We leave Red Rock Park early on Mother's Day morning. Peter leans over in he driver's seat and asks about a gift to me for Mother's Day. I reply there's nothing I want more than be headed off to Chaco Canyon with him on a new adventure. He just smiles and keeps driving.
Not much is happening as we pass through Crownpoint, site of the missed Navajo Rug Auction (sigh). A little later we cross over the Continental Divide (one of many times on this trip as we stitch back and forth over it). My Father was always thrilled to cross it on long road trips when we were kids. My brother and I always thought he was a little nuts, but now as an adult it's thrilling to know we're crossing the backbone of the country.
A man leads horses through Crownpoint
Crossing over to the Eastern side of Continental Divide
There's no good road into Chaco Canyon. Yes, there's both a southern access and a northern access, but both are more suited to 4 wheel drive vehicle and NOT one you'd normally choose to drive a motor home over, even a small one like ours. Since we've heard the southern route is currently the better one after a recent grading, we go for it. Still it takes us almost a hour an a half to drive the 20 miles of wash board complete with sand pits every 5-10 miles. Although the road seems endless, it only feels that way and we do eventually make it to Chaco Culture National Historical Monument.
The endless southern access to Chaco Canyon
Yea!!! We made it... and the park roads are paved.
The first stop we make is at the Visitor's Center to sign up for a ranger led Pueblo Bonito tour the next day and a camp site for our stay. On the way to the campground we stop at the sign explaining how the top of Fajada Butte was used as an observatory of the sun. A dagger of sunlight marks the solstices and equinoxes on a petroglyph.
Visitors' Center
Explanation of the Solar Observatory
Our home for the next few days
Chaco is so full of ancient archeological sites that we can even see two small ones out our bedroom window.
Peter checks out an Anasazi home from our bedroom window
It's believed this home to a farming family
Close up of Anasazi farm house
Una Vida
After getting our campsite settled we check out the small set of ruins behind the Visitors' Center. We immediately notice the finer stone work than what we saw at Wupatki.
Three story building walls at Una Vida
Wow - Anasazi must have been short
Stone work on walls
The cliff behind the ruins is covered with petroglyphs. We're not sure if the horned animals are antelope, elk or mountain sheep. One looks like a dog or coyote and another looks like a jack rabbit.
Petroglyphs behind Una Vida
Pueblo Bonito
The largest (covering almost 2 acres) and best known of the Great Houses in Chaco Canyon is Pueblo Bonito. It's also the most common location for ranger led tours. Pueblo Bonito was planned and constructed in stages between 850 to 1150 AD. Despite having hundreds of rooms, surprisingly very few people (70 at the peak) seemed to actually have lived here as archeologist concluded based on both the lack of kitchen middens and human burials. Instead Chaco Canyon seems to have been a religious and ceremonial center, or to put it in more modern terms - a cross between the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Vatican.
Chaco was the most developed culture north of Mexico and Central America. In fact, there's considerable evidence of a healthy trade with the Toltecs of Mexico. In fact, some of the architecture reflects that of the Toltecs, such as the T-shaped doors. How much the Toltecs influenced the Chaco Culture is under debate. Did the Chaco priests engage in human sacrifice? It's possible as obsiden knives were found, but no one knows for sure. Huge storehouses have been found containing parrot feathers (from Mexico/Central America), sea shells from the Pacific Ocean, water vessels, and turquoise. The few burials found at Chaco seem to be those of rulers or high priests. In one such burial at Pueblo Bonito, the body was covered with thousands of pieces of turquoise.
All the Great Houses and Kiva's in Chaco Canyon are built on strict North/South alignments. Many have both lunar and solar alignments as well.
Linda, a ranger from the Visitor Center, is our guide
Buildings were carefully planned to raise 3-4 stories high
Floor/roof poles are evident for upper stories
From pack rat middens of the time period, Archeologists have determined the area was once covered with large ponderosa pines. However, as the building progressed, roof/floor poles came from more and more distant locations. In the end, the poles needed to be carried from as far away as 70 miles. One unusual feature of these buildings is the occasional window cut into a corner. These were added after construction was completed and thought to have been used for tracking the sun across a solar calendar painted on an interior wall.
