Montrose, CO to Chinle, AZ (Two Night Stay in Chinle)

We departed lovely Couchsurfing hosts and headed south.

A wildflower collection Greta made.

We arrived, behind schedule -- due to road work -- at Mesa Verde National Park.

Seemingly, the stop at Four Corners -- where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet-- was obligatory.  We were driving right by.  Despite hearing from a CSing host that the marker designating the spot is 32 feet off -- further supported by a NPS Ranger at Mesa Verde saying that the marker is off by a mile, we went.  Paid $15.00.  Only Rob and Greta went to the marker.  The boys were too busy with the vendor stands to focus on the "attraction" and Jenna was too miffed to force them into a staged photo.  

After this "Is there going to be a gift shop?" stop, I was ready to leave one in each of the four states.

We traveled right into the middle of the Navajo Nation.  Until I can really get my thoughts around the contrasting holiness of Canyon de Chelly with the observable abject poverty, I will refrain from comment.

The campground near Spider Rock in the Canyon was nice.  We rented tents and lit a fire in the pit.  After the children went to sleep, Rob and I saw the stars of our childhoods.  I stared at the Milky Way for quite sometime recalling what life was like before so much ambient light on the Eastern Seaboard.

 

Greta woke me up to watch the sunrise with her.  

We broke down the tents and hired a Navajo guide to take us into the Canyon de Chelly.  As this is Navajo land, non-Navajo tourists must have a Navajo escort.  We decided to go on horseback, rather than on foot or by jeep.