Day 7: Monument Valley - Moab

Today started at 5:30 am as we wanted to witness the sunrise in Monument Valley. Unfortunately, the clouds got in the way and this mission was unsuccessful. You can see the results in the pictures. You can't have it all! My parents had better luck in March, but they had snow at Bryce Canyon instead. We stayed at 'The View' Hotel, where every balcony faces Monument Valley. So, we could practically jump from our bed to the balcony. After breakfast on the balcony and packing our things, we had to meet in the lobby. We had booked a Jeep tour through MV for 8 am. We chose an early time to avoid crowds and heat. We chose a guided tour for safety reasons. We could have driven our own car, but the insurance wouldn't cover any damages on those roads.

This Jeep tour took us through the roads that are accessible to all people and then on very adventurous roads that are only meant for Jeep tours. Monument Valley is located in Navajo territory - a Native American tribe. They also live in this area and offer these tours, among other things. Additionally, there is a $20 fee to enter the area, but that's not important now.

There were five of us on this huge Jeep, Uli and me, and three French people. Nevertheless, everything was very relaxed. The guide was super nice and not too pushy. Because it must have rained the previous day, parts of the roads were still very muddy. Who can say they have seen puddles in MV? Everyone can see sunrises and sunsets, ha! So, he took us through the valley and drove to all kinds of rock formations where we could take photos. He even showed us the 'secret' photo spots.

The ride was really adventurous and a lot of fun. Getting on and off the Jeep was a little difficult because our thighs and arms were burning, and we had to hold on tight because we were shaken up pretty good. But that doesn't change the fact that this has been one of the highlights so far.

After 2.5 hours, the ride was over. We had half an hour to check out and then drove to the next motel in Moab. Before that, we took one more look back at MV, and 2.5 hours later, we reached our next destination.

Not only is this motel ugly and noisy, but another hotel guest was in our room earlier. Spooky - they double-booked the room at the reception. After a short break at the motel, we continued to Arches National Park. Before that, I went to the reception to make sure that our rooms wouldn't be given to anyone else, and I took all the valuables with me.

I noticed in Arches NP that people here prefer hiking. Either I wasn't aware of it, or I blocked it out. So, we had to abandon the first trail to an 'arch' because Uli didn't have her hiking shoes on, and the trails were too adventurous for us. As alternatives, we chose the 'Double Arches' and the 'Windows', which were easier to walk on. We'll finish the rest of the park tomorrow morning before heading to Bryce Canyon. Let's see if we'll be treated to a beautiful sunrise and sunset at Bryce Canyon.