Page 537 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

ARIZ ONA  535

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Practical Information
n PO Box 360289, Monument
Valley, & 7 visitor center only.
8 = 0 
Tel (435) 727-5870.
Open sunrise–sunset daily.
Closed Dec 25.
∑ navajonationparks.org

John Ford’s Point
The most popular stop along the valley drive is John Ford’s
Point, which is said to be the film director’s favorite view of the
valley. Various stands offer a range of Navajo crafts. A nearby
native hogan (Navajo dwelling) serves as a gift shop where
Navajo weavers demonstrate their craft.

Merrick
Butte
Right Mitten

Navajo Weaver
Navajo women are usually
considered to be the finest
weavers in the Southwest.
One rug can take months
to complete and sell for
thousands of dollars. Using
the natural colors of the
land, the weavers often add
a “spirit line” to their work
to prevent their spirit being
“trapped” within the rug.

The Wild West
Romanticized in cowboy movies, the “Wild West” conjures
up images of tough men herding cattle across the country
before living it up in a saloon. But frontier life was far from
romantic. Settlers arriving in this wilderness were caught
up in a first-come first-served battle for land and wealth,
fighting Native Americans and each other for land. The
rugged life of the mining prospectors and ranch cowboys
helped to create the idea of the American West. Today,
visitors can still see former mining towns such as Bisbee or
enjoy re-enacted gunfights on the streets of Tombstone
(see p525), the site of one of the Wild West’s most famous
tales. In the late 19th century, however, such survival skills
as good shooting often co-existed with a kill-or-be-killed
ethos. Guided trail rides, offered at many dude ranches, Guided trail rides, conducted to explore
are a great way to explore the contemporary Wild West. the Wild West

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp550–52 and pp553–5

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