Dear Maia and Isaac,

Today brought a pretty drive back to my home region.  I am back in Cortez where I started the first night of the trip.  Life always seems so different on both ends of the trip.  Being sick has put a lot of strange twists on this year’s journey.  I was either too tired or too sick to eat out much.  I didn’t make all my regular stops or get some of my usual treasures.  I had to drive right by the rock shop at Petrified Forest – the place that is often where your gifts come from each year.

But, life is life and I had to get back home.  So, I took our planned route and did better with some limited stops to let the dogs walk a little.  I ended up with 8 K steps today – which really surprises me.  I really wanted to take a nap all day.

Our first stop was the Veteran’s Memorial Park at Window Rock.  My dogs always pose and so mission accomplished for this year.  Nature is amazing in the red rock country of Northeast Arizona.  I remember buzzing through here to get your mom for the weekend when I lived in Phoenix.  I made the whole drive in 12 hours . . . I always wanted to spend more time in red rock country.  My road trips have allowed me to do some of that.

The next stop was Hubbell Trading Post Historic Site.  This is still a working trading post – I got Maizzy a patch for her Sport Sack there today.  They have turkeys and chickens.  This is the first year that I have not seen llamas.

After that, we came to Canyon de Chelly (pronounced Shay).  I love the color of this canyon.  It is spicier than the others, somehow.  The Navajo sell goods in the pullouts and still live at the bottom of the canyon.  I usually buy something from them, but there was only one vendor today and I didn’t like his stuff that much.

There are ruins here called the White House Ruins.  They are Ancient Pueblo ruins – I think that was an amazing culture.  We have seen traces of the several places on our trip.  El Morro has a ruin on top of the big rock.  Petrified Forest has ruins.  Of course, Cortez has lots.  I normally would explore one tomorrow if I was feeling well.  It s*#&s to have a stomach bug on a road trip.

Lastly, we drove through red rock country back to Colorado.  The rocks where hard to see today because of a windstorm.  But, you can see their shapes just about everywhere on the trip back.

Then, we crossed the Colorado State line.  I got some macaroni and cheese to nuke for dinner.  Now, I just want to sleep.  The motel is noisy, but I will try.

Love, Grandma Hartt