Day 4 - Cortez to Monument Valley

Today was a day of surprises. We bought gas and a car wash in Cortez yesterday. The car wash was closed, so we planned to wash the car as we drove out this morning. First surprise. Would you believe the car wash was closed for power washing?! Who knew you had to wash a car wash?

Monument Valley was the final destination for the day. But, we chose to drive south a bit first to visit Four Corners Monument. That took us through the Ute Mountain and Navajo Reservations. It breaks my heart to think of how Native Americans were treated by our government. The reservations are beautiful in their own way, but quite isolated and remote. What a challenge for a people accustomed to moving about their land at will. Second surprise. Red Mesa High School, which is on the Navajo Reservation is the home of the Redskins. Apparently it's alright to use that term as a mascot if you are Native American. I don't mean that disrespectfully. It was just something I didn't expect. Third surprise. Sheep herded by a cowboy and his dog. Only the cowboy was in a truck rather than on horseback.

Fourth surprise.

It was recently discovered that the monument is actually in the wrong place by a few feet, so it's being moved. We were glad that this wasn't the main destination for our vacation. What a bummer that would have been!

Arrived at Monument Valley early in the afternoon.We stayed in the only hotel in the park. It is built to blend with the terrain. Can you see it?

This (to the right) was the view from our room.

Final surprise of the day. The park exceeded our expectations even after waiting 30 years to see it. So many different types of landscapes and types of rock. A geologist's heaven. Wow! That was our comment around every turn. See what you think.








Monument Valley is on the Navajo Reservation. Much of the land is considered sacred by the Navajo people. You feel privileged to be there. It is almost a religious experience. Several scriptures came to mind while making the 17-mile drive through the park. Psalm 19:14, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Luke 19:40, "He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” Psalms 23 was brought to mind when we came across this flock of sheep and goats grazing. They were shepherded by a small dog.

What an amazing day!