Wednesday, October 30, 2024 (Monument Valley, Arizona/Gould's RV Resort, Utah)

Although the weather wasn't the best, we enjoyed our 2 nights at Goosenecks but it's time to move on further south. Not a long drive...about 45 minutes to Monument Valley Tribal Park Visitors Center. See those formations in the distance?...that's where we are headed...

We pulled out about 9:30 and went back to highway 163 and headed south...through Mexican Hat...

Crossing the San Juan River...

We stopped at a few pull-outs along the highway to take pictures as we approached Monument Valley. Remember this view in the Forrest Gump movie...

We paid the $8/person entrance fee at the gatehouse and continued up to the Visitors Center. At the end of the parking lot is a booth where you can book a tour...1.5 hours or 2.5 hours. We chose the 2.5 hour tour, paid $90 each (well, basically $100 each with tax) and climbed aboard the "well used" Homeland Tours truck with one other couple (Clayton and Robbie from Oklahoma). Steve and I started off in the truck with the others but then decided to sit outside in the back...it was chilly at times but a much better view of everything!

We stopped at 6 spots to get out for pictures (although Steve was taking bunches enroute). This is Danny, our tour guide...

Looking back at the hotel and visitor center...

A 1:10 minute video...

You can also tour on horseback...

Navajo Hogans, more on that later...

A 57 second video..

Passing by a Navajo settlement. We'll be stopping here on our way back...

Gotta get that perfect shot...

Our tour guide Danny took our phones and did a panoramic shot of each couple...

A 1.01 minute video...

We were inside the one on the right where Danny took our photos...

Returning to the Navajo settlement...

We were invited into the Navajo Hogan.

A 26 second video...

When we were here in 2011, we never took the tour. We highly recommend the 2 1/2 hour tour as it takes you to areas where only guides are allowed to go. Private vehicles are allowed on the 1 1/2 hour tour. Buster definitely would not be allowed, nor would we have taken him out on those roads!

A 35 second video...

We did a wander around the huge gift store and took a final selfie on the deck of the visitor center

By this time, it was after 2:30 and we really didn't feel like driving to find another campground, so we ended up Goulding's RV Park. It was a tad expensive...she gave us a "deal" at $92 for the night. It's still high season until tomorrow, the prices are slashed by half...$55...starting November 1, figures!

But it is a beautiful campground and we really enjoyed our site there!