From Monument Valley to Antelope Canyon

Ford Point, Monument Valley

Not a lot of hiking today.  Mostly just walking, but the scenery is indescribable, so I'll take it.

We arrived at Goulding's late last night, making our first stop ever at a Sonic Burger practically in the middle of nowhere, which was probably the worst burger we've ever eaten. 

I had tried to get a reservation in the The View Hotel, which is right in the park with a great view of the Mittens, but it was full and my attempts were too late.  No matter; Goulding's is right across the highway.  We ate a quick breakfast and decided to take Goulding's half day tour. 

West Mitten, Monument Valley

Before taking us to Monument Valley, our tour guide first took us to a Navajo hogan, where an elderly Navajo woman showed us the art of weaving Navajo blankets, including the steps to card and spin the wool before weaving it.  Weaving is becoming a lost art.  There are few women left at home to weave as so many of the young women have left home to go to college and get jobs.   I had a real sense of hospitality and also of their sense of humor.

Ear of the Wind, Monument Valley

We drove the short distance to Monument Valley and got our first view of the Mittens and of The View Hotel, which hugs the contour of the bluff,  its sandstone-colored walls blending in perfectly with the surrounding landscape.  Someday, I would like to stay there. 

We were able to get out at several places and walk around.  The Navajo made sure that there were several shopping opportunities, mostly for buying Navajo jewelry.  Much of it was quite beautiful, but I was not in the market today.  The lookout for Ford Point was one such market area.  But there were also a few places where we could scamper up sand dunes, right under a natural arch, look at petroglyphs on the Navajo Sandstone formation, and see ancient dwellings.

Petroglyphs, Monument Valley

This really is one of my favorite places in the Southwest.  It is grand, sweeping, and majestic, but at the same time it's beauty is desolate and barren.  Hints of olive green from the sagebrush and other foliage give it a somewhat softer feel, but the landscape is always imposing.

Towards the end of the morning, the wind started to pick up.  Eventually, the wind became so strong that it whipped the sand up, scouring our bare knees.  That was uncomfortable, but we escaped inside The View for lunch, where I had a sampling of traditional Navajo food.  The restaurant is beautiful with incredible vistas of Monument Valley.  The View also has a very nice gift store with a good selection of both touristy knick knacks and authentic Navajo crafts.

Entrance to Upper Antelope Canyon

After lunch we piled back into the car and headed for Antelope Canyon, another one of my favorite spots in the Southwest.  The canyon is one of several slot canyons located along a large wash that drains into Lake Powell.  In fact, the entrance is not far from Glen Canyon Dam.  We managed to get one of the last tours of the day into Upper Antelope Canyon.

Slot canyons tend to form in soft sandstone or limestone rock and in areas where there is a paucity of rain.  Rainfall, sometimes from miles away, rushes through the rock so fast that it cuts a deep, narrow channel.  The danger of flash floods is ever present.  Water has been known to lodge fallen trees high up between the canyon walls.  National Geographic once tried to place cameras in Upper Antelope Canyon to record what it was like when the water rushed through. The force of the water was so strong that none of their cameras survived the onslaught.  Several tourists were killed at Lower Antelope Canyon during a flash flood in 1997 as a result of rainfall over seven miles away.   Warning sirens have now been placed at the entrance as a result.

Despite the possibility of danger, these slot canyons are a photographer's dream.  The light filters down to the bottom of the canyon in an amazing array of oranges, pinks and purples.  So beautiful!

We hadn't ever seen Lower Antelope Canyon, and since we still had a bit of time, decided to drive over to see what we could see.  Unfortunately, there were no more guided tours for the day.  So we continued on into Page, stopped at the grocery store for some supplies, and then continued our drive toward tomorrow's destination, Zion National Park.