David Thompson Highway

On my way to the Northwest Territories I first drove the David Thompson Highway and camped there for a few days.
I love the D.Thompson Highway (which is Alberta Highway 11). There are quite a few provincial campgrounds and this time I also camped on some public land where you can camp for free but where there are no facilities. It was a beautiful spot and I was really impressed on how clean it was even though it is very popular.
I was there for the Canada Day long week end so I have already posted one picture from the public land spot, but just the same here are a couple of the spot where I was camping.

Update from the Northwest Territories

I finally made it. I am just at the 60deg parallel and camping there for the night. Tonight I am planning to go and pick boletes to feed myself

Canada Day long week end

for whatever reason I really like the shot below.

Endangered specie: phone booth in the wild.

Loons on Goldeye Lake.

Loons again but this time you can see the mummy carrying the baby on her back.

Is it cold? Is it hot? Is this Canada or is this Hawaii?

Southern Saskatchewan in the spring

I have no idea what kind of prairie dog this is with its spots ans stripes.

In the springs birds in the prairies are quite the thing.

Canada geese and babies on a lake.

Making morning tea at the campsite.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

Theodore Roosevelt National Park really is a beautiful place. This is a photo taken in the campground. Probably one of the best spot to camp I have been to all winter.

Prairie dogs.

Wild horses.

..and buffaloes. this is why I went there I wanted to see the buffaloes. It was weird to see them in a badland type of landscape.

Buffalo or Bison ?

....Somewhere in South Dakota you can choose. Do you say "bison" or "buffalo".
 I say "buffalo" so I went straight at the intersection. (Truly I was on my way north to Theodore Roosevelt National Park)

Road Shots

Silverton, Colorado

Ok, now I am blogging about what I saw AFTER Monument Valley.
High in the mountains of Colorado, in a very high, isolated valley you can find Silverton. An old fashion train links it to Durango. It is a nice little old town but the road to it and from it are steep, windy and I would not recommend them in winter.

this is where the photos of the humming birds come from.

Toadlena Trading Post, New Mexico

On my way from Gallup to Monument Valley I also stopped at Toadlena Trading Post (a few miles west of HWY 491). Somebody sometime, and I forget who and when, wrote" Toadlena is to Navajo rugs what Paris is to Haute Couture" and it is indeed a interesting place to visit.
The trading post is a working trading post. The woman who looks after it is very friendly and interesting. The rugs are beautiful, if out of my price range. And there is a small museum at the back of the trading post which is quite interesting.

Again random pictures not trying to be particularly representative.

The sheep who may very well be part of those providing wool for the rugs.

Just a window in the store

The inside of the trading post ...as I said a working trading post

One of the rug in the museum. I did not take photos of the rugs for sale I didn't feel OK doing it.

More photos of the trading post

Gallup, New Mexico

Obviously I am not anywhere near Gallup these days but I am trying to get back on the time line and blog nearly in order....It is not really working because I was in Gallup BEFORE Monument Valley, but I just want to say something about Gallup, just one simple thing: Gallup was a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect anything at all. For all I knew Gallup was just another town on the map but it turns out that Gallup is truly the capital of Navajo, Zuni and Hopi jewelry and craft. All the expensive stuff you see in Santa Fe pretty much starts in Gallup, or at least is available in Gallup. There was some beautiful Squash Blossom Necklaces but even in Gallup where things are not as pricy as in Santa Fe I really cannot afford one (maybe one day).
Mostly Gallup has the pleasant feel of a real town.
As usual here are some random photos of Gallup.

I did spoil myself and bought a beautiful old silver and turquoise brooch/pendant, as well as some beads from a local craft store.