May 2016 Western Trip - Part 26
One of my favorite southwest locations is Canyon De Chelly National Monument in northeastern Arizona. It's a huge canyon that is entirely situated inside of the Navajo Nation and is the home of about 40 Navajo families that live inside the canyon. There is a working agreement between the National Parks System and the Navajo Nation to allow visitors to enjoy an approximately 35-40 mile north and south rim drive around the canyon, where there are several pull-offs to view the beautiful geological formations that make up the canyon walls and other rock features. My favorite, as I'm sure is many others, is the free standing "Spider Rock" formation lifting 750 feet off the canyon floor and looking like a modern day skyscraper.