From the Grand Canyon we headed north.
It was weird...the Grand Canyon just seemed to end.
Not long after leaving the Grand Canyon; however, we came across another 'not so grand' canyon. This one cost $2 bucks to get in [as opposed to the $25 per car fee at the GC]. It was actually pretty impressive.
Along side of the canyon was a Native American market place where I picked up some pottery and a cool handcrafted Christmas ornament.
We continued north into Utah. It was about a four hour drive into one of the dustiest areas I had ever seen.
Eventually we started seeing signs of our destination....
Ladies and gentlemen....behold:
If you are a fan of the western then these landscapes are instantly recognizable from classic John Ford/John Wayne films.
Monument Valley UT/AZ is very remote. Until December of last year the closest hotel was Gouldings Lodge, not far from the park.
In December a new hotel opened inside the park. It is called The View.
And man did it deliver. I LOVED this hotel.
The View has a Native American motif throughout. The rooms are very spacious and well designed. A huge bathroom was very cool and the beds VERY comfortable.
But most impressive of all was the view from the balcony:
We had arrived near sunset. Amazing... AND THIS IS FROM YOUR BALCONY!!!!
Now as to be expected, this kind of view does come with a price. The room was basically $200 a night. Yes yes I know, but keep in mind, originally T-Rob and I were considering going to Dublin, Ireland.
At the time we were making decisions airfare alone to Dublin was $1,200 round trip per person!! Not including hotel!!
Instead of doing that I put my vacation money to better use in a grand tour of the southwest, so $200 a night for an amazing hotel was WELL worth it. I would do it again in an instant.
Trust me, after you see my pictures in the next post you will agree... until then, stay tuned!!!!
I'm out.
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