We pulled into Goulding’s Trading Post and RV Park early. It is a nice RV Park but not nearly worth the prices they charge. And, it is difficult to put up with the rude staff that knows you are trapped. It is directly across the highway from Monument Valley Navajo Nation Tribal Park. We were in place and fully connected before noon and by mid-afternoon, the place was packed. We were surprised at the influx of campers. We had been here at the same time last year and it was almost lonely. This year, Europeans are flocking to America to take advantage of the “weak dollar” bargains.Also, the weather seemed much different. Last year was very hot with regular late-afternoon storms. The locals call this time of year Monsoon Season. We found it much cooler than last year, almost cold. And, there was no rain to bring rainbows and colorful clouds over the valley. It was just dusty and crowded.

We chose to venture into Utah and follow a few “off the beaten path” roads. Jane took over the driving and let me take pictures. Our first destination was Valley of the Gods. It is neither a National Park nor a State Park, just a “point of interest” on Utah maps. It is billed as a smaller, less commercial Monument Valley. We followed US-163 through Mexican Hat to Utah-261, loosely planning to see Gooseneck State Park and Valley of the Gods. What started as a couple of hours of site seeing turned into a major adventure.

The road into Valley of the Gods nearly beat us and the truck to death – pure washboard. It is desolate. The only human inhabitants of the area are the owners of a bed & breakfast at the entrance to the valley. There are no power lines leading in. It looked as if they had only solar energy. Surprisingly, there were several guests there. Anyway, we made only three miles of the 17-mile road before aborting.

Next came the real adventure. Highway 261 is a road that ascends the cliff to Cedar Mesa. A long section called the Moki Dugway is a series of gravel switchbacks that offer breathtaking views and fearful falls over sheer cliffs. Had she not been the driver, Jane would have been screaming the entire way. But, she was having a blast gunning that big diesel truck up the mountain and sliding the rear end around those switchbacks.

Moki Dugway is a series of switchbacks

I swear she was having a grand old time. It was my turn to be afraid. 

We stopped several times for photos and to view the valley far below. You can see four levels of switchbacks from one viewpoint. The Moki Dugway took us to SR 95 where we turned left for Natural Bridges National Monument. Our short outing had turned into a monumental adventure.

Natural Bridges National Monument is a major attraction in its own right. We needed a lot more time to enjoy and hike to the three natural bridges (arches). We checked the camping but there doesn’t seem to be a place large enough for a camping trailer. Mostly, it was tent camping or popups. We completed the loop drive and checked several scenic overlooks, then made note to add Natural Bridges National Monument to our list of more places to visit.

We left the bridges with the sun getting low in the sky. SR-95 is a very scenic route but we missed a lot of the sites (and photos) because it got dark on our way to Blanding and our junction with US-163 for our return to the RV Park. It was nearly ten o’clock when we got home.

I got up the next morning to get sunrise pictures. The inspiration was lacking.

Monument Valley Sunrise

I took a few of formations silhouetted against the rising sun. I drove south on US-163 to get morning light on a Navajo farm I had noticed earlier. Nothing was really working. I headed north across the border to the point in Utah where Tom Hanks ended his long run in the movie Forrest Gump. Nothing! I guess I was just frustrated. Monument Valley was not the place I expected. Too many people!

That afternoon we took the self-guided 17-mile loop through the valley. That too was frustrating. It was a traffic jam. And the dust was stifling. If there had been a decent picture, it was ruined by the cloud of dust over the valley. It was so disheartening that we returned to the trailer before sunset.

We left Monument Valley the next morning, Sunday, September 14, with no particular destination. We ended up in Page AZ because we drove past one of my “must see” sites. Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon on Navajo Tribal lands that requires a guide to visit. It is just minutes outside Page. We thought we had made reservations for a Photographer’s Tour at 3:30 that afternoon. That got screwed up and I got pissed and refused to reschedule anything with the same people. Sometimes my reasoning is not reasonable. I had wanted to take that tour for a long time. Oh well, another adventure for the “to do” list.

L8r
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