"Come experience the Old West of John Wayne, and tour the country once known only to outlaws, struggling pioneers and Native American people."
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some tourism brochure
To wrap up what had been an incredible day filled with hot air balloons, lost & found tents and wandering souls, we chose to visit iconic Monument Valley, which straddles the border of northeastern Arizona and southeastern Utah of the
Colorado Plateau. Like so much of this area, it's a unique eye-full that you should want to seek out and experience.
The area has a long history with the Navajo Indians and most recently Hollywood. Old timers will recognize the Mittens and the Merrick Butte from classic westerns starring John Wayne and John Ford. Young whippersnappers may remember the setting for a popular scene in "Forrest Gump", (
I'm pretty tired.... Think I'll go home now...). Whatever your big screen introduction to the area may have been, it pales in comparison to being there in person.
This my second visit to the valley and I'm determined to go into it with an open mind and new eyes. I was a little put off on my first visit by an exorbitant tour guide fee and the pull outs on the trail filled with local vendors selling jewelry, kokopelli figures and whatever else they had. It just seemed so commercial and touristy despite it's remote location and rich history.
This was the final stop on our long weekend trip and I'm determined that before I turn my rig back north, that I will see Monument Valley as it is, as it always has been, and not let the need of the locals to make a living cloud my judgement. The new hotel being built and the kokopelli's be damned. I'm going to
experience the valley this time.
With the best of intentions and the timing of sunset just right, we begin the 17 mile drive through the valley. The trail is bumpy, rocky and uneven. It can be done by a car and many people do just that. I have to wonder how long it will take some enterprising Navajo to open a vendor stand there with a nice selection of P rated tires. It seems this time there are even more vendors than before. I must admit the offer to go by horseback was extremely tempting. That would be a whole new way to see the area.
We bounce along the desert floor, taking pics of the unnatural red cliffs and pinnacles, dodging mini-vans and open back trucks filled with tourists. There is no wind to speak of and the sun is inching closer and closer to the horizon. We rubberneck our way by the oddly and obviously named Three Sisters, Elephant Butte, Rain God Mesa, Camel Butte, Big Chair and Spearhead Mesa. Despite my issues with the commercialization of Monument Valley, in reality, the Navajo have done an amazing job preserving the area and the trail.
The best sunset vantage points are clogged with camera and tripod toting tourists, much like myself. I can't force a magic moment here. It's going to happen or it won't. All I can do is be here and wait to see what happens. We snap some photos and reflect on an incredible day of travel and a wonderful weekend together. The next day at this time, we'll hopefully be completing the 8 hour drive home. So we just stand still, beside each other on an overlook, grateful for the moment and grateful for each other.
As expected, the sun did set. The colors were incredible and the quiet and serenity of the moment were memorized. I can show you my pictures but they look like many others from the area. I can try to paint a picture with words about how I felt, turning the truck around, exiting the valley and heading home. But you can probably imagine that. I can tell you that it was an amazing long weekend in Utah, but I have gone on long enough and it has taken me as much time to write this "report" as I spent there.
Maybe I'll end it with a funny story how we raced back to Blanding, starving on a Sunday night, to beat the clock and we got the last order in that day at the local A&W burger stand before they closed. I could tell you how while scarfing down a double with cheese, we met Jim and his wife Lorna, in a yellow FJ with an Adventure Trailer in tow, heading to Cruise Moab. They were really nice folks and I hope they enjoyed their Utah trip as much as we did.
But I think the best I can do and the most I can tell you is that Utah is there, waiting for you. It's nooks & crannies are filled with red valleys, giant spires, sandstone walls and mind-boggling vistas. There is no telling what one may see there as every visit, every trip is different. The opportunities to meet fellow travelers is almost limitless. The weather will embrace you one moment and kick you in the butt the next. It doesn't matter if you travel by car, a built up truck or SUV, RV motorhome, dual sport motorcycle or on a bicycle.
Just go.
Let it inspire you. Take pictures. Meet people. Watch the sun set. Be respectful and create memories. Thanks for letting me share mine.
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