More Images From Monument Valley

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

What can we say about our experience at Monument Valley? We arrived to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park after a relatively short drive from Navajo National Monument and a stop at a local flea market in the reservation town of Kayenta.

Approaching Monument Valley, one is immediately struck by the magnificence of the rock formations that dominate the landscape. Like most tourists, we paid our entrance fee to the park, wandered the Visitors Center, admired the view, and scoped out the guided jeep tours on offer from a dizzying array of tour companies. Being protected and sacred Navajo land, outsiders can drive into a portion of the park if they have vehicles that can maneuver the rutted roads, but only local guides can take you into the areas forbidden to outsiders, and these magnificent portions of the park are beyond breathtaking in scope and beauty.

We negotiated with several tour operators but lacked a feeling of comfort with what was being offered, twice walking away to ruminate on whether the cost was an expense that we were willing to incur. Wandering through the parking lot to return to our rig and leave the park, we ran into a couple from South Carolina who were themselves negotiating the price for a two-and-a-half hour jeep tour. Through a series of conversations with representatives from two different companies, we and the other couple agreed to split the cost of a two-and-a-half-hour tour with a guide who would lead us on a journey that would include the cultural and spiritual aspects of the Navajo and their sacred land. This promise of a deeper experience beyond a simple bumpy ride with a cursory geological explanation made going on this trip a no-brainer, especially since Tina was invited to come along!

As synchronicity and serendipity would have it, our guide Brian Tom was a thirty-something Navajo man of deep spiritual wisdom who guided his jeep over rutted roads with the same aplomb and skill with which he could espouse the creation myths and sacred stories of his people. Not only were we taken to spots of breathtaking beauty and power, Brian drummed and sang ancient songs for us in order to share more deeply the spiritual significance of the formations, petroglyphs and stone sentinels that we were beholding before our upturned and awestruck faces.

Coupled with creation stories, myths, and Navajo tales of humor and humanity, Brian shared openly and honestly with us about the deep corruption within the Navajo Nation’s government and local tribal councils. He also confirmed the prevalence of alcoholism, unemployment, diabetes and heart disease, and the in-fighting and turf wars that continue to plague the wider community.

Many Navajo care deeply for their people, serve in the Armed Forces, and work hard to improve the quality of life for all, but an underlying frustration with the governing bodies who control the purse-strings of the nation is apparent, especially as the Navajo president is currently under investigation for economic malfeasance. We are also acutely aware of how the United States government has itself misled, disenfranchised and otherwise neglected and abused the Native peoples of this land since the inception of our country several centuries ago, even as Navajo and other tribes continue to contribute greatly to the economy, armed forces and rich culture of our nation as a whole. 

We have long understood that life for Native Americans is difficult at best, even as sovereign people living within the United States yet not entirely of it. Underneath it all, there is a love for the land and the mythological forces that shaped it and delivered the Navajo from what they call The First World to this world, which is known as The Fourth World.

Not having always been comfortable with Native Americans and understanding how to bridge the cultural divide between us, this experience opened my eyes and heart especially, since Mary had previously spent time with the Piscataway Tribe in Maryland and Virginia, attending sacred ceremonies and celebrations as an honored guest.

At several points during our tour, Brian had us sit and listen as he sang and drummed sacred songs from the Navajo tradition, and we were moved to tears from both the beauty of his voice and his earnest and deeply held traditional beliefs. Brian’s words of wisdom about life, love and community spoke volumes to our hearts, and the gentleness and beauty of the Navajo way of life greatly moved me. As he explained, there are truly no curses or harsh words in the Navajo language as there are in English, and since homes are understood to have ears of their own, no harsh language or raised voices are permitted in traditional Navajo homes where only gentle and respectful communication is welcome.

After our tour, Mary offered Brian a traditional gift of tobacco in addition to a monetary gratuity. Tobacco is sacred to Native Americans and is used in prayer as offerings to the gods and forces of nature that rule the traditional way of life. Moved by her offering, Brian took a bracelet of “Ghost Beads” from his own wrist and offered it to us in return. These beads are used as a means of comfort from nightmares and bad thoughts, and Mary tied this sacred object around my wrist as Brian looked on, and I am wearing them as a symbol of letting go, of welcoming love and ease into my life, and of remembering to be grateful for the many gifts that permeate my existence.

Visiting Monument Valley could have been just another opportunity for beautiful photographs and the enjoyment of an area of intense natural beauty. Rather, it was an experience of spiritual significance and cross-cultural sharing that will long be remembered as a watershed moment for me personally, and for us as a couple.

