Trip Map

Introduction

Seeing the West means traveling long distances but it is well worth the effort. Every family should have the chance to make such a trip. You've seen the pictures in magazines and in cowboy western movies. But seeing the real thing captures images that never leave us over the years. This blog is a small effort to remember and teach what such a trip can do for each of us.

You will find references to national parks and images from Google Maps and Google Earth. These personal images and links provide a quick method of seeing and learning more about the opportunities out West. 

Because Google Maps and Earth embeds are included, you'll need the Google Maps/Earth plugin for your browser. Download and install them when requested. I recommend Firefox and Google Chrome browsers. Depending on which version of Microsoft Explorer you use, the viewing experience might not be satisfactory.

Click on an image to see it blow up to full size. In fact, depending on your browser plugins, clicking on a single image will bring up all of the images to view. Click outside an image to return to the blog page. Some of the Monument Valley images are spectacular. 

Please report any problems to me at this email address. Mike Lavelle

Remember: the sequence is inverted in the September index. Start with the oldest date from the bottom of the list.

This trip was planned with the help and guidance of Ann Kessler. Talk about knowing where to go in Utah!

 

Google Map Version - 1200 miles

Los Alamos

 

The first thought that strikes a new visitor is: this is such a clean and orderly place.

Los Alamos sits on the Pajarito Plateau, a consolidated mass of volcanic tuff from the Valles and Toledo eruptions (1.4 to 1.1 million years ago). The town-site is built on a series of fingers of land (locally referred to as mesas) separated by deep canyons. The canyons result from water runoff from the Sierra de los Valles (a branch of the Jemez Mountains, one of the southernmost extensions of the Rockies) which border the town, and range up to several hundred feet deep. Most of the town is located on the top of the mesas, at an elevation around 7,500 feet above sea level. In addition, the community of White Rock sits at the base of the mesas, around 7000 feet. Read more...

Los Alamos (Spanish: Los Álamos, meaning "The cottonwoods") is a townsite and census-designated place (CDP) in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States, built upon four mesas of the Pajarito Plateau and the adjoining White Rock Canyon. The population of the CDP was 12,019 at the 2010 Census. The townsite or "the hill" is one part of town while White Rock is also part of the town. Technically, both are part of the same incorporated city/county. Los Alamos is home to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which was founded to undertake the Manhattan Project. Los Alamos County is an incorporated county, and many county offices are located at the townsite of Los Alamos. Los Alamos High School is the public high school of Los Alamos County. Before the Manhattan Project, the site was occupied by the Los Alamos Ranch School. Los Alamos has a county council which the people elect to four-year terms. The county council is seven members with four or three persons elected every two years to the four-year terms. The council elects a chairman and vice-chairman.

Los Alamos has a long and varied history. However, its uniqueness – and what it is best known for – comes from its role as the site for the development of the world’s first atomic bombs.

Los Alamos Laboratory, known as Project Y, was conceived during the early part of World War II. The United States wanted to build an atomic explosive to counter the threat posed by the German nuclear development program. The term Manhattan Project came about because the program began under the Manhattan Engineering District of the War Department. Full size view of city.

The Bradbury Science Museum is an interesting visit. Several good videos play explaining the history of the Atomic Bomb development. Lots of hands-on exhibits too. See more...

We found the Los Alamos Historical Museum very interesting, if only as an introduction to the city and other sites. Definitely worth the time. See more...

Manhattan Project

For those not familiar with the creation of the Atomic Bomb, this is a VERY famous place. Los Alamos grew from a few hundred people in 1943 to over 6,000 in 1945. It was the center of the theoretical calculations that under pinned the bomb development. The Manhattan Project was a huge development. Read more here... The development of the "bomb" turned the world upside down. It signaled the start of the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

J. Robert Oppenheimer

The leader of the project was J. Robert Oppenheimer, a physicist at the University of California (Berkeley). His health lead him to spend time outside in and around the vicinity of Los Alamos. When searching for a suitable self-contained site, he recommended the city to General Groves, who ran the Manhattan Project for the Army. Oppenheimer is a huge figure in this development effort Every student of American history should understand the impact that the Manhattan Project had on the world and Oppenheimer's role in that effort. Read more about him here...

Atomic Bomb

The effort to build the Atomic Bomb consumed huge resources of the U.S. Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner recalls rising early with her father on their ranch in rural Arizona one morning when it was still dark outside. They saw a bright light in the distance that they could not account for at the time. It was the first explosion of the Atomic Bomb at Trinity Site.

This is the only color photo of the first atomic bomb explosion. Read more about it here...