Large holes are evident in missing ceiling/floor poles
Corner window for solar calendar
One of many Kivas found at Pueblo Bonito
The cliff behind Pueblo Bonito was famous for "Threatening Rock" a very large rock face split off from the cliff. The Anasazi had reinforced the base of this rock with a retaining wall and for centuries were able to delay the inevitable collapse. Unfortunately, the Park Service did not take closer heed of this old retaining wall believing it was useless and did nothing to shore it up. In 1941, Threatening Rock fell with a deafening crash heard all over the canyon. In the end over 60 rooms were destroyed by this rock fall. Later analysis by geologists confirmed the Anasazi had the right idea to shore up the base of the cliff as the lower layers are of a softer and more fragile sandstone. Turns out the ancient Anasazi were smarter than the Park Service thought they were.
Destruction of 60 rooms of Pueblo Bonito by Threatening Rock
Even from across the canyon, the destruction is clearly visible
A similar, but smaller Threatening Rock
As we walk through the ruins Linda points out various features to us. She also tells us very little digging is done anymore as the buildings tend to be better preserved if they are kept buried. In fact, when a new dig is authorized for a summer, the walls have to be re-buried by the end of the season.
Original log cut showing stone ax marks
Park Service reinforcement of fragile walls
T-shaped Toltec like door
The stone work is especially sophisticated at Pueblo Bonito and became more refined in the later stages of building. Odd though, this beautiful stonework was covered over with plaster and hidden from view.
Only one room in Pueblo Bonito has been fully restored to give visitors a sense of what the rooms were like both on the inside and outside.
Restored room with plastered walls and wood ceiling
After we had finished our tour, I met a small group of Navajo Junior High kids at the trail head. They had come on a field trip from Gallup, but were afraid to enter the ruins because of possible evil spirits their elders had warned them about. I was impressed they were heeding the warnings and were waiting so patiently for the rest of their class to return.
Chetro Ketl
This Great House ruin is just a short walk along the cliff from Pueblo Bonito. It has a surprising number of smaller Kiva's, thought to be used as meeting rooms for clan groups. Many of these Kiva's were built one on top of another, much like an upside down layer cake, with each new Kiva being larger than the one underneath it.
Chetro Ketl
Many smaller clan Kiva's chain link together
Evidence of at least two older kiva's below the top one
The back wall of Chetro Ketl is long and straight as compared to Pueblo Bonito's curved D shaped back wall.
Long back wall of Chetro Ketl
The unusual large raised Great Kiva is especially noticeable.
Raised Kiva
Casa Rinconada
Early the next morning we stop at Casa Rinconada which is the largest of the Great Kiva's. It has a large antechamber (about where Peter is standing) at one end and a smaller one (for the priests to enter?) at the other end. It also has a very sophisticated ventilation system and is thought to have supported a dome roof which took over 300 trees to build.
Grand Kiva - largest at Chaco
The following 3 minute YouTube video by the IRC group at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County shows a computer animation of the construction of this Great Kiva as well as other building techniques:
Leaving Chaco
Although we could easily spend more time exploring Chaco Canyon's many mysteries, the check engine light has come on and we need to hightail it to Albuquerque NM were the closest service is for our engine. We are wondering if the rough roads had anything to do with the engine light and debate about taking the shorter but even rougher north access. The campground host urges us to stick to the southern access as a recent school bus driver broke out all the side windows on the northern access trying to bring in a field trip (bet those kids had an earful to say to their parents and teachers).
Sun rays shine down on Chaco Canyon as we leave
Oh no - not this horrid road again!
PS - Despite the bad road and difficult access, we definitely believe the trip was worth it. Even now Chaco Canyon continues to haunt our imaginations and our conversations.
For more information on Chaco Canyon, watch the following one hour PBS documentary "The Mystery of Chaco Canyon" narrated by Robert Redford:
After exploring the north rim of Canyon de Chelly, we turn south on Navajo Hwy 12 towards Window Rock. Our guide books tell us it's a beautiful drive and it does not disappoint. With few other cars and a beautiful day we kick back enjoy the scenery on this stretch of road.
Free range horse graze on the roadside
Colored sandstone cliffs await being in a Hollywood movie
Entrance to Navajo Museum Library and Visitors Center
Navajo constellations
Although they do have an excellent exhibit on the Code Talkers, I am more interested in the Navajo people themselves.
Traditional Wedding basket for bride to wash her hair before ceremony
Wedding dress?
