NORTHERN ARIZONA BY ELIZABETH EXLINE Known as Diné among themselves and Navajo to the world at large, this population worked a veritable miracle during World War II. The Japanese had deciphered every code developed by the U.S. Marines until Navajo recruits joined up and changed the course of history. By speaking their native tongue, the Navajo marines were able to communicate in the Pacific theater without the Japanese ever understanding. In fact, the Navajo language was the only “code” the Japanese failed to crack. Today, just a handful of the original Code Talkers remain, but visitors can immerse themselves in the drama and victory of their story at the Navajo Code Talkers exhibit at the Historic Tuba City Trading Post in Tuba City. The museum features a smattering of threads that, taken together, weave a tapestry of danger, secrets and, ultimately, survival. See a documentary, artifacts and weapons from this era. The museum resides a stone’s throw away from the better known Explore Navajo Interactive Museum , which attempts to put into exhibit form the “Navajo journey through life.” Each of the four quadrants reveals key aspects of Navajo culture, from the traditional hogan (home) to the ceremonies and culture to, yes, that language that made all the difference to U.S. troops in the 1940s. Explore Navajo Interactive Museum, Tuba City Landscapes Some of the Southwest’s most unique landscapes can be found in Northern Arizona. MONUMENT VALLEY NAVAJO TRIBAL PARK This collection of crimson mesas and towering sandstone buttes captures colors that appear only in nature. Please be respectful of Navajo Nation regulations when visiting Monument Valley to help preserve this ancient site. PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK Not a forest in the traditional sense, this national park amazes with views of colorful mesas, buttes and badlands — not to mention the fossilized wood the park is named for, as well as Triassic-Period animal fossils, petroglyphs, hoodoos and a stretch of historic Route 66. VERMILION CLIFFS NATIONAL MONUMENT Undulating swirls of red and yellow sandstone, dramatic red cliffs and uncommon wildlife such as endangered California condors are just some of the draws to this 280,000-acre monument. Most roads require four-wheel drive — and the most notable sights require a permit — but the rewards are worth the effort. METEOR CRATER NATURAL LANDMARK Approximately 50,000 years ago, a meteor slammed into the earth with the force of more than 2 million tons of TNT, creating a crater a mile across and 550 feet deep. Go on the 45-minute guided rim tour in Winslow to learn about this epic event. Meteor Crater Natural Landmark, Winslow UNREAL Petrified Forest National Park 58 VISITARIZONA.COM TOP TO BOTTOM: @HELLOITSONLYJUSTME; METEOR CRATER NATURAL LANDMARK; NPS/JAKE HOLGERSON NAVAJO CODE TALKERS
Arizona Official State Travel Guide Arizona 2023-24: Page 58
