My wife and I are planning a second trip to Phoenix and Sedona in April. We are really interested in visiting the country we've only read about in Tony Hillerman novels. Any suggestions for Hopi/Navaho experiences?

Most of the country on the Navajo/Hopi reservation is at 7,000 or so feet altitude. April is a nice time. Be sure you drive north from Flagstaff on 89 and then toward Tuba City and Kayenta. Turn north there and enter Monument Valley (get a reservation for a one- or two-nighter at Goulding's) and on into Utah before heading down to Four Corners and Shiprock. Or from Monument Valley work your work way toward Chinle and Canyon de Chelly (pronounced: d'shay). If you have time, suggest you drive up to Page and take the day boat trip on Lake Powell to Rainbow Bridge out of Wahweap, just north of Glen Canyon Dam. Write us directly with questions if you wish; all this is in our back yard.

Bob, here's a website on Arizona's "Indian country."

http://www.arizonaguide.com/see/sigh...e_indian.shtml

Do NOT pass up Canyon de Chelly; it's awesome -- Navajo country.

To see a little more of Navajo Nation land head east on I-40 and then head north on rt 191 to Chinle and visit Canyon de Chelly. Then head north to Kayenta and onto Monument Valley. On the way to Chinle on I-40 you could drive through Petrified Forest National Park.
After visiting Monument Valley go back to rt. 160 and head west to Tuba City. Just west of Kayenta you could make a little detour and visit the Navajo National Monument. Continue past Tuba City to rt.89. Head south on 89 and you will come to a bypass road that allows you to drive through the Wupati and Sunset Crater National Monuments. When you get back to I-40 you will be only a few miles to Walnut Canyon National Monument. Wupati, Navajo NM and Walnut Canyon feature ancient Native American ruins.

rqf - How long do you think your tour would take. Where are good overnight spots. Does anyone have information about lodging at Chinle?

Follow this link for all the info on lodging right at Canyon de Chelly:
http://www.tbirdlodge.com/ The Thunderbird Lodge is where we stayed since it is closest to the Canyon and the tours leave from the "lodge" (it's a nice, typical motel--nothing fancy but VERY convenient. I believe it is Navajo-owned and operated. If at all possible, take the all-day tour as it is well worth the time spent. We were there in the fall, and the colors were spectacular. I'm sure Spring will be as well. All the info for tours is on the website as well.

Message: BobB - Figure 1 day for the trip from PHX to Chinle, arriving late afternoon, if you decide to stop for a few hours at Petrfied Forest. If you do arrive late afternoon drive one of the rims at Canyon de Chelly. Overnite at the lodge in the park or at one of the motels near the Canyon. DAy 2 take a tour of de Chelly - tours leave from the lodge in the park. Stay at de Chelly until late afternoon before heading to Kayenta about 100 miles north. Overnite in Kayenta and take a tour of Monument Valley on day 3. . If you take the half day tour you can start heading back with a stop at the Navajo National Monument for a few hours. Find a place to stay in Tuba City or in Cameron for the evening. On day 4 start back to PHX going south on rt. 89. Take the bypass that gets you to Wupatki and Sunset Crater. With stops you can do the bypass in two or so hours. Then head for the junction of I40 and rt. 89 and spend a couple of hours in Walnut Canyon. You could be on your way to PHX by early evening. Lodging Chinle - Thunderbird Lodge (in park); Best Western Canyon de Chelly inn; Holiday Inn Canyon de Chelly.
Kayenta: Holiday Inn Monument Valley; Wetherill Inn Motel. Also Gouldings which I think is in Utah, a few miles from the
valley. YOu are can arrange for a tour at
Gouldings or in MV. Don't know of any motels in Tuba City but there are a few in Cameron. One is the Cameron Trading Post. This is a popular stop since Cameron is where you take the road that brings you to the East Entrance to the Grand Canyon.

