Tom's Arizona Adventure: Local Gems & Miscellaneous

Here are some pictures of Durango from Christmas that I haven't posted until now. Lots of rustic pics here.

Random Christmas tree along the river.

The Hubbell Trading Post in Ganado, AZ is the last remaining Native American Trading Post in the Southwest. John Lorenzo Hubbell opened the post in 1878 and traded coffee, flour, sugar, tobacco, tools, and Native American rugs, jewelry, and clothing. The Hubbell Trading Post still operates as it has for over 100 years.

Stables.

Inside the Hubbell Trading Post.

Outside.

Hubbell's hogan (a Navajo dwelling).

Hubbell's house.

"Scarecrow...scarecrow... Patients suffering delusional episodes often focus their paranoia on an external tormentor, usually one conforming to archetypes. In this case a scarecrow."

Stables.

Old plow.

Inside the stables.

Church Rock in Churchrock, NM near Gallup.

Pyramid Rock rises about 7000 ft. above sea level.

Our hike to the top of Pyramid Rock.

Mount Taylor on the horizon, one of the Sacred Mountains of the Navajo that marks the original boundaries of the Navajo land, Dinetah. The Sacred Mountains are:

To the Southeast: Mount Taylor (11,305 ft.) in Grants, New Mexico
To the Southwest: Mount Humphreys (12,633 ft.) in Flagstaff, Arizona (the highest point in Arizona)
To the Northeast: Blanca Peak (14,345 ft.) east of Durango, Colorado
To the Northwest: Hesperus Mountain (13,232 ft.) near Cortez, Colorado

The rest of the crew following me.

A New Mexico sunset.

El Rancho, Gallup's hotel for the stars of Hollywood.

The rooms of the stars.

Climbing Window Rock.

Haystacks and Black Rock.

Saint Michaels, AZ.

Through the Window!

Of course I had to climb it.

At the top of Window Rock!

Blue Canyon in Fort Defiance, AZ. Just north of Window Rock, Fort Defiance was established in 1851 as a military outpost. Fort Defiance is also home to Fort Defiance Indian Hospital. This stretch of road is apparently haunted by ghostly entities that throw rocks at cars.