Northern Arizona’s Breathtaking Canyon de Chelly Home to Navajo

There’s plenty to do all across the great Grand Canyon State, whether you already own a home here or perhaps you’ve purchased some Arizona real estate you’re holding onto until you can build your dream home. And as long as we’re talking about homes, all across Arizona there are ancient homes that are still visible that allow visitors to take a peek into long-ago Native American life; some of them are tucked into the steep canyon walls of Northern Arizona’s Canyon de Chelly (pronounced “Shay”). Along with the site’s numerous ancient dwellings that reflect one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes in North America, Canyon de Chelly’s most distinctive geological feature is Spider Rock, a soaring sandstone spire similar to those that dominate the landscape in nearby Monument Valley.

Boasting artifacts and rock imagery that are remarkably preserved, Canyon de Chelly is thought to have been built between 350 AD and 1300 AD and is dotted with hundreds of ancient pueblo ruins that were once home to the Anasazi Indians. In the 1700s, Navajo tribes-people began to make their way west from northern New Mexico, eventually settling in Canyon de Chelly and even today, a Navajo community inhabits the canyon floor. Designated as a National Monument in 1931, Canyon de Chelly is the only National Park Service site to be completely located within the Navajo Nation.

If you go: Start at the Canyon de Chelly National Monument Visitor Center, where you can learn more about the area and the Navajo people. Two drives follow the rims of the canyon from the visitor center; these are the only drives allowed without a guide. If you have time, be sure to check out the well-preserved Puebloan ruins nestled in the 1,000-foot-tall rock walls (accessible only via guided tour). You can explore the White House Ruin trail on your own, but please be aware that most visits to the canyon floor require accompaniment by a park ranger or an authorized Navajo guide.

Overnight accommodations can be found in nearby Flagstaff, Chinle or Tuba City, while a free campground is available within Canyon de Chelly National Monument.

Arizona’s Lake Powell Home to Many Houseboats

There are always plenty of things to do whether you have Arizona homes, land, real estate or even a houseboat. And speaking of houses and boats, Arizona’s Lake Powell is one of the most popular places in the state to go house-boating thanks to its 186-mile-long smooth-as-glass surface snuggled alongside soaring crimson-hued canyons, rugged rock outcrops and the spectacular scenery of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Sprawled across an amazing 1.2 million acres, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area offers fabulous opportunities for water-based as well as land-based recreation. The recreation area stretches for hundreds of miles from Lees Ferry in Arizona to the Orange Cliffs of southern Utah, encompassing a wealth of geologic wonders and magnificent scenic vistas crafted by a combination of volcanic lava, erosion, wind and time.

Formed by the Colorado River and Glen Canyon Dam, one of the world’s highest dams, Lake Powell itself straddles the border between Arizona and Utah and was created as a result of the construction of the dam in the early 1960s. The lake, whose level changes with the years and the seasons, boasts nearly 2,000 miles of meandering shoreline – making it the perfect destination for fishing, water sports, house-boating and other outdoor activities.

Located near Page, Arizona, Wahweap Marina is the largest marina on Lake Powell and locals and visitors alike tend to agree that it is a great place to rent a houseboat or find a hotel or other lodging. You can bring your own boat or rent one and head out onto the lake for water-skiing, wake-boarding or whatever sporty adventure strikes your fancy.

If you’re not staying on a houseboat, you might want to make one of the campgrounds your home...options include a National Park Service campground at Lees Ferry, privately run campgrounds and there’s also a lodge at Wahweap Marina. If your idea of a home away from home includes a “real” bed, no problem - several nicely appointed hotels are available in Page, just a few miles away.