Our deepest thanks to Brian for the gift of his time, knowledge and spiritual insight, and our humble thanks to the timeless Monument Valley and the many spirits who inhabit and animate this very special piece of the earth. 

---Keith

PS: More photos of this magnificent area to come......

Navajo Country and The Painted Desert

Here are some images that we would like to share with you as we traverse the exquisite Painted Desert, where the clouds reflect the reddish hue of the sand and stone. If you care to, click here to listen to the 10,000 Maniacs/Natalie Merchant song entitled "The Painted Desert" as you view the photos. 

Although the landscape is somewhat stark, it is beguiling and entrancing to the eye. Reading Terry Tempest Williams today, we read these wise words from the book "Pieces of White Shell" which reflect our own desert experience: 

"Give the country a chance......You will find yourself in unfamiliar territory at first, where the vastness is disquieting, the starkness leaves you empty. You will walk among rocks that tell time differently. Your skin will burn and your hair will lighten. You will find a waterhole and kneel with cupped hands. The reflection you see will not be of the person you once were. Neither is the land." 

Grand Canyon Haiku

Blue sky eagles fly

Red canyon walls glowing wild

Weary hikers smile

This simple Haiku above was written by a child--and it remains my fave. I saw it at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center and it sparked a series of my own. Enjoy!

Safe perch atop Grand Canyon

Fear of heights now past

Condor land below so high

Perception deceives distance

Flattening the depths

Rock reality prevails

Ancient history presents

Boulder color show

Majestic mountains speak

Paleozoic looming

Red wall limestone warmth

"The Great Unconformity"

Patient carving of canyon

Erosion gorges

El Rio Colorado

Ever deepening river

Sulfate smog above

Still magnificent beauty

My heart sinks with the sunset's

Final pink of day

Spirits depart from earth here

At Grand Canyon's fragile edge

The wind has carried

Dear David's ashes away

Ancestral Pueblo people

Seasonal nomads

The Painted Desert beckons...

From the Painted Desert.....

As I write this post, we are through the incredible Painted Desert, where the clouds actually reflect the reddish hue of the earth. The clouds that almost seem to brush the horizon like feathers, the play of the light on the land---it's breathtaking and difficult to describe.

We're in Navajo Country, having just passed through Tuba City, where a little Navajo girl shared her hamburger with Tina at a local cafe where we stopped for coffee. We're headed for the Navajo National Monument just south of Kayenta, and just called the rangers there to make sure that it's open. The friendly ranger informed me that they only allow rigs up to 28 feet in length but that his supervisor would make an exception for us this time (after all, our rig is only 29 feet, anyway). He reminded me that there is no electricity, water or sewer dump station, but we're welcome to arrive any time before sundown.

While we have zillions of photos of the Grand Canyon to share, dear Readers, you will all have to wait with baited breath until we have the ability for uploading!

Meanwhile, the open sky here in the Painted Desert is just seductively beautiful, and we'll be back with more tales of adventure and travel soon enough.

Blessings to all!

A Quick Update From the Grand Canyon

After four wonderful days here at the magnificent Grand Canyon, we are readying ourselves for departure. We have a plethora of photographs to share but a slow internet connection has not allowed us the power to upload them for your viewing pleasure, so please stand by! Mary also has a collection of lovely and inspired haikus paired with photos, and those will also be forthcoming. As they say in Jamaica, "soon come"!

Meanwhile, today we head east towards Tuba City and the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation where The Painted Desert and its buttes and strange rock formations await our eager eyes. With several weeks left before our arrival to our little rental casita in Santa Fe, the road ahead is wide open, and we will most likely head towards the Four Corners area, the only spot in the United States where the borders of four states intersect. Unfortunately, the Four Corners Monument is closed for construction at this time, but we can still enjoy traveling through this very special region of the country which includes Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park and other natural wonders.

Thanks for hanging in there with us for more than 8,000 miles of rolling across the American landscape. Hitting the road in search of adventure and self-renewal seems to be an American tradition, and while we have only scratched the surface in many respects, it has been---and continues to be---a wonderful and growthful journey.

Arrival to the Grand Canyon!

We said goodbye to Sedona this morning, thanking our dear friend Rick for hosting us during our stay. Our departure followed a glorious route north along Route 89, with a brief stop in Flagstaff and Cameron. Turning west onto Route 64, we approached the Grand Canyon from the east, stopping for glorious and spectacular vistas at several scenic overlooks.

After hurriedly setting up camp at the South Rim campground, we were able to scurry to the edge of the canyon to take in this evening's sunset. While Mary faced her fear of heights, I spent some time on a precipice overlooking a dizzyingly deep section of the canyon.

