First Day In Monument Valley

26 September 2014

Weather: Sunny and 29C

This morning we checked out of the hotel at Page and drive the couple of hours to Monument Valley via Kayenta.  We arrived at The View Hotel 30 minutes before our afternoon tour, so we tried to check into our room but it wasn't ready.  We left our food and medicine with reception as it would be colder inside the hotel than in the car.

North of Kayenta 

Monument Valley

Just after midday we met our guide Robertson, known as Rob.  He saddled up our horses while we signed the injury waiver.  The horse I was to ride had a nasty cut to its lower leg so Rob changed my horse to one named Mighty.  Once saddled Justin and I followed Rob on our horses, going out along the Wildcat Trail around Left Mitten.  The ride was hot and dusty with very little shade, from memory there was only one tree which we stopped under.  The ride went for two hours and not having ridden a horse in many years, I found that I had a stitch in my side which got worst every time the horse went faster than a walk, so I had to keep it to a walk.  Both Justin and I were sore in the top, inner parts of our legs and my bottom.  Having finished the tour and back at the yards we watched Rob unsaddle the horses.  Mighty let himself into the yards, whereas Justin's horse, Missy rolled in the dust.  

Justin and I in front of the West Mitten

East and West Mitten plus Merrick's Butte 

We had booked a Combination Horseback/Jeep Tour with Scared Monuments Tour ( http://www.monumentvalley.net/horse.htm ) which meant we then had a three hour jeep tour through Monument Valley.  We got into Rob's 4WD for a tour of most of the buttes and mittens, as well as seeing arches, petroglyphs and springs.  

Great photo opportunity on the Jeep Tour

Rob's 4WD, Justin and I posing on the sand dune

Petroglyphs

Justin struggled through the jeep tour having a cold and a bit of heat exhaustion, he was glad when it was over as we checked into our room.  Justin spent the last part of the afternoon and early evening in bed trying to get some rest.  I spent my afternoon walking backwards and forwards to the verandahs so I could get the best sunset possible.  I wasn't sure which would be best, looking into the sun or away from it.  As night fell the hotel started a John Wayne movie which was projected onto a wall outside.  There were chairs and tables set up in front of the wall where the movie was being screened but we could watch it from our balcony as the volume was loud enough that it was like being in a theatre.  This stopped Justin from being able to sleep, that being said he stayed in bed and I took some time in the lobby to use the internet.  

Our room at The View Hotel

Movie from the balcony

Sun setting behind Mitchell Butte 

Sunset from our rooms balcony

Later in the evening we had dinner at The View Restaurant.  The food here met our expectation of what we had been told by other Aussies who had travelled to the USA.  We were told the meals are cheap and so big that two people could share the meal.  Up until this point we had found neither true.  Justin not feeling well wanted a small meal so he ordered the nachos which was an entree but the plate was as large as the oval platter we use at home to put a roast on before serving it.  I had chosen the Susie Yazzie Taco, which was a huge size as well.  This restaurant was value for money that is for sure.  Having eaten as much as we could we returned to our room, Justin tried to get some sleep and I tried to catch some photos of the stars.  It was storming that night so there was a fair amount of cloud cover but the sheet lightning helped to provide light to the photograph.  Not that I knew what I was doing and hence the blurry photos.  

View from our room at night