Monument Valley

This weekend we went on a little getaway to Monument Valley. It was an amazing trip. We had been wanting to go for a while and I finally got around to planning it. Blake and Debbie decided to come on this adventure with us. We decided to go in January for a few reasons 1. We wanted to go when it wasn't hot. 2. We wanted to go when it wasn't crowded. 3. We don't usually have fun adventures in January, and 4. If we planned for another month there was a high probability something would come up and we would have to reschedule.

We left Friday after work and drove to Moab. We originally were going to drive the entire way that first night but Jake and Meg advised us to stop in Moab because the beautiful drive is a big part of the allure of this trip. We were so glad they made this suggestion. They were right the drive itself was worth the trip.

We pulled into Moab and found some dinner at the Moab Grill. It was a great place to eat. Blake and I both had excellent lamb chops. I love good lamb chops. After dinner, we headed over to the La Quinta Inn. It wouldn’t usually have been our first choice of lodging, but we brought along Tex and Blu. It turns out the La Quinta Inn is pet friendly. We quickly realized this attracts a lot of their guests as most people we saw were also traveling with their dogs.

The dogs fell asleep on the way to Moab

Staying in a hotel was a new experience for Tex and Blu. They were both nervous and wouldn't eat anything. They did sleep well so we considered ourselves lucky.

We woke up on Saturday and headed toward Monument Valley. Our plan was to stop at interesting sites along the way. Our first stop was Newspaper rock. This was a waypoint for many people who would draw petroglyphs. It is the largest known collection of petroglyphs. It was pretty amazing. We stood around talking about the various petroglyphs. The dogs enjoyed running around the area.

No way both dogs would sit still for a picture. Tex just wanted to eat the snow. 

We saw a golden eagle sitting on a fence near Newspaper rock.  When we stopped to take a picture it flew away.

Our next stop was Mule Canyon. There are tons of Native American ruins around Mule Canyon. We went hiking in Mule Canyon trying to find an old Native American house called the House on Fire. We did not find it, although we found some other interesting ruins. It turns out there is a lot of conflicting information on the internet about the location of the house on fire. Some blogs/websites say it is 1 mile up the trail, while other sources say it is 2 or more miles. We went about a mile and a half up the trail, but we didn't find it. We also ran out of time and energy so we had to turn back. We still had a great time exploring the ruins we did find and enjoying the beautiful scenery. The dogs loved the hike. They ran and ran. They especially loved the frozen stream we were hiking up. They loved running across the ice. It was also pretty impressive how easily they were able to run up and down the steep rock. Blake and I would climb up to look for ruins and the dogs would run up and down it like it was nothing.

Tex and Blu loved running on the frozen stream

A dog picnic

After Mule Canyon, we headed toward Mexican Hat. We took a different route than we initially planned and ended up driving down the Moki Dugway. The Moki Dugway is described as "a staggering, graded dirt switchback road carved into the face of the cliff edge of Cedar Mesa." You drive up to the edge of this steep cliff and descend 1,200 feet over three miles of steep switchbacks. The views are breathtaking. We had to stop multiple times to get pictures.

Map of the Moki Dugway

Our next stop was Mexican Hat. This is a small town named for a rock that looks like a Mexican sombrero. Once you see the rock it is easy to see how they came up with the name. Mexican hat is a sleepy little town, particularly during a time when few tourists are around. By the time we made it to Mexican hat, it was late afternoon and we were all hungry. We hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. We ate at the only place we could find that was open - The Olde Bridge Grill Cafe. It is this cafe next to a small hotel right on the edge of the San Juan River. It had a lot of characters - see pictures. We all had the Navajo Tacos, which were exceptional.

Roadtripping with dogs 

After lunch/dinner we drove straight to Monument Valley. We made it just in time for the sunset. We parked near the View hotel and took pictures as the sun went down. Monument Valley is incredible. I had seen pictures, but I was totally blown away by the size of the monuments. It was a very beautiful place. We hung around taking pictures until it was dark.

When it was dark we headed to Goulding's lodge. They were fairly pet friendly (charged an extra fee) and they were one of the few places open during the off-season. They are also pretty close to monument valley (a 10-minute drive). We called it a night early.

Tex feels right at home

The next morning we were up early so we could catch the sunrise at Monument Valley. It is breathtaking. It was bitter cold, but Debbie and I braved it so that we could try to get a few good pictures. The pictures hardly do the real thing justice. It was an awe-inspiring sunrise.

When the sun had come up we drove around the valley drive. This road takes you through Monument Valley and gives impressive views of the natural wonders of this area.

As we looked at this picture the following scripture from the Pearl of Great Price came to mind: "And it came to pass that Moses looked, and beheld the world upon which he was created...Now, for this, cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed."

After the valley drive, we headed back to Goulding's lodge. We grabbed a quick breakfast at the restaurant at the lodge before heading on our way. On the way out of Monument Valley, we stopped near mile marker 13. This is the spot where Forrest Gump stops his run in the film. It was fun to get out and snap a few pictures before heading on our way.

We headed back the way we came, but we made one other stop at Goosenecks State Park. This state park overlooks the deep rock canyons cut out by the meandering San Juan river. The site was truly impressive.

After this stop, we went back up the Moki Dugway and headed home. We had such a good time. So much of this trip was traveling in the car. We spent somewhere around 14 hours in the car and drove nearly 800 miles. We had a great time. It was a good opportunity to catch up with Blake and Debbie and talk about the things that are going on in our lives, current events, and our plans for the future. This was one of the most fun road trips ever.

Map of our route