Monument Valley

If Bryce Canyon should have been called "Ruby's", then Monument Valley should be "Goulding's". Originally, Mr & Mrs Goulding set up a Trading Post but with tough times in the 1930s, came up with the bright idea of using the area as a location for the rapidly growing film making industry, considering that it would be perfect for Westerns. Director John Ford clearly agreed and the rest, as they say, is history with the area being one of the most easily recognised vistas being familiar not only from just about every Western made from the 1930s onwards, but from modern films and many adverts.

We stayed on the Goulding complex, pitching ourselves in their RV park. There are a couple of other primitive parks, but this one has useful things like full hook ups and enough electricity to run the air-con.

The view from our plot

We're behind the tree with our patio on the "wrong" side. For some reason, this area of the park was filled up every day with little space between the units, while the rest of the site was only sparsely used

We arranged a tour through the Valley, led by a Navajo guide who took us with a group of about 8 in the back of the proper tour vehicle pickup truck. Many of the rock formations have been given names, but a little imagination is required to see why. Once you see the image, it becomes obvious!

John Ford Point, named for the film director who would ride out to here most days. It looks almost like a cigarette advert!

Starting point was a visit to a "hogan"- the traditional housing for the local Navajo. Despite what we think, they never lived in teepees; these were just for ceremonial use. Hogans are made from wood slotted together and then covered in mud.

We need a "volunteer" to demonstrate how an Indian's hair is tied up

First point of interest is "Three Sisters" It is supposed to look like three Catholic Nuns. I can see the image in the left one, but not the others...

This one looks like Alfred Hitchcock

And here is a Thunderbird (the mystical creature, not the car or rescue vehicle operated by International Rescue). You can see the "wings" and the effect of the feathers and with some imagination, the head, body and legs. I'm not sure what they were all smoking, but it must have been good stuff... 

Here's an example of a petroglyph. Obviously a good point for hunting as there were still many wild goats around.

Some of the rock formations close up were interesting. Here we have a cave with an open roof that gives the impression of being a natural bridge

After three nights, we were finding the heat a little intense and were really thankful to be moving on, heading back into Colorado and up into the mountains.  Leaving "Goulding's" took us along the road edging the Valley, famous for appearances in "Forrest Gump" and "Thelma and Louise", amongst others. In the distance in every parking space, we could see tourist busses parked up, spilling their loads of tourists onto the highway to take pictures.

The first landmark of any kind along the road is called "Mexican Hat". Another rock formation that looks like an inverted Sombrero balanced on another rock

Mexican Hat

You wonder how long it will remain balanced there! Our destination was Durango, following this route. The detour was to allow us to visit "Four Corners" - the only place in the US where four states meet. It is a freak of geography caused simply by lines being drawn on the map,but why not make a few bucks from it? As it is on Indian Reservation land, it is the local native Americans that profit from it and the monument is surrounded by a good craft market. 

There's a small fee to enter and of course, it is mandatory to take a picture on the point where the states meet:



A quick stop in Cortez for supplies and then to Durango. Why Durango? Probably the most famous narrow gauge steam railway in the US... More of that next time