19.08. Monument Valley

Let's head towards the easternmost point of our journey, the Monument Valley. The drive takes about two hours, through landscapes that are not as attractive as before.

However, the typical mesas impress us shortly before arriving in the valley. Monument Valley is located in the Navajo Reservation and is managed by the Navajos. When entering, we are immediately charged $40. We are also told that the 'Scenic Drive' (an unpaved road through the valley) is closed for RVs. So we quickly park our huge vehicle (we are surprised that it is not too crowded) and head to the 'John Wayne Viewpoint' with a view of the three most famous mesas, 'West Mitten Butte', 'East Mitten Butte', and 'Merrick Butte'.

We take some photos and visit the obligatory gift shop. We want to go on the 6km hike (Wildcat Trail) around the West Mitten Butte. At the trailhead, there is a big sign saying 'closed due to heat'. Hm... it's only 30°C at most, there is even a slight breeze... what do they want? Flo wants to climb over the sign and go anyway, but Samuel has been cranky all day and has a screaming fit at that moment. So we decide not to take any risks this time and go back to the visitor center. There are plenty of empty jeeps with benches for passengers. 'oho', 'aha', they are actually offering tours on the Scenic Drive.

Each jeep has a Navajo driver waiting for passengers. That would be a great alternative to hiking! We inquire about the price: Only $110 per person! The five-year-old is free, at least! $440 for a one-hour tour that you can also do with your own car? Definitely not. We decline and are about to turn around when suddenly the price drops to $200 for all. We think for a moment and agree, since we don't visit here often. But when it's time to pay, he suddenly insists on cash (because the boss is not here right now!?!?) Unfortunately, we don't have that much cash with us, so we finally decline. 10 minutes later, the boss is suddenly there, but we still decide to leave.

We do understand that the Navajos want to make money from their cultural heritage, but forcing people more or less to use the expensive offer is eventually outrageous extortion.

So we drive out of the Valley again and go to the pre-booked campground a bit earlier than planned. However, we decide to make use of the time and drive back to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We secure one of the last spots at the Mather Campground right inside the Grand Canyon National Park.

We are one experience richer. Monument Valley is really beautiful and worth a visit. Half a day is more than enough, you can skip an overnight stay, and the rip-off is nowhere as big as here (and so far we have found almost everything to be expensive).

In the evening, we also learn about the cancellation of our next overnight stay at the Joshua Tree National Park. The park is closed for the next few days due to Hurricane Hilary, which apparently made landfall at the California Peninsula today. We immediately try to find out if we should be worried, but at least our plans are disturbed for the next few days.