Sunday, 18th September - Chinle to Holbrook

This morning we undertook a four hour tour IN the two canyons that we looked into from the North and South rims yesterday, Canyon del Muerto and Canyon de Chelly. Only Navajo are allowed to guide visitors into the canyons. We were aboard a Swiss Army Troop Carrier driven by our guide, Elton.

We were able to see up close the ruins that we had seen at a distance yesterday and also to view some incredible hieroglyphs (painted on) and petroglyphs (etched in). The white hands (representing positivity) on the right in the picture below are petroglyphs and the dark hands (representing negativity) on the left are hieroglyphs.

After lunch we left the land of the Navajo and in so doing slipped another hour behind the UK (we are now 8 hours behind on Pacific Time).

In the afternoon we visited the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Monument making our way along a 28 mile scenic drive.

The Badlands of the Painted Desert:

The Painted Desert Inn:

An abandoned Studebaker on the original alignment of Route 66 - note the disused telegraph poles in the background and the trucks on its replacement, Interstate 40:

The Petrified Forest. Tree trunks petrified millions of years before dinosaurs walked the earth and now as solid as rock:

The Agate Bridge (165ft long petrified tree):

Finally we made our way to Holbrook and our wacky old time Route 66 accommodation at the Wigwam Motel:

Dinner of BBQ pork baby ribs and BBQ beef short rib with pecan pie for dessert taken at the Butterfield Stage Company Steak House 😋