Here we are, the three of us—my mom, Rémi, and I—awed by the iconic landscapes of the American West at Monument Valley. We know them, yet we’re seeing them for the first time! Immersion in the land of Native Americans, cowboys, Lucky Luke, and classic westerns.
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
After the incredible Canyonlands National Park, we head to Valley of the Gods! The Valley of the Gods is a 27-kilometer scenic road. A road, or rather a track! Rémi, at the wheel of the Jeep, speeds along the rocky trail, before remembering that we’re slowly trailing behind in our rental car, a small Toyota Corolla. We move cautiously, far behind the Jeep’s dust cloud. Definitely not the time to break anything! I’m driving, and I’m not used to worrying about every little rock—usually, I just soar over the road! But no matter, we’re ready to have our minds blown 😎
The track winds through the valley carved in sandstone, among tall, beautiful reddish rock formations. There are buttes, mesas, towers, and mushroom-shaped rocks. Focused on the road without forgetting to admire the scenery, we’re amazed and keep stopping for photos and to take in the landscape.
As we go further along the track, I gain confidence. The Toyota is holding up well and follows the Jeep through the trickiest sections. However, our low ground clearance makes every bump tense! Several times, the undercarriage scrapes the ground. Ouch. The dried riverbeds are the hardest obstacles to cross. Inevitably, we end up stuck in the sand. “Am I stuck here, right?” I ask my mom, making us laugh. She goes out to check.
Indeed, the front of the car is beached in the sand! Reverse. Toward the end of the track, we reach the trickiest passage. This time, Rémi gets out of the Jeep to guide me. But again, the rut is too deep and the car too low. The front bumper sinks into the sand. Rémi assesses the situation with his expert eye. Then: “Well, first, Nathalie should get out.” More laughter 😂😂 My mom, feigning outrage, gets out of the car. After a few delicate maneuvers, we manage to get through the rut without damage.
Around noon, we pull over on the side of the trail to have lunch. We enjoy our roasted chicken and tabbouleh while facing a breathtaking landscape, right in the heart of the Valley of the Gods. So cool! 😎 How lucky we are to be here, surrounded by such extraordinary scenery! The more beautiful the landscape, the more we realize it.
After three hours of perilous track, we return safely to the main road. Jeepy had a blast, and our rental car emerges unscathed. Perfect. To finish our visit to the Valley of the Gods, we climb a bit for some altitude. After a few dizzying switchbacks along the cliff, we’re finally at the top of the canyon! Stunning!
We are finally on our way to Monument Valley! Excitement is building. But there’s so much to see in this part of Utah that we make several stops: our first stop is at Gooseneck to admire the meanders of the San Juan River at the bottom of its canyon. “Gooseneck” means exactly that—“goose neck”—in reference to the river’s bends.
Next, we stop for a photo of Mexican Hat, a rock with a very peculiar shape! Everyone sees something different: a head wearing a Mexican hat, or an upside-down Mexican hat!
Finally, in the late afternoon, we arrive. We follow a curve in the road and there it is, suddenly, that famous landscape: in the late-afternoon haze, its silhouette is unmistakable, Monument Valley. What a joy to see it in real life, with our own eyes, after admiring it so much in photos and on TV. Emotions run high for everyone, especially for my mom, who never thought she’d get the chance to be here! Even more happiness for me to have brought her here 😊 Naturally, we stop at the famous Forrest Gump Point to capture this magical moment. Everyone strikes their own pose 😅
Our Monument Valley exploration will be for tomorrow. Tonight, we settle into the garden of a Bed and Breakfast. We have access to a bathroom with shower and toilet, which is nice, but most importantly, we enjoy a breathtaking view of Monument Valley! We cook our dinner while admiring the sunset. Simply magnificent. We rarely had such a beautiful spot to spend the night!
Wednesday, October 5
Nature works like this: after the sunset, comes the sunrise! And when you’re facing Monument Valley, this natural spectacle has a whole different flavor. This morning, to admire it, there’s no need to wake up at dawn or hike far: we enjoy it straight from the tent. What a luxury!
And because the day has started so well, we make pancakes for breakfast! With a view like this, they taste even better than usual 😋
While Jeepy takes a bit of rest in a city parking lot, we head into Monument Valley in the rental car. This is a Navajo-managed Indian reservation. Entrance is $8 per person. A 24-kilometer dirt and gravel track allows us to tour the reserve and reach various viewpoints. Cameras in hand, Mom and Rémi snap photos of every butte while I drive. Some buttes are considered sacred by the Navajos, who invoked them to bring rain. Others are named after animals: Elephant Butte, Camel Butte. Sometimes you need a bit of imagination to visualize them!
We also stop at the John Ford Viewpoint. We don’t have horses for the iconic film photo, but… no problem! Everyone has their own style 😅
We loved every minute spent in Monument Valley. What a joy and pride to admire these famous and stunning landscapes with our own eyes! I’m even happier to have brought my mom here, she who thought she’d never see the real landscapes of the Far West! 😘 But now, it’s time to continue south. Many discoveries await us! Including the beautiful Antelope Canyon, our next stop!
