Monument Valley It is located on the Arizona–Utah border and lies within the territory of the Navajo Indian Reservation. Who hasn’t seen photos of Monument valley?  Probably the most famous desert backdrops from most of the old westerns I watched as a kid.  John Wayne, Easy Rider, forest Gump, Back to the Future 3, even National Lampoons Vacation, all shot famous movie scenes with these monuments in the background.  With a backdrop as famous, if not more famous as the actors that filmed in front of them how could we not want to see them with our own eyes.

On our visit we decided to stay at the View Hotel.  We chose to do this so that we could have the best possible view of the monuments and a comfortable setting to enjoy them Sun Up to Sun Down.  The Hotel is a Navajo owned business and located in the Navajo Tribal Park at Monument Valley.  Because the Hotel is owned and ran by the Navajo Nation, the Hotel is beautifully decorated with Native American artifacts and a truly beautiful site on its own.  This was a great hotel experience without the view but enhanced by what was right outside the windows.

From our room we watched the Sun Set on the Monuments. A truly stunning sight.

My friend Jack in Monument Valley

We set our alarm for about an hour before sunrise so that we could watch the sunrise on the valley.

During our stay we elected to hike the “Wildcat Trail.” This is a 3.2 Mile loop around one of the Monuments.  We did not see any other people on the hike as we walked.  It was nice to feel like we had been completely alone as we walked through these majestic surroundings.  This was not a difficult hike but took longer than expected; perhaps due to stopping and gazing off in to the distance.

We also elected to spend a few hours on the “Valley Drive”.  The drive is about 17-Mile-long on a dirt road.  About 13 Miles of this drive are on a one-way loop.  The Drive takes you through the valley so that you can see many of the Famous monuments from different angles.  Some of the famous viewpoints that have been seen in pictures and in movies can only be seen taking the Valley Drive.  Take your time and enjoy the views.  The day that we did this, traffic was not bad.  Definitely worth the trip.

We are looking forward to doing this trip again.