The Drive from Grants, New Mexico over to the Indian ruins at Chaco Canyon was a pretty long one. The website cautioned against relying on a GPS to find the place, as I guess it’s so ludicrously far out in the boonies that even satellites can’t find it. From their website:
“Warning: Some of the local roads recommended by map publishers and services using GPS devised to access Chaco are unsafe for passenger cars. Please use our written directions below to avoid getting lost or stuck.”
So I let their mediocre grammar slide, and printed out this here map. I marked our starting point and our destination on there for you.
I didn’t figure it’d be too hard to find; the drive took me through the little towns of White Horse and Seven Lakes, so I figured I’d have some landmarks, and maybe even a gas station or two. Boy, I figured wrong.
Um… This is Whitehorse?
Unbelievably enough, this intersection has a name. It’s clearly where 509 and 9 intersect. And Whitehorse is clearly located at that intersection…
Looks like a nice place. I hope Benny gets the Littleton bump.
So this is it, this is the ‘town.’
Glad I didn’t grow up in Whitehorse.
And with that, it was on to Seven Lakes. Ok. This place will actually be a town.
So this sign used to say “Seven Lakes Ranch.” This doesn’t look horribly encouraging.
I guess this is it… Seriously, how did these places get put on the map? At least this place appears like it maybe, sort of used to have a store, a little bit.
The dead old ranch was pretty any who.
There’s actually what looks like some pretty old white-man ruins on the right there.
Yet another thriving metropolis in the beautiful southwest.
Fine. I guess I can’t buy any Gatorade on the way. At least I found my way around. And when that sign says “ROUGH ROAD. May be Impassable, Travel at Your Own Risk” they do mean it’s totally safe for a tiny little Mazda 6 rental car right? Sounds like Hertz’ risk to me….
20 or so miles down this here dirt road I finally found the place. If it seems like I’m dragging my feet on showing you actual pictures of actual Chaco Canyon, well, I am. I took well over 1,000 pictures on this particular day, and sorting them has proved to be a rather daunting little chore. But I’m getting there. I assure you, you won’t have to hold your proverbial horses too much longer.
-B. Littleton
