Monument Valley

I had visited Monument Valley back in the early 2000's, back before we had the iPhone and google maps, etc. I did not see all of Monument Valley, so I was determined to see it this trip. We reserved a guided tour with Dineh Bekeyah Tours. We chose the combo tour of Monument Valley and Mystery Valley.

Our guide was John and he was Navajo, and full of knowledge! We thoroughly enjoyed John and the tour.

The tour departs from the parking lot of The View Hotel, where there is a restaurant and gift shop. The morning portion of the tour was of Monument Valley. John made several stops for us to take photos, and he even took several for us. We saw the Mittens, Eagle Mesa, Elephant Butte, Three Sisters, John's Ford's Point (where you can sit on the horse and recreate the famous picture), Totem Pole, Big Hogan, and many others. Yes, I did sit on Spirit the horse and have my picture taken-worth $20 to me!!! While at Big Hogan, John had us lie back inside the canyon and basically mediate while he played a song. It was peaceful and this canyon is known as "The Singing Canyon." We saw wild horses and donkeys in the valley and several arches. We also stopped at a hogan where a family resides. A Navajo woman talked to use about basket making and how they make blankets; one of the large blankets takes them 8 months to complete! No wonder they are so expensive! We had a break at lunch for 90 minutes, so Bobby and I drove over to Goulding's but the restaurant was crowded with tour buses, so I got out and walked to John Wayne Cabin. This is a neat stop if you love John Wayne. There is a lot of movie paraphernalia inside as well as a stagecoach outside. We ended up having lunch at Goulding's Food Court, which is inside a gas station. I ate fried chicken, and it was good. 

After lunch, we met back up with John and the rest of our group, who were from Swannanoa, NC! They were a fun bunch to tour with. We set out for Mystery Valley, which is a less visited part of the valley. John stopped several times for us to see old ruins and petroglyphs and pictographs. He taught us the difference! Go and learn!! We saw Honeymoon Arch, Moccasin Arch, and several other rock formations and ruins on this part of the tour. Bobby and another tour participant climbed inside Honeymoon Arch, and we got some really cool photos on our cell phones. It got hot that afternoon, so make sure you dress appropriately depending on when you go. 

Monument Valley is a must see. You can drive the park road on your own, but I don't think you will see the sites we saw on our tour. One thing to remember is whether you take a tour or not, you still have to pay the $8/person tribal land fee. You can purchase this ahead of time or at the gate. 

Monument Valley sits on the border between Arizona and Utah and is run by the Navajo tribe. Daylight saving time is in effect in Monument Valley, and, therefore, will be one hour ahead of the rest of Arizona. The time will be the same for Utah.

Link to our tour provider: https://www.dinehbekeyahtours.com/

Link to paying the tribal fee beforehand: https://navajonationparks.org/tribal-parks/monument-valley/

Me sitting on Spirit