Wednesday, after leaving Chinle, Arizona (where Canyon de Chelly was located) we drove back into Utah going through Monument Valley on our way to Bluff, Utah. We stayed the night at the Desert Rose Motel - - our only motel visit this trip and very nice.
Thursday morning, we decided to spend a little time in Bluff before traveling on. Bluff is located at the base of a huge mountain range. It was settled by pioneers who had to travel over some very difficult terrain to get here, and once they arrived it still wasn't easy going. It was interesting to spend a little time looking around the town and learning some of it's history.
This old stone house was one of the early homes here and appeared to have been recently restored. I've always loved the character of old buildings. If their walls could talk, what an interesting story they would tell.
It may have seen a better day, but I still loved this old truck. It stood in front of one of Bluff's cafes as you come into town.
We took the time to visit the Bluff Fort where there was a nice little visitor center. Within the walls of the fort are 8-10 small log cabins along with covered wagons and other old structures. The cabins were built by families of descendants of the original pioneers who settled this valley.
Each little cabin has the family name of the early pioneer who settled here in Bluff. Antiques, quilts and old photos furnish each cabin and no two cabins are alike. Several times a year, the old Bluff Fort hosts family reunions where the descendants of these pioneers come together in this historic setting.
Living in the heat of southern Utah wouldn't have been an easy thing, let alone in the mid 1800's. It really made me appreciate the struggles the pioneers had gone through. They must have been made of sturdy stock . . . I can't imagine anyone in this day and age working as hard as they did.
This hogan is similar to the ones you'll see all over the Southwest. Nearly every Navajo home has a hogan built next to it. This one is made of a framework of cedar poles with mud covering the poles. It's kind of a crude structure, but they are amazing cool inside and would be good protection on a hot summer day. Hogan's are for ceremonial use and have been made for centuries by their ancestors.
Thursday morning, we decided to spend a little time in Bluff before traveling on. Bluff is located at the base of a huge mountain range. It was settled by pioneers who had to travel over some very difficult terrain to get here, and once they arrived it still wasn't easy going. It was interesting to spend a little time looking around the town and learning some of it's history.
This old stone house was one of the early homes here and appeared to have been recently restored. I've always loved the character of old buildings. If their walls could talk, what an interesting story they would tell. 
It may have seen a better day, but I still loved this old truck. It stood in front of one of Bluff's cafes as you come into town.
We took the time to visit the Bluff Fort where there was a nice little visitor center. Within the walls of the fort are 8-10 small log cabins along with covered wagons and other old structures. The cabins were built by families of descendants of the original pioneers who settled this valley.
Each little cabin has the family name of the early pioneer who settled here in Bluff. Antiques, quilts and old photos furnish each cabin and no two cabins are alike. Several times a year, the old Bluff Fort hosts family reunions where the descendants of these pioneers come together in this historic setting. 
Living in the heat of southern Utah wouldn't have been an easy thing, let alone in the mid 1800's. It really made me appreciate the struggles the pioneers had gone through. They must have been made of sturdy stock . . . I can't imagine anyone in this day and age working as hard as they did.
This hogan is similar to the ones you'll see all over the Southwest. Nearly every Navajo home has a hogan built next to it. This one is made of a framework of cedar poles with mud covering the poles. It's kind of a crude structure, but they are amazing cool inside and would be good protection on a hot summer day. Hogan's are for ceremonial use and have been made for centuries by their ancestors.
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