After a pause at Spruce Tree Terrace for coffee, muffins, and cookies we visit the Wetherill Mesa section of Mesa Verde National Park by mini-train

We get a distant view of the huge monolith of rock in New Mexico known as Shiprock before returning to the Anasazi Motor Lodge. At the adjacent restaurant we thoroughly enjoy the all-you-can-eat buffet which includes large portions of cherry pie.

 

Day 17 - today's mileage is 287 as we drive from Cortez, Colorado to Monument Valley, Utah. We drive as close as possible to Shiprock in New Mexico before visiting Four Corners where these three states adjoin Arizona

Four Corners is the only location in the USA that is common to four states. We find a disappointing site with makeshift stalls surrounding what should be an attractive tourist attraction - but a unique place not to be missed

After stopping for weak (but cheap) coffee at the small and somewhat desolate town of Mexican Water we reach our hotel in Monument Valley: Gouldings Trading Post and Lodge (above and left). This historic hotel became popular with tourists after the film Stagecoach made Monument Valley famous. But it is another film (Thelma and Louise) that inspires us to drive through the Valley of Gods - but this transpires to be a drive on a 17-mile very rough and dirty road that requires the car to be thoroughly washed afterwards

The Valley of the Gods is a sandstone valley just north of Monument Valley;

it has similar rock formations to Monument Valley,

 but as we later find, they are not as spectacular

We tour Monument Valley with a Navajo guide whose pronunciation is difficult to follow as he drives our tram along bumpy and dusty roads. The 4-hour tour gives us views of the famous 'monuments'; a photo opportunity of the guide's mounted father at Ford's Point; and a visit to a hogan - a dome shaped Navajo home made of wood and mud

The Two Mittens

Merrick Butte

Ford's Point