Monument Valley

Mexican Hat was cool but clear as I left this morning before 8am and I decided to backtrack a little to visit Four Corners. There were clear skies and sunshine in one direction with grey skies and clouds in the other and it was just a question of which direction the bad weather would go!

Mexican Hat....after which the town next door is named!

Valley of the Gods....outside Mexican Hat.

Valley of the Gods

Going to Four Corners didn't seem such a great decision when I rode into my first snow-shower of the day......my hands were frozen when I reached my destination even though I had ridden into some sunshine......don't be fooled though it might have been bright but it was still perishingly cold.....and at 9am I was standing in 4 states all at the same time (Utah, New Mexico, Arizona & Colorado)....the only place in the USA where 4 states meet.

I turned around and hit even heavier snow.......30 minutes down the road was a gas station and restaurant which is what I was holding out for.......took me a couple of minutes standing outside the place before I had enough feeling in my hands to get my helmet unbuckled......I took my time over breakfast and let the weather clear a little and so 40 miles further west I made the turn for Monument Valley.

I booked into the only hotel in the Park (which is owned and run by the Navajo Nation)....it is only open a few months and indeed there is still work going on to finish it off in places (and the staff don't quite know what they are doing yet). Called 'The View' as every room offers views across the Valley which are pretty special I must admit. There is a restaurant attached and apart from the fact that there is no alcohol allowed on Navajo land you will not be disappointed!

the view from my balcony...

As I paid my admission fee to the park the attendant asked what sort of bike I was riding and then tells me that if I had been riding a Harley Davidson he would suggest to take one of the Guided Tours around the valley (you sit in an open top jeep/truck thing....like on safari) but that I would be fine on the dirt roads.


So after I checked in and unpacked the bike I head off on the drive around the valley......the road (well....track really) is pretty rough changing from rocks to sand constantly.....a couple cars turned back within a couple of bends to take a guided tour rather than drive themselves. I quite enjoyed it and apart from getting out of shape in the deeper sand a few times there wasn't too much to worry about. The scenery is pretty dramatic and as you will have probably seen most of it in one movie or another over the years I guess dramatic is the right term to use!

the Totem Pole

the Three Sisters