Monument Valley....playing with the camera....

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Here we are, it's Monument Valley time! This is a second visit for me, 5 years after bringing the kids on the first few days of January 2013! This time is Tanya time, and we have a way cooler car to ride the adventure!



I have to apologize, I may have abused slightly my HDR Landscape mode with the camera, but I must admit, the exercise is truly fun! It's also an opportunity for me to get out my new little tripod that I bought for close to nothing in Bangkok few months ago.



Back in January, we had snow, temperatures way below minus 10 degrees...and if i remember correctly, we may have seen 3 or 5 other cars. That was it. I was a little bit scare of visiting this place in the middle of the summer. How atrocious the temperature would be at the beginning of August? Well, it was more than fine. I believe it was just over 30 degrees Celsius...we even actually avoided one or two showers today! Point to note, 15 minutes rain showers are more than welcome, they provide the easiest car-wash for the Mustang which needs it more often than we think!



We paid the 20usd fee to get in. We left Page at sunrise, so we were there way ahead of the crowds. It seems most people will actually come for a day trip from Page. It's just over two hours drive, so by leaving Page really early...we met the crowds, only once we were ready to leave the Valley.



Some people will tell you you need a SUV or a 4 by 4 to experience the Navajo monument Valley loop...this is not true....a normal car can do it too, just go slowly in the more treacherous parts!



I believe we spent the same time touring Monument Valley in January and in August. The point is that either you sleep just around here, or you have to drive further after it....in January it was to Moab in Utah, today, we are driving all the way to New Mexico...and it's a good five hours more!



So we spent a cool 3 hours into Monument Valley. I find this place way more impressing than the Grand Canyon, and I seem not to be the only one thinking this. Tanya did agree...and I heard this comment few times in French too. Yes, the French are still around, they must be something like 75% of the tourists here. Not sure there are many French left in Europe this summer....they all seems to be around here!



If you come from Page and go back the same way, you still don't want to miss your own Forrest Gump moment. To do so, you need to continue further in the direction of Mexican Hat for few miles. From there, just stop once you see everybody doing silly things on the road....you've reach the famous movie spot! Please, drive slowly, especially if you come here in August, you don't want to drive on all those French kids...who by the way, were not born at the time the movie went in cinema!



I have to admit, it seems that your or our Western Movie history is long gone....no reference by many of those moment around in conversations....oh yes, Back to the Future doesn't count!



Enjoy the pictures...next few entries....few places where I haven't been yet....yes!!!!

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Comments

[Mumtraveller]

Thanks for the memories!
In the last few years I have done some trips to these places and loved seeing your photos ... especially Antelope Canyon which I didn't get to . Obviously it is getting very crowded and expensive in these beautiful places now ... I have just been to Alaska and was shocked at the cost of motels!

[Maisondubonheur]

Truyl expensive indeed...
I have to admit, I'm wondering how young backpackers can deal with some of the costs around this area....glad I'm slightly organize and a little preparation can lower some of the costs quite heavily!