Los Alamos Ranch School 

The original main school building, Fuller Lodge, is very special. Read about it below.

The school was a private boarding school for boys in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, near Otowi, in what would eventually become Los Alamos, New Mexico. It was founded by Detroit businessman Ashley Pond II, father of Peggy Pond Church, renowned New Mexican poet and author.^[1]

The school, which was established in 1917, offered a program modeled after the Boy Scouts of America, combining a college preparatory curriculum with a rigorous outdoor life. Famous alumni included William S. Burroughs, Gore Vidal^[1][2] and Santa Fe Opera founder John Crosby.^[3]

In November 1942, the school and the surrounding land were purchased by the United States Army's Manhattan Engineering District for use in the top-secret effort to develop the first atomic bomb. The school awarded its final diplomas in January 1943 and the Army took control of the property the following month.^[1]

[The Army gave notice to the school that they had 5 months to clear out. In order to provide a diploma for the school year, academics were accelerated for a January end date. This was a very interesting school. All the boys had to where short pants, including in the winter, with knee socks to ward of the cold. Many of the children were sent there to offset some kind of sickness or health condition.]

The site was chosen for the Manhattan Project because of its isolation, access to water, the fact that it had pre-existing buildings which could be used for housing, the fact that much of the surrounding land was already owned by the federal government, had ample space, and was located on a mesa in which all entrances could be secured. The facility originally was referred to as "Site Y", but would later become known as Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, then Los Alamos National Laboratory. During World War II, the school's Fuller Lodge and the Big House were used as social gathering places for Los Alamos project personnel, and some other buildings were used for housing. The school buildings were known as "Bathtub Row" because they were the only houses in Los Alamos with bathtubs.^[4]

Currently, Fuller Lodge serves as the site of the Los Alamos Historical Museum. The main part of the Lodge is open for visitor viewing and is frequently used for meetings or weddings. The Los Alamos Art Center is housed in the south wing by Central Avenue.

The lodge is located almost in the middle of the town.

The end houses offices, both on the main floor and the second above.

It was built of local timber and looks as rustic as you might imagine a western building.

The main hall opens to the yard on the left. Rooms (now offices) are on the right.

Check out the would work at the second floor level.

Both ends of the lodge have large fireplaces.

View looking from center of main lodge hall to the far end.

Navajo Festival - Bluff UT

We arrive the night before the annual Navajo festival (September 14th). What a treat. This is the one day the city goes from 140 to 1400 people overnight. People just piled into the city within a few hours.
 

On that Friday afternoon late, we drove over to the nearby county fairgrounds to see the Navajo rodeo. We had dinner at a quickly-built Navajo vendor tent where they prepared native food on a grill out back (you could see everything going on – a little like the Steak ‘n Shake motto “In Sight It Must Be Right”. But looking through the tent to the food prep area all I could think was “I hope they cook, whatever it is, thoroughly”. And they did.) We sat at a table in the front of the tent and chatted with local people about any and everything. When we told them we were from Indianapolis, the Indian fellow said “I was just in Indianapolis too”. Really? “I was there for an Episcopal conference. “Really? Episcopal? In Indianapolis?” Yep. And there was more. He was about to become an ordained minister in the church. It all seemed too much in that here we were, eating dinner with a Navajo American (we just don't have Indians living in Indiana - the land of Indians - anymore), studying to become a mainline Christian minister, who had been to Indianapolis within a few months of our visit out there.

The rodeo was lightly attended but there seemed to be a big crowd in the back – way in the back. We walked through and around some giant tire ruts in the almost-dry fairgrounds mud to a circular arena where Navajos were dancing. This was an authentic dance exhibition with ages ranging from early childhood to older adult. The beat was provided by one of several Indian men’s groups around the perimeter. The event narrator kept the patter going as he talked about the young people who would go on to become teachers, engineers, and doctors. The attendees, mostly parents, were justly proud of their heritage. We stayed for several hours as it became dark and more dancing took place. All the outsiders gathered around the outside perimeter of the circular shell to watch the festivities. It was certainly interesting, especially when compared to the Mexican Indians we saw in Mexico who put on exhibitions for guests from the nearby tour ships. This was for real.

We walked through big tire ruts in the almost-dry fairgrounds mud to a circular arena where Navajos were dancing. This was an authentic dance exhibition with ages ranging from early childhood to older adult. The beat was provided by one of several Indian men’s groups around the perimeter. The event narrator kept the patter going as he talked about the young people who would go on to become teachers, engineers, and doctors. The attendees, mostly parents, were justly proud of their heritage. We stayed for several hours as it became dark and more dancing took place. All the outsiders gathered around the perimeter of the circular shell to watch the festivities. It was certainly interesting, especially when compared to Mexican Indians we saw in Mexico who put on exhibitions for guests from the nearby tour ships. This was for real.

