Window Rock, part 2

  The heart of Window Rock is the intersection of State Highway 264 and Navajo Highway 12. Most of the businesses in town are clustered around, or near, this intersection. This intersection is only half a mile from the New Mexico border. This area is where you will find such businesses as McDonalds, Church's Fried Chicken, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell, Burger King, etc.
  About half a mile north of this intersection, at the next set of traffic lights, is
Window Rock Boulevard. Window Rock Boulevard is lined with Tribal government buildings and ends in a circle where the Navajo Nation Capital Building, Navajo Nation Legislative Council Chambers and the Navajo Nation Department of Justice are located. There are other streets radiating off of the circle that contain other tribal government buildings as well. One of these streets is a dirt street. The street is unpaved, and yet it is lined with tribal government buildings. 
  The Legislative Council Chambers is shaped like a hogan, the traditional, eight-sided Navajo dwelling, with the main door facing east to greet the rising sun, just as it would in a traditional hogan. This building, however, is constucted of native stone instead of the usual mud and wood.
All of these tribal governent buildings are in Arizona, barely. Window Rock Boulevard runs
roughly north-south, but on a slight angle. The street is about 2/3 of a mile long. The farthest east of the tribal government buildings are only about 50 yards from the New Mexico border. The streets that run past other tribal government buildings, Morgan Drive for example, are paved but in generally poor condition with alot of potholes. 
  Directly outside the front entrance of the Navajo Nation Capitol Building in the Window Rock formation, which lends its name to the town. This rock with a hole through it is an arch, or
natural bridge in the making, but it is not eroded enough to qualify as either. It is amazing how perfectly round that hole is. There is a small tribal park in front of the rock formation with
picnic tables.  
  On the eastern edge of Window Rock is the Navajo Nation Museum, which is a fascinating museum depicting tribal history, I highly recommend a visit there. Near the tribal museum is the Navajo Nation Zoo. The zoo has never been popular with the Navajo people because they don't believe in keeping animals captive, but the zoo is still open. It only has about 40 animals and they are all native to the reservation. Animals such as black bear, bobcat, cougar, gila monsters, skunks, golden eagles, deer and elk, among others, are on display at the zoo. The first animal
was a black bear that was left behind after the Navajo Nation Fair in 1963. The other animals are victims of injuries from vehicles or power lines.
Adjacent to the zoo is a botanical garden that is a very interesting place to visit.
  Also in Window Rock are KTNN and KWRK radio stations. KTNN is an "AM" station. It went on the air in 1983 and was the firsr radio station to be owned and operated by an Indian tribe, now there are many. It plays country music and also broadcasts some Navajo ceremonial chants. They also broadcast alot of sporting events such as Northern Arizona University football and basketball games, Phoenix Sns games and alot of high school sporting events on the reservation. KTNN has a powerful signal that can be picked up over 500 miles away! KWRK is an "FM" station that also plays country music. Window Rock is also the headquarters for the Navajo Times newspaper. This newspaper was originally owned by the tribal government and it was established by the tribal government , but, in recent years, the newspaper has become an independent, free standing business.
  Window Rock sits at an elevation of 6,862 feet above sea level. That means it is only 44 feet lower than Flagstaff, yet it is not heavily forested like Flagstaff is.
  When I spent the night in Window Rock in March of 2009, I stayed at the Quality Inn
Navajo Nation. When I looked out my room window on the east side of the motel, I was able to see a convenience store that is in New Mexico. That is how close to the state border I was. The restaurant at the Quality Inn Navajo Nation is a popular meeting place for tribal government officials and any other dignitaries who happen to be visiting Window Rock.