One day we drove the north rim and the next day we drove the south rim of the canyon. The north rim had beautiful cliff dwellings and the south offered panoramic views. Archeological evidence shows that people have lived in these canyons for nearly 5,000 years.
On the south rim we walked the 2.5 mile round trip trail to White House Ruin. The ruin was built by ancestral Puebloan people and occupied about 1,000 years ago. Going down into the canyon was easy but coming back up was a good cardio workout.
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| The canyon floor is still being farmed by the locals |
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| Ruins from a distance |
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| The hike was made interesting by several tunnels like this one |
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We're on the right trail
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| The White House Ruins are behind our heads |
We went to mass at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church and most of the people there were, of course, Navajo. I found it interesting how they integrated some of their music, traditions and rituals into the mass. The church was beautifully decorated.
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| The doors entering the church |
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| The church was octagon shape with lots of wood and pottery |
One of my very favorite places ever. We took a jeep tour with a Navajo guide who lived in the canyon when he was a child. Fascinating. We also went to church while we were there and I was amazed at how easily the speaker was able to give his talk in Navajo and then easily transition to English and then back again. A wonderful experience.
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