Another ineresting hotel in the are is La Posada in Winslow, AZ. It is one of the resort hotels designed by Mary Colter in the 1920s. It is right across the street from the train station (of course!). Anyway, they've been restoring it - it reopened last year. It's a good base for day trips.

Also, I always enjoy visiting Gallup - especially on Saturdays when the Navajo market takes place. (It's kind of a cross between a craft fair and a flea market.)

wow rqf -- I'm totally impressed with your advice! We'll be in Arizona in April, and only have 1 day (after a quick trip to the Grand Canyon) to get a brief glimpse of "Indian country." Could you recommend a way to see a little in one day -- leaving from Flagstaff. Thanks for your help!

I would offer one different recommedation from rqf's detailed suggestions: For your visit to Monument Valley, definitely stay at Goulding's Lodge, which overlooks the valley. If you do, make sure you get up very early and watch the sun come up over the monuments. It'll be one of the most magnificent sights you'll ever see.

Kristi: You might consider the following. TAke rt 89 north out of Flagstaff. Take the bypass road (clearly indicated with signs) and drive through Sunset Crater and Wupatiki National Monuments. Bypass road covers about 35 miles. When you get back to rt. 89 continue north to rt.160. Take 160 east to Tuba City. At Tuba City get on rt. 264 to Moenkapi. Shortly thereafter you will enter the Hopi Reservation. Stay on 264 until you get to rt 87. Take that south to I-40 and then head west on I-40 to Flagstaff. About 10 miles east of Flagstaff is the entrance to Walnut Canyon National Monument. If time permits stop for an hour or so. This route will take you through the southwestern corner of the reservation. If you decide to do this be sure to have a good Arizona map on hand so you can plot your route.

This sounds like a wonderful trip. I was wondering how hot it would be in July?

Quick question -- we're going to be in the Grand Canyon in May -- can we do Monument Valley as a day trip? How far is it?

It is about 170 miles from Grand Canyon Village to Monument Valley. Go out the east entrance on rt. 64. Go north on rt.89 to rt. 160. EAst on 16o to Kayenta when you go north on rt. 163. Good wide two lane highway all the way. Shouldn't be too much traffic once out of Gr. Canyon. Trip shouldn't take much more it can be done.
Leave Gr. Canyon by 8am and you should be in Mv before noon. Take a half day tour out of Gouldings Lodge or make your own tour arrangements in the valley. Jeep tour operators can be found in the parking lot by the visitor center in MV

I can't believe nobody ever mentions Antelope Canyon also known as the Corksrew Canyon. It's just a few miles east of Page. It's on the Navajo Indian Reservation. I liked it better than Monument Valley. I'm sure almost everybody has seen pictures of this slot canyon. A photographers dream!!

so--where is gouldings---we are spending a day seeing monument valley after grand c--I take it that gouldings has a great site? where is it? not kayenta, i take it. and we could organize a 1/2 day trip of the valley at gouldings, or at some visitor center?

I am with Howard...if anyone is visiting Monument Valley, do not stay anywhere else but Gouldings. Kayenta is a small town that you pass through on your way to Gouldings/Monument Valley and Kayenta is a real dog!! Gouldings, MV Visitors Center and entrance into MV are all within couple of miles...you can see both from Gouldings, as it has wonderful views. You can pick up tours at Gouldings. In the summer, it is best to go on the a.m. tour, or late p.m...shadows on the rocks on awesome.

Gouldings is in Utah. Goulding's Trading Post and Lodge is located there - it is a few miles from Monument Valley.

A lot of good suggestions here, but I would not go for the full-day tour of Canyon de Chelly. The half-day should more than suffice. I also found my tourguide there to be indifferent at best, as if he was doing us a favor by showing us around. My parents encountered a similar experience on a separate trip.

If you're going to be in the Monument Valley area, it's worth it to also head east and travel along the Valley of the Gods road. A little washboardy at times, but very pretty and off the beaten tourist path. If you book far enough advance, a must-stay is the Valley of the Gods B&B, very beautiful with friendly innkeepers. I'm going back for my third time in May. Can't wait.