Day 13 - Petrified Forest

We have been slow to post information about the last couple of days because we have been in a primative campground at Canyon de Chelly on the Navajo Reservation - no electricity, no internet, no water, no sewer.  However, we now have access to the internet.

On Wednesday, we started our day in Gallup, New Mexico, at what is possibly the world's nosiest campground.  The main line of the Santa Fe Railroad (now the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad) was on one side of the campground with six trains per hour and I-40 was on the other side of the campground.

We drove to Chambers, Arizona, were we left our trailer at a gas station and then did a loop through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest.  Joan saw a lot of petrified trees and picked up another Junior Ranger badge. 

After picking up our trailer, we headed north onto the Navajo Reservation.  We stopped at Hubbell Trading post, which claims to be the oldest continually operating trading post in the west, and is now a National Monument.  The Ranger at the Hubbell trading post gave us a special tour and then let Joan help her water the horses and close up the barn, earning Joan another Junior Ranger badge (two in one day).  I felt fortunate to make it out of the trading post withou Bronwyn buying one of the exquisite Navajo rugs that were for sale at the trading post.

After another hour of driving, we were at Canyon de Chelly National Monument, where we found a wonderful camping spot under the cottonwood trees and watched the sun set over Canyon de Chelly.