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Published: January 14th 2013
One dreams to see the world, and I can say easily that I'm pretty fortunate at touring it for the last 20 something years. My wishlist of places to visit is finally actually getting shorter by the year for the last few years. But Monument Valley, this place has been on my top 10 for years. Today it's done, and what a better way than to share it with Leslie and Tiffany. Don't even try to get me on how many places these two will have seen by the time they are eighteen...I know...
You've seen the western movies, Forrest Gump, Mission Impossible, Back to the future....and all the other movies about this place. But where is that land looking like out of this world. Simple, border of Utah and Arizona...truly in the middle of nowhere...must be at least 5 hours drive from any major airport. This explained easily why there is nobody here in the middle of the winter. We had the place to ourselves...and trust me, we enjoyed it!
We left early morning from Page, leaving behind us Arizona for this trip, heading first to the North-East. Monument Valley is just over 2
hours drive from Page. We could have slept there, but we didn't. It was only a day trip...so due to the cold weather...no sunrise or sunset from this wonder for us, snif!
Later on in the early afternoon, we drove 3 more hours this time North to enjoy more National Parks on this week of wonders, heading to Moab in Utah.
Monument Valley is not a National Park, but rather a Tribal Park run by the local Navajo tribe. So we paid the 10usd to get in with our car...ok, let be honest, that's still pretty cheap for this impressive place!
My original plan was to do a little walk of around an hour on the local trail...but at -15 degres celsius...that was not the best of idea, specially for Tiffany!
I would have love to play it the old western style, meaning riding around on a horse. One more...little too cold...but worst, they are charging over 70usd per person to ride just for one hour...I was not going to spend 200++usd for three of us...sorry...when in Patagonia a 4 hours cool ride did settle me back at
less than 50usd for three of us! And don't expect us on a horse...just for the picture...we don't do fake!
Ok, you are starting to feel I'm complaining too much....no way...advantage of a very cold weather...is the beautiful snow on the red rocks...and the very, I mean very thin crowd! This place is simply out of this world!
There is a track of 17 miles which loop around the Valley. I had read that a 4x4, aka SUV would be a good idea...and if not to take a tour from the visitor center...well, let me tell you, our car did handle the ride pretty well...maybe after Patagonia, we may be able to endure close to the Dakar...
It took us a good two hours to tour the place...and yes, the word cannot describe how beautiful this place is. Amazing!
We left Monument Valley by the North. We had to do that famous pic from Forrest Gump...I had planned a little jog with Tom Hanks...but sadly he had to decline last minute...so we put Leslie and Tiffany to the run. My friend Patrice is the specialist about these shots,
so he'll be able to tell me how far away we did it from the exact location.
What to add...we did a lot of driving that day, but hey, what a wonderful and beautiful day. Monument Valley, you are not anymore on my wishlist...you became today one of my favorite spot in the world!
Next...Bob did write...don't forget Arches and Canyonlands...and Patrice did add Deahorse to the list....from the very cold land of Utah...coming soon...
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liliram
liliram
Nice shot
I've seen way too many photos of this place (yes, I'm forever planning to go) but it's nice to see a photo like this, dusted with SNOW!