Monument Valley
A conversation many months ago...
Steve: "I'd like to see Monument Valley."
Maria: "What's that?"
Steve: "Let's watch the Searchers - you'll see."
Maria : "Ohhhhhhh, it's those iconic rocks that you see in all the westerns."
But before we get to Monument Valley...
We were surprised by the beauty of the drive west from Cortez across the Colorado Plateau. There was an imposing wall of red sandstone and a place called "Valley of the Gods." My favorite sight was a multi-colored mountain range - I searched for it online later that day and learned it was the Riplee Ridge, aptly called "Navajo Blanket" by locals. I took photos through the car windows, at high speed, because there was no place to pull over. How can something this beautiful be so little-known?
After the town called Mexican Hat, we crested a ridge and saw some buttes in the distance that looked like a city on a hill. There was a small sign saying "Scenic View / Watch for Pedestrians." It was the spot where Forrest Gump finally stopped running and said, "It's time to go home." And now it's where people like to take selfies in the middle of the road. We decided our Z4 could pose, on the side of the road, out of harm's way.
Monument Valley straddles the border between Arizona and Utah, so we were never really sure what time it was. On the Arizona side, the Navajo tribal park was still closed due to COVID. Fortunately, the View Hotel on the rim was open for visitors. We were thrilled with the view from our private balcony!
The hotel restaurant was closed, so we drove across the state line to Goulding's Lodge. In 1938 Harry Goulding, in a last-ditch effort to save his failing trading post, went to Hollywood and showed John Ford some photos of Monument Valley. The rest is history! Anyway, Goulding's had the only other restaurant within a 25 mile radius, and it was open. They offered "Navajo tacos," which were chili and/or beans on fluffy, crispy fry bread. They were very satisfying after our long drive.
Back at our hotel, we relaxed on our balcony, which was thankfully shady and comfortable despite the 95 degree heat. With our binoculars, we were able to see some wild horses and several private homes (there are Navajo who live in the area, with no electricity or running water). As the sun set, the beauty of the shifting light on the buttes was breathtaking. We weren't able to hike around the left mitten, since the Tribal Park was closed, but we were thankful for the chance to be this close to these iconic monuments.
