Finding My Way Home – A New Direction

Finding My Way Home – A New Direction

A New Direction is the tenth installment of Finding My Way Home. To view the previous installment, click here. If you wish to start from the beginning, click here. This is the ongoing story of the six years I spent as a vagabond photographer.

Somewhere on the road between the north rim of the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff, Arizona this scene of red cliffs and dramatic clouds played out.
“Red Cliffs and Dramatic Clouds”

The plan was to spend a month near Zion and then move on to Bryce Canyon National Park. I haven’t decided how long I want to stay at Bryce, so I haven’t made any reservations. It’s only May, so the summer tourist season hasn’t really kicked off yet. I figure I will just go that direction and find a place to stay along the way. It’s also time for an oil change for the motor home, so I start calling around Hurricane to see which shops can accommodate a large vehicle. Since it is my home, I cannot just drop it off and come back when it’s done. Chris and I take Luna for a walk around town, while we wait for the RV. It’s chilly and the wind is blowing, which reminds me of the weather forecast, which is for rain here and possible snow at higher elevations, including Bryce. As we talk about that, Chris suggests going south rather than north, given the impending weather. I agree that a new direction is a great idea.

Profile of a female aplomado falcon (Falco femoralis).
“Aplomado Falcon Profile”

Sometimes, I get a plan in mind and fail to consider other options. It’s difficult to get used to the idea that I can make a plan and stick to it, or change my mind and make a new plan. I’ve always been a planner, partly because I’ve always had to be. Having the luxury of spontaneity is new and counterintuitive. I’ve been worrying about the weather up in the mountains, without even recognizing I could go in a new direction. All of a sudden, going south is not only a possibility, but a better plan. Chris mentions he’s always wanted to visit Sedona, and I think that sounds great. We start planning a route. We will go to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, then Flagstaff, then on to Sedona. Bryce will just have to wait until the next time I come this way.

Double rainbow over Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona. Recent rains have left pools of water, creating an opportunity to capture a reflection of the famous, mystical rock in the foreground.
“Magical Sedona”

Now it’s mid-May and I’m calling ahead to Flagstaff and Sedona, trying to find places to stay for a week and a month, respectively, and having little success. I’ve just learned a new lesson as a full-timer. This is my first major summer holiday on the road. I may be able to wing it most of the year, but when it comes to Memorial Day (also Fourth of July and Labor Day), I need to make reservations far in advance. Especially if I am going to be in a popular tourist area. This puts a crimp in my spontaneity, for sure.

The gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) is the largest of the falcon species. This is an up close view of an adult female "talking."
“Gyrfalcon”

Here I am, living in my RV every day, when suddenly every RV owner who doesn’t live in theirs wants a place to take it for the weekend. I never thought about it too much until I had to. After many, many phone calls and disappointments, I finally find a place in Flagstaff that can accommodate us for five days while we await an opening at a park in Cottonwood, Arizona, which is about twenty miles from Sedona. It was the only place with openings that was within my budget and we can only stay for ten days. From now on, I will try to make sure I have a monthly reservation that encompasses each summer holiday. While I’m in Flagstaff, I search online for places to go where I might find some wildlife to photograph. After driving all over the place, and finding only a handful of birds, I finally give up and go to a “raptor show” at the botanical garden. I don’t usually shoot captive birds and the show is a reminder why. The birds are well cared for, ineligible to be released into the wild, and provide educational value to the public. Although it’s an amazing experience to see these majestic and powerful birds close up, I just don’t get the same satisfaction as when I photograph birds in the wild.

Sedona, Arizona is surrounded by impressive and unique rock formations. Bell Rock is so named because of its shape.
“Sedona’s Bell Rock”

My space at the Park in Cottonwood is on a bluff, overlooking the Verde River. To my delight, I notice there are many birds here. When I settle into a new space, one of the first things to do is set up the outdoor table. I like to cook on the grill, and the RV parks that provide picnic tables often have rules against putting grills on them. Bringing my own folding table solves that problem. The next morning, I take the dog outside and notice purple spots and streaks all over the table. It’s bird poop. As Luna and I venture down the hill for our morning walk, I’m wondering what kind of bird makes purple poop. Down by the river there is a park-like common space for the RV park. The groundskeeper is there setting up sprinklers. When he sees us, he proudly shows me the large mulberry bush, full of berries, he has been tending. Despite that childhood song now stuck in my head, at least I know how the bird poop came to be purple.

