularly steep section.

Arriving back at my car, I see that I've only hiked about 1.4 miles, but it was enough to get some fresh air before I return to the highway. This is a gorgeous little area with enough interesting landmarks to make it a worthwhile stop for anyone in a similar situation to myself on this day. For now though, it's time to hit the road and make my way to the next couple of small stops.

Georgia Aquarium (Fulton County, Georgia)

 

My hiking time was limited this morning because we had arranged to take my mother to the Georgia Aquarium today. She gets stuck in the house quite a bit and while she can't walk long distances, we purchased a wheel chair for her several months ago and the aquarium is supposedly wheel chair compliant. I think she'll really enjoy this place. My wife and I visited here shortly after moving to the Atlanta area with her brother's young family. It was a great time and while not exactly an outdoor adventure like most of my write-ups, I think it has a place here.

After we parked the car, we decided to grab some quick lunch before entering the aquarium facility, as we were all pretty hungry. Once we finished, I wheeled mom up the ramp and we entered the aquarium. It's crazy busy, but most people are specially aware and polite enough to give room to someone in a wheel chair. Not all, but most! For our first stop, we head into the shark area and witness some dangerous hammerheads and sand sharks swimming around. Pretty impressive animals.

Next, we headed into the auditorium to see the dolphin show. Themed for the upcoming Halloween holiday, we get to watch the dolphins and trainers show off their speed and leaping skills. The auditorium had elevator access and we were directed to a an area to mom in the wheel chair. It worked out pretty well and I think she really enjoyed it.

After leaving the auditorium, we passed through River Scout area and got to see some alligators and turtles sunning themselves in the simulated sunlight. This facility is home to a number of albino alligators, which is quite interesting. Apparently, these animals don't survive long in the wild due to their inability to ambush their prey. They are often brought here and to other preserves to extend their lives and livelihood.

Mom wanted to see some penguins and so we headed into the Cold Water Quest area next. There were a great many of them going about their daily affairs. I think she got a kick out of watching their antics.

For our last stop, we visited the gigantic Ocean Voyager aquarium. At 6.3 million gallons, this large area is home to whale sharks, sea turtles, rays, and a broad spectrum of other ocean dwellers. We took some time and I walked mom down to the large viewing area where she stared in awe and the gigantic and colorful creatures parading in front of her. 

I think she really enjoyed here time at the aquarium, but with the Atlanta Falcons game ending very shortly nearby, we want to get out of downtown traffic as quickly as possible before getting stuck. After a quick trip through the gift shop, we make our way to the car and head for home.

Autrey Mill (Gwinnett County, Georgia)

 

Time is short, but I decided to try to get out for a short hike this morning. For my trail, I chose to return to Autrey Mill, which is a pleasant little preserve just a few miles from my house. I tried to hike here a couple of months back, but the rain had other ideas and I didn't get to see the entire trail system. I'm not sure my time limitations will allow me to see the whole thing today either, but hopefully, I can see a bit more than the last time.

After parking my a car and passing through the various preserved structures that now serve as the visitor center, I quickly head down the Warsaw Trail toward Sal's Creek. I'm on vigilant lookout for joro spider webs that might be stretched across the trail. One of the things I hate the worst is walking face first into webs. I tend to wave a stick in front of me as I progress on days like this, but these trails are well maintained and very well traveled and after seeing that most of the joro spiders are content to be on the side of the trail, I decide to forgo my normal stick-waving ritual. 

Soon, I'm at the creek and take a moment to admire the foundation stones that remain from the old Autrey Mill. There's not much left, but I'm sure the local community depended on this site in decades past. From there, the trail hits a well built board walk and continues to run parallel to the creek for some distance. There are a few wooden structures built along the way for visitors. 

With the sound of cars ahead, I recognize the trail turning left and cutting back towards the visitor's center. There are a few trails that cut through the woods, but I'm sticking to the perimeter trail today. In the distance I hear leaves rustling and catch a glimpse of a couple of deer a short distance from me. It's always great to see nature doing it's thing out here.

Returning to my car, my app tells me that I've only hiked about 1.2 miles. That's not much at all, but my time is short and I have to get home. I'll have to settle for this for now. This is a beautiful little area and perhaps I'll bring my mother here sometime soon.

Draconid Meteor Shower Paddle (Morgan County, Georgia)

The state park system in Georgia is a pretty active organization and I've begun attending events with them occasionally when they pique my interest. Tonight, I'm going to be borrowing one of Hard Labor Creek State Park's kayak's and paddling with a group out onto Lake Rutledge in an attempt to catch a view of a few meteors during the annual Draconid Meteor Shower. Unlike most which are generally better viewed in the early mornings, the Draconids are normally more active during the evening hours.

It's about an hours drive to reach the park from my home and I arrive about twenty minutes before the schedule put-in. After checking in and getting my gear set, I quickly choose a boat and prepare to launch into the lake. I choose to just step into the water, while others use a loading ramp. While we're in fall now, the lake water is still fairly warm.

With all of us in the water, we paddle out to the center and begin scanning the skies for shooting stars. Before too long, I sew one streak across the sky over the northern horizon. It's gone within a blink of the eye, but still wonderful to see. While we gaze, we paddle around the lake a bit more. I notice that the broad whiteish band of the Milky Way is just barely visible from here. There isn't a lot of true dark sky in this part of the country, but this is one of the better spots of found nearby. While not as bright and breathtaking as it is when viewed from Nevada or other areas out west, it's still great to see our home galaxy once again.

After about an hour on the lake, we start to head back into the dock and along the way, I catch a view of another meteor. This one was even quicker than the first, but still great to see. This certainly wasn't the best meteor shower I've ever seen, but it was nice just floating and looking up at the heavens for a while.