On leaving Cortez, we drove along the McElmo Canyon, where we found Sutcliffe Vineyards. We met Joe the winemaker, and David the nephew of the owner who told us about the winery and how the canyon has been used for growing produce since the Navajo grew peach trees there. He let us sample a couple of wines ... only a sip of each as it was barely 11am ... and we ended up choosing to give a home to a bottle of Merlot.



We passed the sign to Hovenweep National Monument then continued on to Bluff where we stopped at the Navajo Twin Rocks, looked round the trading post and shared a portion of Navajo fry bread taco, which was a disc of ciabatta type bread which had been fried then covered with chilli beans, cheese and salad, and served with sour cream and salsa. It seems to be an example of popular local fusion cuisine but piles on the calories!



Fort Bluff was just down the road and was having a dedication ceremony for their new visitor centre built to celebrate and relate the story of The Mormon families who established a wagon road across the most inhospitable terrain in Utah to found the town of Bluff in 1880. They have reconstructed some of the family cabins in the same layout as the original fort and furnished them with period memorabilia. Sherri, Grace and Jacqueline kindly posed for a photo.

 



We drove on towards Mexican Hat, and stopped off at Gooseneck State Park which has one of the most striking and impressive examples of an entrenched river meander in the USA. The San Juan river twists and turns below, while higher up there are steps in the canyon wall as softer layers erode. We even saw some rafts floating by ... they enter the water at Mexican Hat then take 5 or 6 days to cover 50 or so miles to Lake Powell, camping on sandy spits along the way.



We arrived at the Valley of the Gods B&B, the only dwelling for miles, and were welcomed by Claire and Gary our hosts.





The colour of the canyon walls as the sun set was stunning and the stars were amazingly plentiful and bright when we returned from dinner. We awoke in time to see the sun rise and had a fabulous breakfast with the other 6 guests from all over the USA. Living in the desert may be difficult ... they have to truck in their water ... but it's easy to see the appeal when you look around and hear the quiet. They have made their home as green as possible, with solar and wind power, and even have a solar oven that works like a Dutch oven with the sun instead of the coals as fuel!



Our first challenge of the day was to negotiate the Moki Dugway, a 3 mile graded dirt switchback road carved into the face of the cliff edge of Cedar Mesa, winding 1,200 ft to the top. It was constructed in the 1950s so lorries could haul ore from the Happy Jack Mine on Cedar Mesa to the mill near Mexican Hat, and still provides breathtaking views of the Valley of the Gods below.



Once at the top, quite safely, we continued to Natural Bridges, which has just been re-opened together with several Utah National Parks following the Federal Shutdown, as they are being funded by the State. We drove round the 9 mile scenic loop, stopping to hike Sipapu Bridge which was quite energetic with a climb back of 500ft and several ladders. We also saw some Pueblo ruins, just viewed Kachina Bridge from the lookout, then walked a short way to see the final Owachomo Bridge.







On the way back we drove past the B&B, into the Valley of the Gods, where a 17 mile gravel road passes between the sandstone monoliths and pinnacles. So with Indian flute and drum Mesa tunes playing and the afternoon sun burnishing the rocks red we were the only people in the valley and it was an amazing experience. In Navajo, to be “in Hozho” is to be at one with and a part of the world around you ... and I guess we were.



We ended the day with another drive up the Moki Dugway to Muley Point at sunset, and saw Misty Goosenecks below and Monument Valley in the distance, but a rather cloudy sunset.



We passed the Mexican Hat as we left Mexican Hat and had a great approach to Monument Valley, the backdrop for endless movies, and home to numerous atmospheric buttes.



We were driven into the valley by Fergie of Blackwater Tours and he told us how he and his brother had helped build the visitor centre and also helped the Lone Ranger film crew when it got stuck on the road!



Chris got up in the saddle for a photo opportunity he couldn't miss at John Ford Point!



With Chris's John Wayne fixation, we had to visit Captain Nathan Brittle's Cabin, which is still part of Gouldings Trading Post and featured in 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon' from 1949.



There is also a museum with some old production photos that were interesting ...





Anyway, time to say goodbye to Utah ... and hello Arizona ... Phoenix here we come!