Bluff Navajo Indians Dancing 

Navajo Children Encouragement 

More Navajo Dancing 

Ceremonial drum used during dances. Only the "elders" (men) were allowed to participate in the drumming.

The event was held at a circular parade ground at the back of the facility. 

The Parade

On Saturday, people (mainly Navajo) piled into Bluff. When I say “piled” into the city, it seemed just that way too. After breakfast I walked out the lobby door and didn’t see a spare parking space anywhere between the front door and the street. Everywhere you looked was jammed with cars and Navajo’s who had set up chairs to watch the parade. Al and I managed to squeeze into a space along the street thanks to the generosity of earlier chair occupants.

The Navajo parade finally got started around 11:00. Truck after (pickup) truck were festooned with banners touted various Navajo princesses, Navajo event or some other cause. I was struck by the slogan that virtually every vehicle had “Unity Through American Heritage”. Several vehicles mentioned Navajos who were serving in the military, including those who served with distinction during WWII (Navaho Code Talkers). It was clear to me that Navajos are an integral part of America.

The fellow who co-own the Recapture Lodge came out the morning of the parade with his Fire Marshal hat on. He was loaded with four radios for talking to the just about everyone. His one complaint was that they have too many frequencies – one for the sheriff, one for the state police, one for the local fire department, and one for the Navajo tribe police. So there he stood with multiple radios to pick up signals from everywhere. It was kind of interesting to see him in his Fire Marshal red baseball cap all ready to give orders and send trucks off to fight whatever.
   

A local teacher (in the center looking at the camera and leaning down on her bike) has a weird headset on for the parade. She commented that "it's scaring some of her children." 

Ever seen bike wheels this big? It was a special purchase from a bike fabricator in Alaska. The big tires work well in snow, the owner (in the blue-green shirt above but on different bike) said. He bought it for to ride in the sand near his home in southern New Mexico.

Parade Route - Trucks: A LOT of candy was handed out to the children.

Hovenweep CO

Hovenweep National Monument is located on land in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, between Cortez, Colorado and Blanding, Utah on the Cajon Mesa of the Great Sage Plain. Shallow tributaries run through the wide and deep canyons into the San Juan River.^[3]
Although the Hovenweep National Monument is largely known for the six village groups of the Ancient Pueblo, or Anasazi, people, there is evidence of hunter-gatherers from 8,000 to 6,000 B.C. until about AD 200. Then a succession of early puebloan cultures settled in the area and remained until the AD 1300s.
Hovenweep became a National Monument in 1923 and is administered by the National Park Service.

Hovenweep is relatively small. But the ruins are interesting. You can walk around the site and down to the individual ruins.

Walls were made of stone and made to last for thousands of years. Some of the sites were high on the hills while others were nestled down on the side of the valley.

Typical of the site ruins.

Mesa Verde CO

From the park web site
Located in Southwestern Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park offers an unparalleled opportunity to see and experience a unique cultural and physical landscape. The park contains more than 4,000 known archeological sites including cliff dwellings, which are elaborate stone villages that the Ancestral Puebloans constructed in the sheltered alcoves of the canyon walls and lived in from approximately A.D. 550 through A.D. 1300. These archeological sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States.

The park also offers visitors 8,500 acres of federally designated wilderness that support a great diversity of wildlife including 74 species of mammals, 200 species of birds, 16 species of reptiles, five species of amphibians, six species of fishes and over 1,000 species of insects and other invertebrates.

Mesa Verde is located in Colorado not far from Durango. The two nearest towns are Cortez and Mancos. The drive into the park is spectacular. Coming from the Midwest, it's hard to believe the relative height of Mesa Verde over the valley floor.

Bluff UT

From Goulding’s we made our way indirectly (because there is no direct path to anywhere from anywhere out there) to Bluff UT. Check out the latest ad for Chevy’s Volt as it cruises somewhere out West – without a care for the distance even if it is electric. I’m just sure the picture is along the road up from Monument Valley to Bluff.

Bluff is literally a two motel town. Ann was able to find rooms for us at the Recapture Lodge. It was so named after a group of Indians stole horses just down the road and Army troopers (way back when) were able to recapture the horses several days later. And, of course, stealing horses back then was like stealing from the bank – big time repercussions. 

