On the way from Farmington, NM, to Canyon de Chelly, Arizona. I'd wanted to see Shiprock since reading references to it in Tony Hillerman novels. In fact, that's one of the reasons I ended up in the general vicinity and in the Navajo Nation.

Navajos have mixed opinions about Hillerman's writing. Some think the attention is a good thing, while others point out innacuracies in Hillerman's writing and don't like the Navajo Nation being described by a white man. He is by-and-large, though, considered a great friend of the Navajo. If you're not familiar with his novels I would recommend them as a good read and introduction to Navajo culture, the latter taken with a small grain of salt.