Monument Valley...ROCKS

This post is dedicated to a dry, hot and dusty place in Arizona called Monument Valley. Why? It’s that cool. I wasn’t aware of Monument Valley until Brad stumbled upon it scrolling through social media and requested we stop along our travels. I can speak for us both that we don’t regret it one bit.

 

We found a KOA (Kampground Of America) within a couple of miles of the park surrounded by the most outrageous rock formations in every direction. Actually, Monument Valley is right on the border of Utah and Arizona so we camped in Utah with perfect views of the monuments. Incredible silhouettes greeted us in the mornings and illuminating sunsets ended our evenings. 

 

(view from our kitchen window of the monuments)

 

(this was taken while walking to the bathroom one morning!)

 

Our first day included traveling from Colorado to the KOA which resulted in an easy 3 hour drive. One of the greatest parts about road travel is sometimes you stumble upon things you didn’t even know existed. Like 4 corners where you can stand in one single spot that includes four states at once: Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

 

 

Any Forrest Gump fans? We happened to drive right up to the location where the bearded Gump declared he was tired and stopped running on his cross country trek. 

 

 

After we set up our camp we decided to take the dogs to play in the desert. We wandered through an area known as Mexcian Hat where the rocks definitely looked like they shouldn’t be holding up that boulder! We really were amazed by the little bit of Utah we played in. Everywhere is covered in red sand and the dogs literally had red stained paws for weeks. Rocks are surrounded us in every direction and experienced the dryest air I’ve ever encountered. We drove down some dusty dirt road where Brad really got to test his new truck tires on the terrain and decided to walk around. The beauty of a place like this is that we could see for miles. You could scout out if a car, people or animals were nearby so we decided to let the dogs run off leash a bit. Best decision ever because we witnessed firsthand the happiness of a dog in the desert!

 

(Mexican Hat)

 

(Jason - a happy desert dog!)

 

(Gracie feeling free - off leash time is the best time)

 

Now this area gets extremely HOT. Our hottest afternoon reached almost 100 degrees so you definitely have to go into this with a plan. During the summer Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park opens at 6am but after Labor Day the hours change to 8am. The park is dog friendly on designated trails and of course requires leashes. Our plan was to hike first when it was still somewhat cool then drive the 17 mile loop to scope out at all the structures you couldn’t reach by foot. We hit the trail by 8:15 when the morning was still fairly cool. Mounds of red sand led us to a welcoming down hill at the beginning of the hike. We made our way for 3.3 miles over rocks and dirt and dried up waterways all the while surrounded by the most incredible rock monuments we’ve ever seen. Standing next to them made city buildings feel small. 

 

(seen on our hike)

 

(this almost looks photoshopped but I promise it isn’t!)

 

We brought an abundance of water for all four of us but the desert is unforgiving without shade. Luckily, Brad is the best dog dad ever and carried Gracie when she got tired. At times we stopped for water behind small bushes just for some reprieve from the sun!

 

 

After the hike we cooled off in the car and drove the 17 mile loop around the entire park to check out the remaining monuments we couldn’t access by foot. It was incredible and quite the bumpy ride. I think we all felt a bit “jarred” after that drive because of how rocky the roads were, but the views were definitely well worth it!

 

 

A few other note-worthy details about our time in Monument Valley:

 

The campground is owned by a farmer who owns sheep (which we heard wander through sometimes) and allow their sheep herding dogs to hang throughout the campground. From the minute we arrived a little puppy greeted us and really took to Gracie, but the feeling wasn’t mutual on her end! Brad nicknamed her “Utah” and there were serious talks about asking the owners if we could keep her. She was absolutely adorable! Luckily, we snapped back to reality and realized a third dog on the road would be a lot of work and decided to enjoy her company while we visited.

 

(can you see why we wanted her?!)

 

Lastly, a few days shy of one year ago Brad and I were crossing into Utah during our honeymoon cross country trip and had no idea when we would return. We couldn’t wait to come back to explore the great state of Utah and really thought it would be years before returning. Isn’t it funny what life throws your way? 353 days later we were back in Utah but this time with our best little friends!

 

(September 16, 2018)

 

(September 4, 2019)

 

The desert is a truly remarkable place. Honestly, we weren’t sure if we would like it or hate it. It’s dry and often so desolate you speculate how life even survives out there. But it’s an amazing place if you allow yourself to take it all in and recognize the beauty. We were often dirty and sweaty and at times over the heat, but the views were magnificent and the endless amounts of untouched land are a breath of fresh air you don’t get very often. 

 

“At the end of the day your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling” - Shanti. I would say that describes our desert adventure perfectly.