April 6, 2021 Across Navajo Nation
Home Depot Parking Lot Gallup, New Mexico
I got a nice morning walk. I got to talk to my sister, my dear friend, Lois, and my mom. All that chatting really helped the miles go by! The area outside the RV park had some nice red rock and a hiking trail.
We traveled east of Page on a scenic route through Navajo Nation. There were a lot of signs reminding people to mask up and to avoid gatherings and ceremonies. It also looked like there was a curfew in place from 10pm to 5am.
We passed, but did not stop, many open-air markets selling horse hair pottery, kachina dolls, Navajo jewelry, and cedar berries.
Breakfast spot.
The valley beyond.
Most of the day we traveled at 5,000- 6,000 feet. There were isolated villages and long miles of sparsely populated mesas. There were small ranches and lots of abandoned buildings and shacks mixed with well kept yards and houses. There were also lots of roaming dogs.
The mesas, buttes, canyons, washes, and hoodoos were gorgeous. There were miles and miles of sagebrush, desert grasses, and tumbleweed.
The scenery was gorgeous but the driving was tough. The road was winding and steep. The winds were blowing and the road surface was poorly patched asphalt. At 3pm, the driver needed a nap!
We arrived at 7,000 feet and there were big stands of ponderosa pine and even some vestiges of snow.
At last, we were in New Mexico.
We were looking for a camping spot. The county park outside of Gallup was closed because of COVID. Our other options were Cracker Barrel, Walmart, backtracking on 40W or driving another hour to Grants, New Mexico.
The Cracker Barrel RV lanes were very small and couldn’t accommodate us. We looked at Walmart but decided on Home Depot next door. We did some shopping at Home Depot, got our dinner at Applebee’s, and got supplies at Walmart.
We are at 6,500 feet of elevation. It is supposed to be 21 degrees here tonight so we might get a little chilly…but we have lots of blankets, a propane furnace, and each other!
