A Colorado State of Mind: Day 2- Monument Valley

We are pushing 75 down a road that is as empty as it is long. Not a tree in sight, I’m reminded of one of my favorite Dr. Seuss lines, “it’s opener there, in the wide open air”. The emptiness feels liberating to me; it’s one of the reasons the desert lures me in. Our destination for the night is Monument Valley- an over photographed and over filmed location that somehow still manages to hold mystery and wonder. We booked a room back in January at a new Navajo hotel in the heart of the valley, fittingly named “The View”. It’s expensive, there is no pool, no free happy hour or breakfast (in fact, no alcohol at all as it is on the reservation), but one thing it does offer really well is a view. Every room in the hotel includes a balcony that faces the soaring mittens of Monument Valley. There is simply no excuse not to take in the sunset, the sunrise, and the unbelievable vastness of this place. We enjoyed the sunset while dining on local cuisine such as green chilé stew, frybread with honey, and Navajo tacos. August was giddy with excitement, even putting up with the highchair for a late evening hour long dinner, smiling to anyone who caught his eye. We all went to bed that night happy and excited for the morning to come.

In the morning we suited up for the Wildcat Trail, the only hike in Monument Valley allowed without a Navajo tour guide. We were alone out there, and the trail circumnavigating the West Mitten Butte provided us with an intimate insight into the valley not offered by our hotel balcony. The sun was relentless, but the 60 degree spring temperature was forgiving. We took a moment to really take in the beauty of all of it, then headed back to our room for a quick shower before hitting the road again.