Just over a week in this rather large area, reserved to the Dineh tribe (as the Navajo call themselves). Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the Navajo Nation under Navajo Nation law. Throughout the Nation rubbish is everywhere; tyres, plastic bags, takeaway cartons, but most of all, beer cans and bottles were everywhere. Our guide in Monument Valley gave up drink in 2007 and stated alcoholism was really bad. There are lots of AA meeting signs. What concerned us the most was the potential for meeting drunken drivers as (this may not be connected) crosses and flowers at the roadside are relatively frequent here.
The most comprehensive list of ‘do nots’ came at our camp ground at Canyon De Chelly NM:

No daytime picnics or cookouts, this included no parties, family gatherings or socialising. Activities such as volleyball or horseshoes restricted to set places. No Panhandling or soliciting (of course this was the only campsite where we experienced a vendor knocking on our door); no livestock, so of course there was a bullock in the campground. The rules go on and on, Murray was so long paying for the site Caroline got worried, he was only delayed reading all the rules!

The Navajo own Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, a massive power station and have industry and houses everywhere. There are no rest areas, nowhere you can walk any real distance, hardly anywhere you can just pull off the road. Virtually everywhere access is prohibited to make sure you respect the privacy of the Navajo Nation.

Monument Valley is prohibited to RVs so we had to choose between not visiting or pay a lot of money for a guided tour, cash cheaper than credit card ‘because of the taxes’. Whilst we enjoyed our visit, these beautiful rock formations now have a scrapyard and houses everywhere. Without control there will soon come a time when tourists will no longer want to go.

Navajo NM

Monument Valley

Sleeping Dragon

Canyon De Chelly

 Up close

 Not so close – how did they build here?