Arizona republican., 1921-05-01
AFTER PUP" VISITS PAINTED DESERT REGION

Looping the Painted Desert in an swer to the Call of the Open Road is the annual pastime of C. NJ. Payne, artist author of "Smatter Pop"
 According to MT. Payne a trip through the great Color Country of the Navahoes" is sone of the most fascinating motor tours in the South west. This Is the way 'Smatter Pop" describes 1t.
 Painted Desert? Yes, we have been there-not once. but three times. It's a weird country. A region full of thrills. No place for a tenderfoot with an uncertain motor car, but d great place for the man who wants something different. If you have confidence in your car and it's ability to go the pace and bring you out to civilization again it's all right. We came through all three trips with out scratch, and found them all so interesting we hope to go again this year.
 The best time of year? We'll, that is question indeed. Probably May is as good as September. but during July and August that northern Ari- zona region is subject to torrential downpours which occasionally create serious trouble. We got caught once in a dry wash. We heard a rush and roar behind us-the storm it. self was 20 miles away-we could see 1t in the distance. Before we could get out of the wash the water Nas up to our floor boards and I thought it was the last of us. That was where our motor car played the part of the hero in real earnest. We had a four passenger speedster and the way that Super Six widowed to shore convinced us a dependable car was worth while on such a long distance trip.
 ITO see the Painted Desert follow the National Old Trail to Williams there taking the road to Grand Can yon half a days drive. Alter doing the Canyon go around on the Flag staff route to the Tuba City road and across the Little Colorado. Right there you enter the Painted Desert the most wonderfully color@d country of the Southwest. At Yuba City the real trip commences. To the north east the cliff dwellings of a pre- historic race, Monument valley of the San Juan where the Mittens ot Mephistopheles tower a thousand feet sheer above the plateau. Through Marsh Pass and southward in a great loop we pass Chin Lee and enter Canyon De Chelly (pronounced De Shayyah) whose blood red walls rise sheer to awesome heights which dwarf mere man to insignficance The De Chelly cliff dwellings in themselves are worth the entire trip They are an education in prehistoric lore of America, and the canyon is one of the most tremendous in preci- pitous cliffs we have ever seen.
 If one goes in August as we did three years ago with our Hudsor sedan, he can see the famous Snake dance at Oraibi that curious Indiar pueblo where the weird Pray for rain" ceremony Is usually held be tween August 22 and September Our sedan was the first enclosed cal in that region and the Indians called | it the Wheel House. The next veal we went in our Hudson speedster bu the Indians remembered us as tn, white people who rode in a house.
 Take it all together there is nt trip which has wider range of edu. cational value and healthfulness thar | the loop through the Painted Desert | IL has fascination which once en | joyed. grips the memory with sucl i vivid colorature that the pleasur' remains for all times"