Monument Valley, Arizona, USA

Mexican Hat (Click to Enlarge)

It was a scorching hot summers afternoon as we drove through the surreal looking Valley of the Gods. The desert scenery glowed a dusty red around us, our car leaving a trail of red dust behind us as we zipped through the desert highway. We were on our way to Monument Valley, what for me was to become one of the highlights of this particular road trip.

We stopped off at a petrol station (gas station to some) to fill our tank up at Mexican Hat, a small town located between the edge of the Valley of the Gods and Monument Valley. Like many small towns found in the desert, there's not a whole lot to see in Mexican Hat. One can find there a petrol station, a bar and a few run down motels. I don't want to do the place an injustice but it didn't seem to offer a whole lot, although it is a good place to spend the night if you want to pay a little less for a motel.

We filled up our trusty rental car and continued on through the desert road toward John Wayne country. Along the way, we realised where Mexican Hat got it's name from (see picture above) - a pretty cool rock formation that actually does look like a Mexican Hat.

After several more minutes, we got our first sight of the towering sandstone formations that give Monument Valley it's distinctive 'western' look. Goodness knows how many films were made here (more about that in a future article). We stopped the car, got out, and....WOW...the view took our breath away...that is, until a giant articulated lorry came whizzing by almost sending us back to a more spiritual version of the Valley of the Gods. It was time to get moving.

Turning off the main road into Monument Valley, you stop by a kiosk to pay an entrance fee ($5) to enter the Navajo governed tribal land that the park is located within. Don't expect to get a cold bear here, alcohol is banned but they do have one of the greatest restaurants I have ever eaten in located in the most spectacularly positioned hotel I have stayed in

The hotel, built by the Navajo themselves in 2008 overlooks the famous view of Monument Valley that you would surely recognise from the movies. The hotel is surprisingly unobtrusive and respectful to it's surroundings unlike some hotels I've visited where they built eyesores in the most ridiculous places at times often ruining the feel of a place. Happily, that is not the case here.

We hadn't booked anything and were therefore praying for a vacancy at a decent price that suited our shoestring budget. We were greeted politely at the check-in desk (which is always nice).

"Do you have any vacancies", I asked fearing the worst. "You're in luck", the lady said, "We were supposed to have a coach load of Chinese tourists show up this afternoon but they have cancelled their trip.....too afraid of catchin' Swine Flu". We were both relieved at this (and thankful) and managed to secure a room for a discounted $90 as opposed to the standard summer rate of $170. Sometimes when you travel, you get lucky. This time we got very lucky. The hotel turned out to be a real treat.

After dropping off our bags in our room, we had one thing on our mind...to go horse riding through the valley. After leaving the hotel, we walked to a distant stables in the hope of securing a guided horseback tour through the valley in time for sunset. We came across two very friendly Navajo guides who showed us a price list. We paid $180 for the two of us for a 1hr 30 minute tour. This might seem steep but it is well worth it. There are some things you do in life that stay with you forever and this is one of them. If you're going to spend money on something, spend it on this. Check out my video below in which I try to capture the magic of this horseback tour through the valley (it's not easy holding a camera steady while riding a horse!). Our guide was incredibly informative telling us the history of the valley, about Navajo culture and beliefs and how her grandfather was a good friend of John Wayne, and stared in several leading roles in his movies.

Upon getting back to the hotel, we went for something to eat in a really great restaurant located within the hotel. We paid $8 each for one of the most amazing meals I think I've ever eaten, delightfully presented and equally tasty. You won't be eating out if you come here (good job too because there's nothing with about 20 miles).

After washing down our food with some non-alcoholic beverages, we walked out onto the giant balcony found at the back of the hotel which overlooks an awesome panorama of the valley. It was dark and too late too see the view but instead we were greeted to an outdoor showing of John Ford's 'Rio Grande' starring John Wayne, projected onto the wall of the hotel. It's simply amazing to watch a classic movie like this on the set where it was filmed. Yeehah!!

Following this we went for a short walk around the edge of the hotel, looking out into the starry desert void listening to the many sounds of the night time desert (If I am too be truthful, I spent a lot of time looking for desert tarantula's and other creepy crawleys ...though with much regret, I didn't get to see any). It was time to retire back to our room now as Monument Valley had something extra special in store for us the next morning (to be continued....).

Video and Music Produced and Performed by Yours Truly.