There are places in the world that need to be experienced. Canyon de Chelly in Arizona is one of them.

Geologically, it is spectacular. Millions of years of uplift and erosion by streams carved its sheer sandstone walls. Ancient Puebloans settled here because of its reliable water sources and fertile soil. Although an extended drought eventually contributed to their migration, people have lived in this canyon for thousands of years. The remarkable cliff dwellings date to the 14th century. Today, Canyon de Chelly is entirely within the Navajo Nation and is managed by the National Park Service in partnership with the Navajo people.

I enjoy history in its many forms—geological, cultural, and social. I am equally intrigued by food: how people sourced it, which staple crops sustained them, and how the landscape shaped what was possible. Places like Canyon de Chelly bring all of those histories together.

Arizona is an amazing state - vast, ancient, dry.

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