And The ADVENTURE Continues...: September 10, 2015 Trip to Monument Valley (part 2)

Thursday, September 10, 2015 Trip to Monument Valley (part 2)

After our great lunch that was nicely prepared we headed off to see the sights of Monument Valley. I am sure that everyone has seen one or more movies that was filmed here at Monument Valley..John Wayne's well known movies were: The Searchers, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Fort Apache and Stagecoach, some other movies were Thelma and Louise, The Eiger Sanction with Clint Eastwood, New Wild, Wild West with Will Smith in it and Lone Ranger had Johnny Depp in it and Forrest Gump. As you can see there were a lot. Now I have to go and watch them again because I wasn't paying attention to the scenery. Mike and I are going to see one tomorrow night.

Along with the different monuments we did learn about Hogan's. A Indian dwelling made from limbs, branches and mud. A female hogan is rounded structure that is larger than a male hogan and it consists of 9 main posts signifying 9 months of pregnancy. The male hogan is smaller and consists of 4 main posts. Just because they are called male and female doesn't mean that only men live in the male hogan etc. We learned that certain days are still celebrated by the Navajo such as a day were a young girl becomes a women, she needs to run 5 miles don't remember the reasoning for it and after completed they celebrate, a young boy becomes a man by spending time in a sweat lodge (today it is no longer celebrated) and the 3rd thing is a baby's first giggle.

After our tour we returned to the visitor center and decided to have dinner at the restaurant where we dined on some traditional Navajo food. It was very good and some was very hot. Our campground is at Goulding's RV Park. They also have a Motel and Lodge, Service Station, Laundry, Grocery Store, Museum and Gift Shop. The Gouldings have owned this land since the 30's and were instrumental in bringing the movies to the area. They own 1 square mile in the middle of what is now Navajo Reservation.