Recapture Lodge

We had a Ford like this in '49

The Recapture Lodge was (once again) something from out of the 1950s. You could almost see a 1949 Ford coming off a dust road for a night at the Lodge. Al and I wandered around the back of the motel (the only other motel was just a short distance away too) and checked out the junk - and there was lots of it mostly in the form of long worn out swamp coolers. The town waste processing tank and pumps looked like they were not visited by maintenance for the past 20 years. (There’s something about living in a town like Bluff where a sense of let’s-do-it-tomorrow seemed to prevail.) 

Several old trailers were parked in the back. Our rooms were just fine. And there wasn’t a spare room to come by, reason: this was the one weekend each year when the Navajo's have their national festival. See more about it at the Navajo Festival web page.

Interesting Place... Interesting Weekend

It seems that the Navajo Nation would be holding their once a year parade the next day on Saturday. As we were checking in the lady behind the counter (one of the owners) explained that Saturday (the next day) is the one day in the year when the town grows from 140 people to 1,400 people – literally overnight. Turns out she and her husband owned the motel and had for the past 20 years. When I asked him what upgrades they had completed over the years he answered “well, none really”. But, you know what, it really didn't need any. (One exception was the Internet connection: it was terrible. OK - don't complain because we were on vacation but... Don't count on doing any work with this Internet, and you may not even receive emails. I could see the transmitting tower high on a bluff (hence the name) overlooking the city. It appeared to be a dedicated service in what can only be considered an out-of-the-way location.)

The lobby was jammed with people signing in for their rooms. But “lobby” doesn’t quite describe it. The size was small – maybe 20’ by 50’. A stairs at the opposite side from the registration desk went up to a balcony that looked like the front of a previous building. In fact, I would guess the front lobby was an add-on some years ago, albeit one with a lot of interest. Because in one corner was an old piano while in the other corner was another old upright piano – two pianos in one lobby. Really cool. The next morning, as we shared a table with a couple from the Netherlands, I watched the two young children (maybe 10 and 12) of a French couple staying there too. The older brother covered his sisters eyes and steered her to the upright piano. He uncovered her eyes and she said “ooohhh” then commented in French as she pointed to the classical music on the front board (like one of John Thompson’s many music books). Apparently they both played piano and recognized the music. Their parents, a French couple, home schooled their children, we learned, and were able to take them to America when other children were busy with normal school days.

That afternoon Al and I discovered a swimming pool on the other side of the drive that was well camouflaged by local vegetation. We were interested in the home-brew solar array nearby. For a while we couldn’t figure out what it was used for. Hoses and piping were strune around the unit, seemingly not connected to anything. Finally we heard children’s voices coming through the bushes and found what I would characterize as a darn nice pool. The French children were having a good time and, frankly, the water looked really inviting.

Early Saturday morning we had breakfast in the lobby with a Dutch couple that was on “holiday”.  (Hmmm… Why don’t Americans go on “Holiday”? For that matter why don’t we go on more “vacations”? No! We’re too busy competing with countries that don’t go on “Holiday”, like Asian countries.) It seems the Dutch lady did “all the planning” and he did “all the driving”. They were happy about the arrangement. He was semi-retired and it looked like they comfortable and able to lead the “good” European retirement life. Each had their respective assignments so off they were going that morning to the next site for them –

Hovenweep. I saw them driving out of town a hour later at a snails pace because the Navajo’s had piled into the city to watch the parade, and they were going the wrong way to traffic.

Location

Bluff is located in strange geological place. Interact with the map below - try Google Earth so see details. Zoom in for a really interesting view. To the left is so-called Comb Ridge. Check it out below.

View Larger Map

Comb Ridge from the air. 

Monument Valley AZ

Monument Valley is like no place on earth. Period. Below are some pictures to set the stage for this unique location.

 Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line (around 36°59′N 110°6′W), near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation, and is accessible from U.S. Highway 163.

Director John Ford used the location for a number of his best known films, and thus, in the words of critic Keith Phipps, "its five square miles have defined what decades of moviegoers think of when they imagine the American West."^[1]

The area is part of the Colorado Plateau. The floor is largely siltstone of the Cutler Formation, or sand derived from it, deposited by the meandering rivers that carved the valley. The valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks in the valley get their color from manganese oxide.

The buttes are clearly stratified, with three principal layers. The lowest layer is Organ Rock shale, the middle de Chelly sandstone and the top layer is Moenkopi shale capped by Shinarump siltstone. The valley includes large stone structures including the famed Eye of the Sun.






The views are as grand as those below.

 

Welcome to the Navajo Nation's Monument Valley Park.  You are experiencing one of the most majestic - and most photographed - points on earth. This great valley boasts sandstone masterpieces that tower at heights of 400 to 1,000 feet. framed by scenic clouds casting shadows that graciously roam the desert floor. 