Male ladder backed woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) posing near Cottonwood, Arizona.
“Ladder Backed Woodpecker Pose”

The scenery in and around the area is some of the most beautiful in the southwestern U.S. Unfortunately, Sedona (the town), is a huge disappointment. It’s really a shame that the spectacular landscapes have created a such gaudy tourist trap. Full of tacky shops selling Chinese-made “Native American” goods and all manner of spiritual woo-woo, the place is like a theme park for new age seekers. We stop in a “tourist information center.” They immediately pressure us to attend a time share presentation. They promise a helicopter tour of Sedona as incentive. I am against it, having endured such a thing once before in my life. But Chris really wants to do it. After the thrilling helicopter tour over Zion National Park, the lure is irresistible. I tell him it will be excruciating and not worth the time, but he insists. It turns out to be even more awful than I imagined.

Male cardinal (Cardinalidae) in the grass. Photographed in Cottonwood, Arizona.
“Arizona Cardinal”

We are re-directed to a presentation for golf course condos, after being promised a presentation about an RV park time share. The guy who scheduled it assures us that we will get the RV park information via computer at the other location since the RV park tours are full. We show up, along with about ten other couples. We sign in, get a brief welcome, and our “guide” escorts us away.

Inspired and commissioned by local rancher and sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude, the Chapel of the Holy Cross was almost built in Budapest, Hungary. World War II abruptly halted those plans and she looked homeward to Sedona, Arizona. The Chapel stands on public land in the Coconino National Forest thanks to the late senator Barry Goldwater, who helped Staude obtain a special use permit. Integrated into the red rock buttes, the chapel is an architectural marvel.
“Chapel of the Holy Cross Vertical”

This guy absolutely looks the part of a slimy timeshare salesman. His dark hair is slicked back with what looks like motor oil and his sleeves are pushed up to just below his elbows and fastened with cufflinks. He breaks the ice with obviously rehearsed jokes, while reeking of way too much cologne. As he ushers us into a condo, which has been conspicuously over-decorated to appear luxurious, he asks us what we think. I mention to him that we are not really interested in golf course condos and were told we could learn about RV sites. He immediately blows a gasket and accuses us of scamming him and his company just to get a free helicopter ride. He tells us he needs to take us back to the main office and make us fill out some forms to verify we are who we said we are and our income. The guy is screaming at us and ordering us to go with him back to the original meeting place. We look at each other and calmly walk back to the car, get in and drive away. Needless to say, we aren’t getting a free helicopter tour.

In Sedona, Arizona, it's easy to lose sight of the small things. But a closer look reveals beauty in the desert beyond the red rock landscapes. Here desert thistles bloom in brilliant purple color.
“Desert Thistle”

The best thing that happens in Sedona actually starts in Cottonwood. I’m outside one evening and notice the moon is nearly full. Ever since I started learning photography, I’ve been enamored with shooting the moon. I get out my photo planning software and Google Maps and find a place to photograph the moon rising behind the famous landmark, Cathedral Rock. When I get there the next day, it all works out just as I planned, which almost never happens. Sedona Moon turns out to be one of my most popular photographs of all time.

Watching the full moon rise between the spires of Sedona, Arizona's Cathedral Rock is a truly unforgettable experience.
“Sedona Moon”

After the timeshare debacle, and the excessive commercialism of the place, we’re happy to leave Sedona. The ten day opening at Cottonwood has run out, and it’s time for another new direction. The next place I really want to visit is Monument Valley. It’s farther than I want to go in one day, so we spend a couple of days in Tuba City, which is on the Navajo Nation in central Arizona. Chris is working on a project involving the controversial Confluence development project near there. While he meets with locals and documents their concerns, I get to work figuring out where I will be staying at Monument Valley and beyond, including the Fourth of July. (I don’t want to do the holiday scramble again!)

