Movie sets and Monuments

Hi all!
Get a load of this:

This is Monument Valley, Utah; one of the most photographed places in the world. It is also what people recognize as "The West." Several movies were filmed here. Check out this list:

It's pretty extensive. I can see why they want to use this site. It is only 934 miles to California. Not sure how far to Hollywood. But I could look at this site all day, every day. The shadows change each time. I take different pictures each day. But I won't bore you with that.

We took our own tour of the Valley. It is a Navajo Tribal Park, but it's set up like a national park. There's a Welcome/Visitors' Center, tours, stops, signs, marked roads, etc. You pay $20 for a carload of 2-4 people, but it's a pass for 2 days. The trail is a gravel road and winds about 17 miles (loop). There are bumps and washboards, so if you have a truck, that is nice. A car can do it, too. Just be prepared for some roller-coaster dips. Along the trail are marked "monuments" and the map at the gate tells you about them. If you want to go and see the other 13 sites, you pay a handsome fee of $75 for a day tour. No, thank you. You can still see them from the dirt road. The extra fee is for interpretation and lunch. So here is your tour:

East Mitten; West Mitten in the far middle back 

Signifies spiritual beings watching over the valley

Elephant Butte (see his trunk?)

The Three Sisters

A Catholic nun facing her two pupils

Camel Butte

The Hub

Navajo see it as a fire place in the center of a gigantic Hogan (Navajo home)

Sand Springs

An aquifer runs under here and keeps things green

Totem Pole

Artist's Point

North Window

The Thumb/Cowboy Boot

As you can see, the weather was sunny and clear. The highs have been in the 40s and lows in the 20s. But it's not bitterly cold like out east. It is actually mild and pleasant. Today we had snow! 

We are staying at Goulding's Campground. Their names were Harry and Leona, but he called her "Mike." The Gouldings were a couple who came out here and traded with the Navajo. Then they built a house with goods on the bottom floor and living quarters on the top. Harry noticed that the Navajo were poor and this area was beautiful, so he got Josef Meunsch to take pictures, went to Hollywood, and got John Ford to come out and make movies. The first movie was "Stagecoach," and a little unknown actor named John Wayne got his start. The rest is history.

So thanks for stopping by. We are here for another two days, then we meander to the Grand Canyon. Ya'll come back!😉