Weapons used against the Spanish Conquistadors
Weapons used by Spanish Conquistadors
Red Rock Park
Being Mothers' Day weekend, we decide to spend two nights close to Gallup NM, but do not want to repeat the mistake of staying in town. Last year we spent a miserable night at USA RV Park being constantly awoken by train whistles and jets flying low overhead on night maneuvers. Someone told us over 200 trains come through Gallup each 24 hours... making one about every 15 minutes. From our experience, that sounds about right. We are lucky to find Red Rock Park with our RV Park Finder App. It's next to the rodeo grounds in Church Rock and enough distance away from the trains tracks (and flight path) to sleep at night.
The next morning we decide to hike up the canyon to the Church Rock formation from which the town gets its name.
Red Rock Park
Our campsite
Anasazi (?) roof pole holes in the side of the canyon
Church Rock
Gallup
After a nice hike, we head into Gallup to check the pawn shops for Hopi silver and Navajo rugs.
I should have waited to get a train in this shot
Copper surrounds for city trees
The downtown area has some wonderful old Art Deco buildings. We especially like the El Morro theater which appears to still be in business.
El Morro Theater
and box office.
One of many pawn shops.
Gallup does indeed have more than its share of pawn shops and it's not hard to find them.
As we round one corner, we discover the most renowned of all - the Richardson Pawn shop that's been run by the same family since the early 1900's, in contrast to many of the other pawn shops which now appear to be owned and managed by people from the middle East. Richardson Pawn covers half a city block and is chocked full of native arts and crafts. Unfortunately, their prices reflect their reputation and we don't find any bargains. I did find a beautiful Navajo rug I would love to own but balked at the $24K price tag. The salesman immediately dropped 1/3 of the price off to $16K as the Crownpoint rug auction had just been held the night before (arrrrgggggh - we missed it by 24 hours). Needless to say the salesman was somewhat chagrined when informed he'd have to drop some zeros off the price tag to bring it down to my price range. Too bad we didn't get a photo of his face upon his hearing my retort.
Kachinas crowd together in a store window
Richardson Pawn sigh
Now that's a great Navajo rug showroom
We did find better prices in the shops at the edge of town. In fact I bought a Navajo Wedding Basket which had a cotton plug in the center. The Navajo saleslady explained it was used as a stopper to better hold water for the the bride to wash her hair before her wedding. Since this basket had water marks on it, it must have been used. Turning it over in my hands, I wondered what kinds of misfortunes had lead the woman who owned this important memo of her wedding to pawn it.
We settle on having lunch at the El Rancho Hotel on old Hwy 66. Both Peter and I remember having lunch there with our families as we traveled back and forth across the country. Traveling gets ingrained growing up as a military brat.
The hotel was built in 1937 by R. E. Griffith, brother to D. W. Griffith famous early Hollywood movie director. R.E. was encouraged to build the hotel to be used as a base for film crews making western movies as their equipment could easily be shipped via the railroads (before Hwy 66 was built).
El Rancho Hotel
Classic car in El Rancho parking lot
It was a "build it and they will come." Indeed the film crews and stars did come and stay at the El Rancho. The walls are covered with autographed photos of many recognizable stars (and many not-so-recognizable stars). By the way we did enjoy our lunch there - the food was good but the service was more than a bit slow. Plan to take your time over lunch.
Hollywood star photos
The lobby of the El Rancho
with a fantastic fireplace
Galloping out of Gallup
Just before we leave Gallup, we stop at a laundry. As Peter naps in the IQ, I give the machines a workout. A pleasant Navajo woman asks me where I'm from and we strike up a conversation. She's a third grade teacher in Chinle who happens to be a cousin to Francine, my guide on the jeep tour of Canyon de Chelly (small world). She's come down to Gallup today as she got a "check engine" light come on in her car and thought she'd better take care of it today.
I tell her of my trouble trying to learn three simple phrases in Navajo (hello, goodbye and thank you) and only causing my two teachers in Tuba City to double over in laughing at my pronunciation. She says my suspicions are correct that Navajo is a tonal language and slight intonations can have entirely different meanings. For example the word "Dine" often used for the Navajo people means that if said in a flat tone, but if a high tone is used, it means the man, and if a lower tone is used, it means the ground or earth. Humm no wonder I had so much trouble. What was I actually saying that made my two teachers laugh so much?
On our way out of town, Peter and I get a big kick out of some of the signs and buildings we pass. It's clear Gallup has become more complex culturally.
