Road Trip - Coal Mine Canyon

Coal Mine Canyon is a remote gem of the southwest that borders

the Hopi and Navajo Nations.  It  sits on the edge of the 120 mile wide 

Painted Desert, a sparsely settled region without many roads 

but covered by extensive areas of exposed weathered rock. 

There are no signs and these were the directions we followed:

From Tuba City head SE on Main Street (AZ 264) for about 14 miles. 

 Shortly after you pass mile marker 337,  look for a windmill 

to the left.  As you cross the cattle guard the dirt road will fork.  Take 

the right fork to the parking area.

It was about 60 miles from Flagstaff to the turnoff...

As we entered the Navajo Nation our navigation system
made us feel like we  were in the middle of nowhere - but we 
forged ahead since we had been in Tuba City 40 years ago.

And "nowhere" was beginning to look pretty good,

and was ever changing.

However before we could go and walk around
Coal Mine Canyon, we had to stop in Cameron
at the Navajo Parks & Recreation Office to get
a $12.00 permit  - per person.  And we are pleased
to say it was worth every penny!!!

Now remember those directions stated above, and the
mention of a windmill - easy to find and the cows found
it too - and the watering trough.  We found the following
which need no titles - enjoy.

On our way back to the highway, a few beasts

posed for us, but did not even care that we were
talking to them like they were our family pets

Back at Cameron (which is still on the Navajo
Nation land) where geocaching is not allowed,

Don had time to do a Virtual at the old
Valentine's Bridge

while I got a more up close & personal
look.  Beautiful.

Next we turned west towards  the Grand Canyon West entrance

in search of The Little Colorado Gorge Overlook

 which was interesting but due to the dry season
the usual Robin egg blue water (created by the
mineral content during summer months) was non
existent... as was most of the water!

However as we headed back to Flagstaff we saw
a very strange phenomenon...