Sitting on the side of the canyon as the sun set, I lay on my belly and looked down over the edge into a chasm whose depth it was difficult to digest. Although I'm not afraid of heights, I did indeed experience a sense of vertigo, and meditated for a few moments on how one's life truly sits on a knife's edge when one visits such a place. One slip of the foot, one miscalculation, and a long and wild ride to the bottom is the result. While the canyon itself represents permanence and the solidity of the earth in one respect, it also demonstrates for us the frailty of humans in relation to the natural world. Quite a metaphor for life in general!

The canyon is overwhelming in its enormity, and breathtaking in its scope. There is indeed so much to see, and we will take full advantage of our few days here. Tomorrow, Mother's Day, Tina will unfortunately spend the majority of the day in the park's kennel so that we can do some hiking that she would naturally resist in her old lady fashion. We feel bad to leave her behind, but we simply have to take in some trails which would just be too rigorous for her old bones. This will be the first time we've ever kenneled her, and we beg her forgiveness in advance!

We are so grateful to be here in this beautiful and awe-inspiring place that is one of the natural wonders of the world. Being here at the Grand Canyon is indeed a turning point in our journey, and it's a place to take stock of where we've been, what we've seen, and how much more of the country is waiting for us to find it. For now, this is a wonderful place to be, and we are joyful to have arrived to this wondrous piece of the earth.

---Keith

Postcard From Sedona

We are currently having a relaxing time here in beautiful Sedona, Arizona. Our rig is parked in the driveway of our dear friend Rick's lovely home, and we are all enjoying stretching out in a comfortable and spacious house. Rick used to live in Western Massachusetts, and we've known each other for years.
Tina loves the carpeted floors and cozy couches, and our host is introducing us to the spectacular natural wonders of the area, the photos of which do little justice to their magnificence.

"Downtown" Sedona is quite touristy and expensive, and we hear that development has indeed changed the city a great deal since the 1970's, a story that's echoed across the country, it seems. Still, it's a wonderful place to visit before we head to the Grand Canyon on Saturday, and we're thankful to Rick for being our dear friend and Sedona tour guide!

Arcosanti

After leaving the Wind Spirit Community and driving north through spectacular mountain passes with stunning vistas (and ferocious Arizona winds), we spontaneously made our way to the "experimental town" of Arcosanti at the end of a long day of travel.

Despite the fact that visiting hours were over, Mary's intuition led us down the rutted dirt road to the Arcosanti parking lot, where we met a resident who invited us in for dinner at the community cafe. Arcosanti attracts interns and residents from all over the world, and lively conversation in several languages was being enjoyed over a buffet dinner served in the cafe. Our ersatz host sat and chatted with us for some time, and he made it clear that we could certainly camp in the parking lot overnight and go on a tour of the community in the morning.

Arcosanti is indeed an experimental community or "urban laboratory" based on the theories and practices espoused by architect Paolo Soleri. Soleri coined the term "arcology"which combines architecture and ecology in a overall concept of creating livable pedestrian cities that are ecologically sustainable and an antidote to urban and suburban sprawl.

Envisioned to be a small city of 5,000 in the desert north of Phoenix, Arcosanti is currently a village of 75 to 100 people, many of whom are architecture interns who assist in slowly moving the building process forward. Although some doubt that the city of 5,000 will ever reach fruition, it seems that the goal of reaching the capacity for a town/intentional community of 500 is certainly within reach.

Soleri's designs incorporate passive solar, active solar, rainwater catchment, the use of greenhouses for the production of heat and food, and innovative concrete casting techniques.

Soleri believes that cities have been erroneously designed to accommodate the automobile, and his designs all revolve around a pedestrian city landscape using sidewalks, escalators, bike paths, moving sidewalks and elevators to facilitate movement. Buildings are all mixed use so that industrial, commercial, residential, educational and cultural functions can occur in the same areas, decreasing the need for unnecessary "commuting" from one sector to another.

Rather than seeking corporate money or grants, Arcosanti's development is supported by the sale of Soleri's signature world-famous bells and ceramics, as well as fees paid by interns who come to live at Arcosanti to learn various construction, design and artisan techniques. Soleri developed innovative bronze casting and ceramic techniques that are taught at Arcosanti to interns from throughout the world.

Although everyone who lives at Arcosanti works for the community (as an intern or employed resident), the community plans to eventually open itself to those who work outside of the community and simply reside at Arcosanti. It is a very interesting experiment, and we hope that Soleri and Arcosanti are able to propel and further manifest their vision of sustainable community and ecological urban design.

Next stop, Sedona!