Hi Everybody! We just traveleld to Arizona to attend a memorial for dear departed friends, Jeff Ulrich and his family Roni, (his wife) and their daugters Lexi and Carli, who all passed away June 11, 2010 in a tragic plane crash.
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| the Ulrich Family |
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| "Brown Zinfandel" |
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| Jeff Ulrich (center) and friends - Nebraska 2005 |
We spent several days before the memorial visiting Canyon De Chelly (pronounced "Du Shay") in NE Arizona and Monument Valley in SE Utah and what an unforgettable trip it was!!
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| Ben Teller, Navajo guide |
We met Ben Teller, owner of Antelope House Tours
http://www.canyondechelly.net/ a life long canyon resident except for serving in the 82nd Airborne during the Korean conflcit. Ben took us on a five hour walking tour of the canyon which was fun, informative and inspiring. The Navajo live in and around Canyon de Chelly and still farm corn, squash, tobacco and beans as they have for centuries. We were awed by the natural beauty and peaceful quiet as we ate lunch under a Russian Olive tree on the canyon floor, the river running at our feet.
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| Ben and Kathleen take off their boots to walk in the river |
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| "The White House" Anasazi ruins |
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| In the canyon |
The ancient Anasazi or "old ones" occupied the canyon long before the Navajo, Pueblo and Hopi indians, and they left much evidence of their existance - ruins and petroglyphs abound throughout the area. Mr. Teller was wonderfully informative and took us on a fantastic walk, seemingly straight down the face of the canyon and along the river, regaling us with stories of growing up in the Navajo nation.
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| Teller's "Holgon" or traditional home |
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| Anasazi petroglyph |
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This place is INCREDIBLE!
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Following Canyon de Chelly we drove to Monument Valley, Utah just across the Arizona state line - OMG what sights! The Hollywood director John Ford shot many of his iconic films in the valley - we felt John Wayne looking over our shoulders for our entire visit
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| Indescribable - just GO! |
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| !!!!!!!!!!!! |
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| Japanese tourists enjoy Monument Valley |
This was such a great trip - we were just knocked out by the beauty of the places we saw and the friendliness of the people we met - the Navajo we encountered were welcoming, patient and warm, willing to take their time to explain their culture and customs. We also visited the Heard Museum in Phoenix which provided context for our entire experience. We unconditionally recommend this road trip to anyone finding themselves in the Albequerque or Phoenix area, JUST GO!
Our next post will cover an upcoming trip to Botswana, the Okavango delta, Victoria Falls and Capetown, betcha can't wait!
Hasta Entonces (until then)
K&M
