Canyon de Chelly National Monument
I left Monument Valley around 10:00 am. I stopped at the KOA office for a cup of coffee and to setup my route to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. The drive was about 90 minutes, but it would take another hour to find my way there due to weather conditions.
It was afternoon when I arrived at the National Parks Visitors center at Canyon de Chelly National Monument. It was cloudy, but visibility was good. The National Parks Service had a well done video on the National Monument which lasted 25 minutes. I went back to the information desk to plan a hike. They told me the valley had been closed due to severe weather for months. In order to hike through the canyon, you need a guide. I learned that the North and South Roads were open along the canyon walls and then recommended going the south route.
I followed the map and stopped at all the overlooks until it started snowing heavily.
I turned back and drove towards the camping area. By the road, a horse came up to the guardrail. I thought to myself, that must be a wild horse and pulled over for some photos. They seemed very skittish and I approached very slowly. One horse was rolling on its back, hooves in the air, getting a good back rub. I tried to get a photo but I moved to quickly and he stopped.
I stopped at the campsite, thinking I’d stay there the night. As soon as I got out of the car, dogs began to approach me for food. I knew it wouldn’t be fun trying to cook a meal in the evening. I decided to drive to Flagstaff hours away.
The drive to Flagstaff was fairly clear and I stopped to take more photos.
I made it to Flagstaff after 8:00 pm and stopped at Cracker Barrel. I noticed signs in the parking lot that said, “No Camping or Overnight Parking - City Ordinance”. I saw RVs in the back and asked the staff inside. They told me it was OK to park in the back, they just didn’t want people camping in the front of the building. I had a salad and baked potato for dinner.