2015 USA Road Trip Day 9: Gallup NM to Monument Valley UT
Had an indifferent start to the day today. I managed to find Tottenham v West Ham being shown live on NBC on my TV, with a 5am (local time) kick off. We were 2-0 up with 10 minutes left but another Danny Rose miskick and a penalty in the 96th minute - which shouldn't have been given as a goal because Harry Kane scored from a rebound when time was up - led to a typical draw snatched from the jaws of victory.
I left Gallup this morning and had a good opportunity to take some photos up and down Route 66 at around 8am on a Sunday morning. Not particularly warm this morning but a beautiful blue sky and no wind.
Gallup is very American-Indiany but I headed north on US491 through Navajo country, and it got even more so. Even found Navajo songs on the radio, which was quite an experience. As you can see from the photos, the blue skies have gone and it's starting to feel like it's getting a lot colder.
Filled the car up at Shiprock and left New Mexico and crossed into Arizona (I love the leaving New Mexico sign). As I drove through Beclabito, everything was suddenly covered in snow. As I drove around this would switch on and off - some places covered, some places untouched.
.JPG "leaving NM (Navajo sign)")
I drove up to Four Corners, which is the only meeting place of four states in the USA. It was quite a grand place celebrating such a weird thing. I took my turn in standing on the cross, along with the dozen or so other people who were floating around, including some Japanese and Australian tourists - the first non-American English language voice I had heard since I got here!
I had low expectations that it was going to be fun - after all, it's just a mapmaker's geographical oddity - and in the end it was better than that. The few people around were just happy to see the place and stand in all four states at once. (And so was I, and so did I).
From there I headed north and west through to Utah, past the Mexican Hat rock - going to download a few old Road Runners when I get home. It's starting to get snowier and snowier ...
I stopped off at the San Juan Inn and Trading Post for lunch, and just had a hot chocolate - which was probably the best one I've ever had. This place was by the side of the San Juan river and comes under the address of Mexican Hat, UT - although I didn't see any other houses or, well, anything really.
Another 20 miles and I got to The View - my chosen hotel for the night. It overlooks Monument Valley and you're supposed to get the best view for many miles around - except the snow had now picked up and visibility was down to almost zero. The second photo below is the actual view from my window after I checked in!
There is nothing around for miles but luckily the hotel has a restaurant and the room was very good too so I was happy to hole up here for the night. I also tried some Navajo fry bread for dinner - very tasty but very dangerous to my heart and other internal organs ...
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Last updated 25 February 2015 16:48
I think I'm meant to do an "About" here but I think you'd be more interested in seeing a random seagull.