Vagabond Tales- All Navaho Tribal Parks Are Closed Until Further Notice

Yesterday we found out our 8 hour trip to go into Monument Valley was canceled. They offered to provide a half day trip to a lookout to see the monuments from afar. So we kind of made lemonade and did our half day. We will be leaving a day early from here and staying another day at our next stop. We had another beautiful day! Did a half day with them and then took Onyx for the Arch Trail at this camp ground.

It was a comfortable ride back there and we could see so well!
First stop, visit a female hogan (traditional Navajo Hut) and a shade house.

It is called the female hogan because it had nine support beams, representing the nine months that a woman carries her baby. It is made in a dome representing the mothers tummy. She gives birth in this building. It is also where she feeds and cares for her children and her husband and has her loom set up to weave.

Only 1 entry that always faces east and serves as a sundial on the back wall.
Sundial on the back wall. The wood is peeled juniper! .
Ted, our guide shared that he grew up in a hogan. On his family’s property there was a female Hogan, a male hogan, and a sacred hogan. He said everyone spends more time in the female hogan since that’s where they eat their meals and sleep and keep their clothes etc.
Used primarily in the warmer months, this is a shade hut.

Some of our views along the way to follow.

Middle formation for you members of the Old Hen Society…THIS IS…
THE SITTING HEN
Three main monuments in the middle left to right,,,
Brigham’s Tomb, King on his throne, and stagecoach.

He stopped out in the middle of nowhere and he said, “ This is where Forest Gump stopped running.” And so there was a sign to commemorate that movie and that spot in the road.

Guide Led Hike to Visit a Sentry Hut Ruin

If you look inside the bottom left opening you will see a part of a brick wall.
And a small arch was an extra special treat at the end of the hike!
Always time for a selfie!
I took geology in college and loved it! Look at the different strata in this wall!

Meanwhile, we got home in time for lunch and a hike on a trail at our campground. It was called The Arch Trail. Onyx was not thrilled with all of the rock climbing. In fact, it was the first time I recall her ever trying to go back instead of forward.

She might not have enjoyed the rocky cliff that was part of the trail.
We went in search for the famous mitten that our son has talked about and this was as close as we could get to it without violating Navaho law.
I just really liked this picture! Clouds get me every-time!
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7 thoughts on “Vagabond Tales- All Navaho Tribal Parks Are Closed Until Further Notice”

  1. Fabulous photos. It is so clear there. Makes you really understand the need for environmental protections! Love it.

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  2. Looks like an adventure worth all the early disappointments. I love the look of the wood inside the hogan. Dan

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    1. What was amazing about that juniper wood was that the bark was skinned off, no coat of varnish, and the bark that is removed is wet and placed on the outside the hogan as insolation and then a coating of wet mud on top of that, which dries hard like clay. Just like we need to re-paint occasionally, they need to re mud. Pretty cool!

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