Well what do you know; not every day in the great southwest is sunny. Today we arose to overcast skies and it was a pleasant sight and a respite from the full glare of the sun. We went to Monument Valley and decided to drive our car on the 17 mile road through the "monuments" rather than take a tour. The road was rough but the rock formations more than compensated. I could post 30 pictures but will restrain myself. Suffice it to say the area is awe inspiring. We took almost three hours to make the drive with frequent stops to admire the formations. Along the way we met a variety of Europeans -- Dutch, Italians, Germans, English (one couple back for their fourth visit), no French, plus Israelis who encouraged us to visit their country. As when we visited Zion, Bryce, etc. the majority of people touring here seem to be Europeans; they love this part of the USA.
During the drive, I was expecting to see a stagecoach round one of the rock formations in a cloud of dust followed by the bad guys on horses, straight out of the 1950s westerns we all grew up on.
We then visited the Navajo National Monument which has the best preserved set of Indian cliff dwellings we have seen to this point. We saw them from on top of the opposite canyon wall, as you must take a ranger led hike to visit them up close, and none was available. The monument park is very nice and out of the way, more low key than the other places we have visited. The campgrounds, although very nice with spectacular views, were almost deserted. The visitor center was very informative and well done. A Navajo woman was quietly, rapidly, and I assume expertly weaving a beautiful blanket in the center. The two blankets on display were a cool $800 each. But as I tell Sue, we are in the decumulation, not accumulation, stage of our lives. We took several short hikes with wonderful views of the canyon.
We move on to Lake Powell tomorrow for four nights. Back to camping after two nights in a motel here in Kayenta AZ.
No comments:
Post a Comment