The angle of the sun accents these graceful formations, providing scenery that is simply spellbinding.

The landscape overwhelms, not just by its beauty but also by its size.  The fragile pinnacles of rock are surrounded by miles of mesas and buttes, shrubs, trees and windblown sand, all comprising the magnificent colors of the valley.  All of this harmoniously combines to make Monument Valley a truly wondrous experience.  Enjoy this beautiful land.

Navajo Name: Tse'Bii'Ndzisgaii Elevation: 5,564' above sea level
Size: 91,696 acres (extends into Arizona & Utah)

This is where Forest Gump finally stopped running. Can you see him? Try here.

Arriving at Monument Valley

Leaving Blanding we made our way to Monument Valley via Natural Bridges. When we came to the edge of Monument Valley – we were literally at a precipice where even the road map shows an incredible number of roadway switchbacks to reach the valley floor. The valley extends as far as the eye can see.

We were driving along on seemingly flat land then BOOM – we had to stop just to take in the several thousand feet drop to the valley floor. But it was more than that. As far as the eye could see, the valley went on and on with a monument or two popping up here and there – I’m talking hundreds of miles – something had happened to the land millions of years ago. Where (in the world) did it all go? So the monuments were made of sturdier material – fine. But for heavens sake where did all that other dirt go to? Mexico? If so you can’t see it from the road. It’s as though a huge shovel, with a blade about 100 miles wide, just reached onto the earth and starting moving dirt. 

Don't look over the edge if heights are a problem!

Check out the VAST expanse of seemingly nothing...

View from Goulding's

Goulding's Lodge - don't miss this tourist location, and plan an hour to go through the museum

More magnificant buttes

Natural Bridges UT

Leaving Blanding we made our way to Monument Valley. For those who have never been there – GO. We went by way of Natural BridgesNational Monument. 
   

Utah's First National Monument

Three majestic natural bridges invite you to ponder the power of water in a landscape usually defined by its absence. View them from an overlook, or hit the trails and experience their grandeur from below. Declared a National Monument in 1908, the bridges are named "Kachina," "Owachomo" and "Sipapu" in honor of the Native Americans that once made this area their home.

There are literally hundreds of arches (bridges) throughout southern Utah and northern Arizona. Then we came to the edge of Monument Valley – literally at a precipice where even the road map shows an incredible number of roadway switchbacks to reach the valley floor. We were driving along on seemingly flat land then BOOM – we had to stop just to take in the several thousand feet drop to the valley floor. But it was more than that. As far as the eye could see, the valley went on and on with a monument or two popping up here and there. As far as the eye could see – I’m talking hundreds of miles – something had happened to the land millions of years ago. Where (in the world) did it all go? So the monuments were made of sturdier material – fine. But for heavens sake where did all that other dirt go to? Mexico? If so you can’t see it from the road. It’s as though a huge shovel, with a blade about 100 miles wide, just reached onto the earth and starting moving dirt. But I couldn’t tell where.
   

Colors

This map has more unusual colors than any equivalent in Indiana.

 

Blanding

We spent the night in Blanding at the Prospector Motor Lodge. Stay here only if it's your last resort (humor) available. What looks like a mountain is actually huge depressions (valleys) throughout the area.

Natural Bridge

Typical deep gorge - the entire park is a series of deep gorges. Just don't get caught at the bottom when a rain storm comes through.

This is the Natural Arch - well photographed. More on Natural Bridges formation.

A close up view shows how narrow one end is. Reportedly cowboys would ride their horses over the bridge at one time (but not now...)

Sipapu, a Hopi word, is a small hole or indentation in the floor of kivas used by the Ancient Pueblo Peoples and modern-day Puebloans. It symbolizes the portal through which their ancient ancestors first emerged to enter the present world.^[1]

Kachina is "the middle bridge." Spanning the canyon equidistant from both Owachomo and Sipapu bridges. It is larger than Owachomo but smaller than Sipapu. Proving that canyons are dynamic rather than static, approximately 4,000 tons of sandstone fell from the inside of the Kachina bridge opening in June, 1992, enlarging the opening as it has doubtless been enlarged time and time again.

Interesting arch formation. You can see where the water swirled around for, perhaps, millions of years.

The rivers swirls through this gorge after a heavy rainfall.

Did you know...

 Pinyon pines do not produce pine nuts every year. These delicious nuts can only be harvested every three to seven years. This irregular schedule prevents animals from adapting to an abundance of pine nuts and guarantees that at least some nuts will become new pine trees instead of a quick meal.