MONUMENT VALLEY

We have never stopped and drove through Monument Valley on the Navajo Reservation so thought we had better do it since we were so close.  They have built a very nice facility off the road a few miles and entry fee was $20.00 and that included being able to drive on the Valley Road through part of the reservation.  You get to see more if you take a guided tour, but more expensive.  We opted for the free one just to see what it was like.  And  it was good.  Really glad we did it.

On the road to Monument Valley.  I took a picture very similar to this one years ago when Connie and I first drove by Monument Valley.  

There is no other place that I know of that has this kind of panorama and so much of it.

The three sisters.  Connie is one of three sisters so was pretty impressed with the name of this formation.

Many John Wayne movies were filmed in this area and this guy will pose for a picture where John Wayne did many years ago in the movie "Stagecoach" I think it was.

This "hogan" is the place where a certain Great Grandmother is buried.

A few Navajo horses with the 3 sisters in the background.

It is a pretty place.

This squirrel is wondering what we are doing in his yard.

More pictures.

This is their hotel, restaurant, gift shop, etc

What a view from the hotel.

For anyone traveling to Mexican Hat, this corner is famous.

The rock formation that gives Mexican Hat it's name.

And I love the colors east of town.

VALLEY OF THE GODS 2

A few pictures from our camp and around Valley of the Gods.

Our camper from the wash we camped by.

It looks like our camper is not quite level, but I think it is the camera angle because the bubbles said it was level.

One of the monoliths in the evening light.

Lots of rabbits around.

Connie and her dog coming back from their morning walk.

VALLEY OF THE GODS 1

We left our campsite on the point and drove to Payson where we picked up a few groceries and some fuel.  Camped at the RV Park we usually do.  Next morning we drove to Goosenecks State Park in Utah.  Not very many people there and it has not changed much since we camped there over 20 years ago.  Well, they have put in a new toilet and some new tables but not much else.  And they do charge now to camp there or even drive in there – and have a person in the booth when you enter the place.  Spent the night and after a nice walk in the morning, we headed to the Valley of the Gods where we found a nice campsite with a great view.  Got set up and then headed to a petroglyph panel by the San Juan River.  Very large panel and some good petroglyphs.  Then went into Bluff, UT to the old Fort there and walked around.

There were some rafters arriving for their night stop on the San Juan River just as we were getting into where we were going to camp overlooking the river.

Camp for the night.

I have always liked the color of the hills to the east of Mexican Hat. 

Another view from camp.

More of the hills by Mexican Hat.

Morning sun.

This rock work was right by our camp.

Morning sun on the banks of the river.

Cool mornings for a girl and her dog on their walk along the rim.

Sunrise on some clouds.

Sunrise on the hills to the south and the river below.

Camp from a hilltop.

Petroglyphs.

APACHE LAKE KAYAK

We drove over to Apache Lake to kayak on our last full day at Roosevelt. Apache Lake is the second lake in a sequence of four lakes that start with Roosevelt that catch the water from the Salt River and Tonto Rivers.  All the dams have hydro electric generation I believe. We have kayaked there two other times and have never made it to the dam as the afternoon wind has always came up and made us scurry back to our launch beach.  We got over there pretty early this time and made it all the way to the dam.  But we did have quite a bit of wind on our way back to the beach.  It is one of our favorite places to kayak in Arizona.  The cliffs are really pretty - it is getting there that is the hardest part.  The road is a gravel road and is very washboardy (I know that is not a word but it describes the road).  It will rattle our jeep to the point you think it is going to come apart.  The road is part of the Apache Trail from Tortilla Flat to Roosevelt.

As you can see, we started this paddle on very flat water and most of it was this way.

I think I see more grebes on this lake that any I paddle on.

The rock formations are the best thing about this paddle.

What a flat surface.

You really just like to float along and check out the scenery.

We encountered a number of vultures along the shore just waiting for a dead fish or duck to wash up.

And of course the "dock dog" Zeph got to go swimming in a few bays we stopped at.  He is pretty excited about his new toy that he got for Christmas from Aunt Pat that goes along with us on our kayak adventures.

 

A couple of old buzzards!!

The dam at Apache Lake.

 At the dam, a tourist helicopter made a pass over us before it flew over the dam.  I was to busy watching it to take any pictures until it was headed over to the dam.

This was what the water looked like when we got back to our launch point.  It was worse out there than it looks as there were quite a few white caps.