We drove to Monument Valley from our campground at Navajo National Monument. It took about an hour and was itself a scenic treat. We had a jeep tour scheduled for 4:00 that afternoon so we spent some time exploring the hotel, grounds, overlooks and gift shop. No place to get a cup of coffee! Our tour driver, Elvis, a Navajo with 18 years of back country driving experience was a gem. We were able to see some amazing natural arches as well as toured an authentic hogan that is still used in traditional ways by Navajo that eschew all modern ways, living deep in the valley, drawing water from wells, no electricity or modern equipment other than cars and trucks. The kids get up at 4:30 to help with the animals before going to school 9 miles away and often walking the distance and always a portion of the trek. We also viewed many of the famous landmarks from films and commercials, like the totem and the mittens. Elvis also shared with us some of the customs of the Navajo, pointed out sacred spots and was invested in us getting good photos, even showing spots where others used a tree or rock to help frame a shot. We arrived back at the drop off 3.5 hours after we left just as the sun was setting. Cindy and I also enjoyed the Lam family who were with us on the tour, nice folks and meeting them made the tour even better.
Just a taste of the day.
The classic view
The Mittens - John Wayne stood in front of the left one in his first John Ford western in the valley, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”
The Navajo are open for business