Female Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) in mid flight looking up at the sky, possibly daydreaming.
“Daydream”
America’s Public Lands – Bears Ears

America’s Public Lands – Bears Ears

From the moment I arrived in the quiet little town of Bluff, in the southeastern part of Utah, I had the sense that I had stumbled upon a little-known area of scenic wonders and sacred history. My usual practice of asking the RV park operator for suggestions of things to see and do in the area yielded a list too abundant to possibly complete in my one-week scheduled visit. Having just spent several days in Monument Valley, witnessing some of the most breathtaking views the four-corners region has to offer, I was not expecting to be stunned. I was in for a surprise!

Bluff, Utah Bluff, Utah  Est. 650 A.D.

One of the first things I noticed is that the “Bluffoons” (as the locals like to call themselves) have a wicked sense of humor, along with a mighty sense of pride in the long history of the area.

Loree Johnson Photography; House on Fire; Utah; anasazi; mule canyon; ancient; ruins; cliff dwellings; sandstone; desert southwest; flame; blanding ut; cedar mesaThese Anasazi ruins in Utah’s Mule Canyon have been nicknamed the “House on Fire” ruins because the textures of the cliffs above the ruins resemble flames.

Having seen photographs of the House on Fire, I wanted to see it with my own eyes. It was not easy to find. After much searching on the internet, and quizzing a few locals, I found what seemed to be the correct trail through BLM land in the Mule Canyon area. I remember thinking to myself how strange it was that such a unique place was so little-known and sparsely visited. I spent a morning hiking to the ruins and a couple of hours there taking in the energy of the place without ever seeing another person. It felt as though I had connected with the spirit of the ancient people who built it.

The Other Monument Valley; the lady in the bathtub; valley of the gods; southern ut; utah; monument valley; remote; buttes; mesas; balancing rocks; erosion; desert southwest; four corners; inspiring; beautiful; surreal; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree Johnson A sandstone butte in Valley of the Gods known as The Lady in the Bathtub. Valley of the Gods is located in a remote area of southern Utah just 25 miles north of Monument Valley. With its red rock mesas, towering sandstone buttes, and balancing rocks that seem to defy gravity, this place is every bit as inspiring and beautiful to behold as Monument Valley.

Another place I decided to visit, per suggestion of the RV park management, was Valley of the Gods. Wow! Some people refer to it as “the other Monument Valley.” The terrain is very similar, but the access road is better–as long as it hasn’t rained recently. I was able to navigate the entire 17 mile scenic drive in my compact two-wheel drive car. I only saw a handful of other people while there, including a few people who were camping.

sail away; battleship rock; valley of the gods; southern ut; utah; monument valley; remote; buttes; mesas; balancing rocks; erosion; desert southwest; four corners; inspiring; beautiful; surreal; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree Johnson Battleship Rock in Valley of the Gods, Utah.

The sandstone buttes in Valley of the Gods are every bit as majestic and breathtaking as the more famous formations in Monument Valley. And once again, I found myself wondering how this amazing place was so unknown by so many.

During my too-short visit to the area, I was unaware that it had been under consideration for National Monument status for over two years. Looking back at the wonder I experienced, I was thrilled when I heard the news that President Obama had designated the Bears Ears National Monument.

Not only that, but five tribal nations are represented by a council whose responsibility is to advise federal agencies regarding administration of the monument. It is the first time in our history that Native Americans have been given authoritative input into the management of the lands their ancestors occupied. The area is home to abundant numbers of burial grounds and cliff dwellings, which have lately been the target of “pot hunters.” A term used to describe those who scavenge the ruins for artifacts and sell them illegally. The Antiquities Act (which is the authority used by the President to designate the monument) was written expressly for the purpose of protecting such artifacts and historic dwellings.

Bluff Sunset; light; bluff ut; utah; desert southwest; end of the day; glow; momentary; clouds; storm; tiny town; last light; four corners; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree JohnsonAs the sun sets on the tiny town of Bluff, Utah, the bluffs which give the town its name light up in the glow of the days last light. Storm clouds above the bluffs take on a momentary golden glow.

This new Bears Ears National Monument is long overdue, and should prove to be economically beneficial to the little towns like Bluff, where they seemed to me to be trying to convince the tourists to stay a while, rather than blast through on the way north to Canyonlands and Arches. There is indeed, much worth seeing in this remote section of Utah. And I am happy that it will be protected for future generations to appreciate, and even for me to visit again.

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