YOU MUST GO HERE!!! This is the most beautiful stunning, grand, incredible, desolate, and magnificent place on earth.
We arrived at about 2pm. Checked the front desk but check in isn't until 4pm. How do you fill up 2 hours in an area where there isn't much to do at the hotel? You take a 2.5 hour private tour of the Monument Valley with a Navajo guide. This is the most incredible tour ever. We saw John Fords point where he would contemplate his movies. We saw these Buttes that are indescribable to some3one who hasn't seen them. They took us into the restricted area of the reservation (you must have a Navajo guide to do this). More than worth the $65.00 for the trip.
As one guide explained the significance of the area the other would play the flute which just adds to the ambiance. We saw Anasazi ruins and petraglyphs, wall writings, at one site. Amazing. Great pictures. At another site, the eye, they had us lie back on a rock and look up through an arch which is shaped like an eye and the contours and color of the surrounding rock give it eye lashes. While we were there our guide, Larson, shouted towards one area and the echo kept returning even after a minute. Lovely.
The next stop was at a place that is shaped like an ear. We climbed a sand dune across from the ear arch to get some great pictures and then climbed the dune closer to the ear arch for even more impressive pictures.
The other sites included one with the picture of a Navajo with a headdress and an eagle. The pictures are due to the different minerals leaching out of the stone and weathering of the stone.
We went to a place which they consider a "Hogan". A Hogan is a structure representing a woman's belly. The stove pipe is the belly button. The 9 posts are the 9 months of pregnancy. You must enter the Hogan clockwise or else bad spirits follow you. The structure was a stone arch with a hole in the center. They had us lean against a rock and look up at the hole and Larson played a song on the flute. Then Misa sang us 2 songs; one in Navajo and one in English.
Then Larson took us 4 wheeling in a vehicle that isn't really made for 4 wheeling. Loved it!!!! We were bouncing around the seats.
We visited 4 or 5 more sites which were all spectacular. The only issue with the trip was the wind. We are visiting during the windy season. I had sand in places where .... My hair was so matted I had to wash it twice and condition it twice. Our tour was only supposed to last 2.5 hours but we were out for more than 3 hours. Our tour guides were awesome.
The View Hotel is 5 star. While it doesn't have a pool, you don't need one. You don't want to be in a pool. Also it only has wifi in the lobby and the same is true. You don't want to be in your room all day. You need to be outside seeing this slice of heaven. The rooms are large and well done. Navajo blankets on the bed.
Our rooms were Star Rooms on the 3rd floor. They were perfect for viewing the stars. I had no obstructions except for the clouds that eventually came in. While I do not know the stars (constellations) I found still found a few easy ones. Loved it!!!! Called the front desk to find out when sunrise was and it was a civilized 7am. Slept beautifully in a very comfy bed.
6:45am woke up in time for sunrise. Called Sue and she came over for coffee. The only disappointment was they didn't have a regular tea bag. Lisa eventually made it over with the tea bags. We sat on my balcony and watched the reds stream across the sky as the sun rose. The buttes went from sitting in darkness to be bathed in the red light. Gorgeous!!! Also, watched as some of the people who live in Monument Valley commuted down these rutted dirt roads towards civilization.
There are 10 families who are allowed to live in the Valley because they were here when the treaties were signed and they were given leases for 300 years. The leases can be passed down through the families. However none of the families have running water, indoor bathrooms and heat. They have wood stoves, and outhouses. For all the hardship they live in one of the most incredible places on earth.
If it is a choice between Monument Valley and The Grand Canyon go to Monument Valley!!!! Also check out Mystery Valley. People have just started to visit it.
We arrived at about 2pm. Checked the front desk but check in isn't until 4pm. How do you fill up 2 hours in an area where there isn't much to do at the hotel? You take a 2.5 hour private tour of the Monument Valley with a Navajo guide. This is the most incredible tour ever. We saw John Fords point where he would contemplate his movies. We saw these Buttes that are indescribable to some3one who hasn't seen them. They took us into the restricted area of the reservation (you must have a Navajo guide to do this). More than worth the $65.00 for the trip.
As one guide explained the significance of the area the other would play the flute which just adds to the ambiance. We saw Anasazi ruins and petraglyphs, wall writings, at one site. Amazing. Great pictures. At another site, the eye, they had us lie back on a rock and look up through an arch which is shaped like an eye and the contours and color of the surrounding rock give it eye lashes. While we were there our guide, Larson, shouted towards one area and the echo kept returning even after a minute. Lovely.
The next stop was at a place that is shaped like an ear. We climbed a sand dune across from the ear arch to get some great pictures and then climbed the dune closer to the ear arch for even more impressive pictures.
The other sites included one with the picture of a Navajo with a headdress and an eagle. The pictures are due to the different minerals leaching out of the stone and weathering of the stone.
We went to a place which they consider a "Hogan". A Hogan is a structure representing a woman's belly. The stove pipe is the belly button. The 9 posts are the 9 months of pregnancy. You must enter the Hogan clockwise or else bad spirits follow you. The structure was a stone arch with a hole in the center. They had us lean against a rock and look up at the hole and Larson played a song on the flute. Then Misa sang us 2 songs; one in Navajo and one in English.
Then Larson took us 4 wheeling in a vehicle that isn't really made for 4 wheeling. Loved it!!!! We were bouncing around the seats.
We visited 4 or 5 more sites which were all spectacular. The only issue with the trip was the wind. We are visiting during the windy season. I had sand in places where .... My hair was so matted I had to wash it twice and condition it twice. Our tour was only supposed to last 2.5 hours but we were out for more than 3 hours. Our tour guides were awesome.
The View Hotel is 5 star. While it doesn't have a pool, you don't need one. You don't want to be in a pool. Also it only has wifi in the lobby and the same is true. You don't want to be in your room all day. You need to be outside seeing this slice of heaven. The rooms are large and well done. Navajo blankets on the bed.
Our rooms were Star Rooms on the 3rd floor. They were perfect for viewing the stars. I had no obstructions except for the clouds that eventually came in. While I do not know the stars (constellations) I found still found a few easy ones. Loved it!!!! Called the front desk to find out when sunrise was and it was a civilized 7am. Slept beautifully in a very comfy bed.
6:45am woke up in time for sunrise. Called Sue and she came over for coffee. The only disappointment was they didn't have a regular tea bag. Lisa eventually made it over with the tea bags. We sat on my balcony and watched the reds stream across the sky as the sun rose. The buttes went from sitting in darkness to be bathed in the red light. Gorgeous!!! Also, watched as some of the people who live in Monument Valley commuted down these rutted dirt roads towards civilization.
There are 10 families who are allowed to live in the Valley because they were here when the treaties were signed and they were given leases for 300 years. The leases can be passed down through the families. However none of the families have running water, indoor bathrooms and heat. They have wood stoves, and outhouses. For all the hardship they live in one of the most incredible places on earth.
If it is a choice between Monument Valley and The Grand Canyon go to Monument Valley!!!! Also check out Mystery Valley. People have just started to visit it.
Sounds like an interesting place with all it's sights.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I could probably do without visualizing the "Hogan" especially the stovepipe...
gross
I can't imagine anything being grander than the Grand Canyon...but I'm willing to give it a go. Next driving vacation, we're going to Monument Valley...you sold us.
ReplyDelete