Page 231 - WDT INTERACTIVE

It was a marvel to imagine people scrambling up the
same rock to store their maize. We had the feeling of
being dwarfed by the tall rock arch, and by time itself.
To reach our final stop Tully put the Tahoe in
four-wheel drive and scaled a passageway through the
rock that looked impassable. Soon we came to a halt
atop a small mesa, and off to the north we could see
Monument Valley’s magnificent buttes. Between us
and those buttes was a group of cylindrical rocks that
looked like giant red cupcakes.
“We call these flying saucers, or cow pies,” Tully said,
but I thought the cupcake image was more apt. With
the cupcake rocks in the foreground and the buttes on
the horizon, we felt as if we had just landed on a new,
wonderful planet. But no, this was Monument Valley,
an incomparable emblem of the American West.

IF YOU GO

Monument Valley is 25 miles north of Kayenta, the
nearest town, which offers accommodations.
At the park are two hotels, The View and Goulding’s
Lodge.
The View, located in the park, is the newer and posher
of the two, offering stunning views right from your
balcony. It houses a restaurant, gift shop and other
amenities.
Goulding’s Lodge, where we stayed, is seven miles
from the park, in Utah. It offers a restaurant, gift shop
and a museum of the historic trading post that includes
exhibits of Monument Valley’s role in moviemaking.
Navajo cuisine has its own flavor and features Navajo
fry bread, a puffy flat bread that has a clear, light taste.
We enjoyed such dishes as Navajo tacos, mutton stew,
and blue corn pancakes.
Getting to Monument Valley is a challenge, as it is
more than a six-hour drive from Phoenix and Salt Lake
City, and more than five hours from Albuquerque.
Flagstaff, Ariz., is three hours away.
The valley is in the desert about a mile high, so
weather can be extreme. In January the average high
is 40 degrees F, and the average low is 24. In July the
average high is 92 degrees and the average low is 67.
April, May and October are the most moderate months
to visit. Summer months are the most crowded.

WINEDINEANDTRAVEL.COM 231