Day 11 - Cameron to Page (via Monument Valley)

Today we visited a place we've always wanted to see, Monument Valley. It's been my desktop wallpaper for many years :) We were able to wake and leave at a relatively leisurely pace. It was 125 miles to Monument Valley, then another 125 miles to get to Page where we are stopping tonight.

This first part of the journey today seemed very ordinary. Maybe we've become accustomed to fabulous scenery everywhere and just see it as normal now. As we got nearer to Monument Valley the landscape began to shift and the red rock landscape became more and more prevelant.

The views at Monument Valley did not disappoint. The weather was great and it felt a little a warmer when we arrived. We took the roof down and started the off road scenic route around the Monuments. Off road is an apt description. We were on a sandy, rocky, slopey surface and there were at least 2 large scrapes/bashes underneath the car. The 4x4's where able to zoom around no problem but the Mustang is relatively low profile so we ended up only doing the first section of the route before doubling back on ourselves and taking it very slowly back to the paved surface. We also lost Jess's camera to the sandy surface as it slipped out of the car.

We got some decent pictures of the Butte's before leaving and heading toward Page.

Before getting to Page we stopped at the Horseshoe Bend for another glimpse at a landscape we both like so much. It's about a mile or so walk from the parking spot, but the walk is worth it. It was great to see the horseshoe bend in person. One of the best views I've ever seen. The camera geeks were right about the standard DSLR lens not being wide enough for the full shot but we did our best. You get so close to the edge of the cliff to see the full beauty of the surroundings and there is no safety net. My legs went a bit jelly like a couple of times. It looks so dangerous that I'm sure many people have gone over the edge.

We had dinner at a Pizzeria just down the road which is in an old converted boat. It was a nice place and the food was good. The crazy owner/doorman was very friendly too stopping to chat to just about anyone who was willing to listen :)

We're hoping to drive through another National Park tomorrow (Zion). All the Parks are still shut but we're hoping the highway through remains open for us to drive along at least. People have been disregarding the barriers and coned off areas so there have been rumblings the whole road will be shut. Haven't been able to confirm this as in place though.

By the way this song has become the anthem to the holiday as it seems to be played about every 7 minutes on all the radio stations (in between One Direction songs).

 

 

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