Kirtland NM
Well, here we are in Kirtland NM. It’s a gravel campground on the outskirts of the city. No stars to be seen here.
After arriving and setting up we decided to visit Ship Rock. It is the eastern most rock outcrop on the Navajo Land. It’s visible for miles around. It is an iconic rock formation here and it’s not too far away, about 30 miles via US-64, yes, the same US-64 that’s in North Carolina, seems it travels across the entire country, if you may it also a cousin to route 66which is here too. Anyway, off we go.
I want to try to get up close for photographs, but it seems the only roads are tribal roads that are mud caked ruts. We travel down one dirt road and it’s full of ruts, not the good kind but the blam, blam, rattle your body kind, no fun. We turned around.
It’s near dinner so we head back to the town of Ship Rock. Looking on the internet, food has not many choices. Micky Ds, BK, the typical fast-food joints. Navajo Native American Restaurant but its closed-on Saturday and Sunday, today is Saturday. There is a Chinese Restaurant, so in we go. We get waited on; the food is very good. The owner states the obvious, “you’re not from here are you”. No, we are from North Carolina, she is very friendly, and we talk. After dinner she said “come back when you can”
The sun is setting now. It’s the last try for good sunset pictures of Ship Rock. I had asked a young couple for directions to get up close. I think he was high, his girlfriend was really spaced, but he gave simi-coherent directions. They worked but I missed the open fence and road in my haste. Oh well! I still took some good images.
Also, a quick observation. Everywhere we look on the Navajo land here is littered with bottles, both beer, liquor. It is sad it seems the some local folks have zero respect for their native lands, sure is a shame, I hope its just a local think here in the Ship Rock area.
Back to the RV. Lots of temporary workers here in the RV park, most of the folks live in their RVs for the week and head home on the weekend. What a rough life.
City lights, no stars tonight, but I slept well again.