Monument Valley and a Regroup

This the first time I have had internet access since leaving Durango on  the 5th of October...The trip to Monumnent Valley was uneventful ....after Shiprock there was nothing but isolation and a few small hamlets such as Becklabito, Teec Nos Pos, Red Mesa, Mexican Water....and then my Campground, which was at Mexican Hat, about 22 miles north from Monument Valley...the campground was nothing to write home about....one couldn't even tell it was a campground...but the views where spectacular...and it  was sitting right on the San Juan River.....the owner or manger reminded me of the maintenance guy on the '70's TV series One Day at a Time....had  a tattoo on his arm said "USMC"...and could tell you stories about anything and everything.....and had a opinion about all things big and small...though for him it wasn't an opinion...it was a statement of "fact"....

View from camper..Horst Kelly Photographer

I never can get enough of this area....though on this trip Mother Nature decided to show who was "Boss"...it either rained or was overcast for the better part of the 3 days I was here...I tried to go down on the 17 mile self guided tour twice and turned around both times because of rain...so I gave up on that...I drove and hiked around the area and thoroughly enjoyed the experience...especially the solitude...and learning more about the Navajo in the area.... and what a meager existence they have....the small  jewelry stands along the side of the road...most where closed for the season....so what do they do to earn money in the off season...

Heading into Monument Valley..Horst Kelly Photographer

I went up and down route  163 so many times trying to catch the magic light, I felt I owned that stretch of highway....even drove the 44 miles or so to Kayenta twice......for one photo of a rock called Agarthia Peak...I think...took the photo, but no magic light appeared....

Horst Kelly Photographer

Now for some "Twilight Zone" stuff...one evening I was the only one at the campground and about 8pm I hear someone pulling in...look outside and there was a Casita being pulled by a Xterra...wow..Darryl and Darryl.....what are the odds???......went out to greet the person....guy was older than me...I know , hard to believe...from California....just traveling around....enjoying life.....spent the evening reliving the 50's and the early 60's......Gene Vincent is alive and well.....we shared some coffee and opinions early the next morning....he headed East and I was planning on going West.....if only the politicians would talk and listen to these folks...instead of...oh well..

Horst Kelly photographer

I'm about to leave for places West....Page, Zion and Bryce, and I hear about snow storms in the area....time to call a staff meeting...the team decides to "hook a left' and head south.....decision...go to Sedona , Az....so hitch up the wagon and head south on 163 until Kayenta..for the third time....turn right onto to 160 until just past Tuba City , then 89 south to Flagstaff and catch  I-17 south...a 6 degree downhill for 13 or so miles....had it in third most of the way...then onto 179 north for another 17 miles to Sedona....why didn't anyone tell me it was a 3 day weekend and the preferred destination for the " Free World" was Sedona.....or so it seemed..bumper to bumper for 10 miles....pulled into the campground...wow it's like a small subdivision...I got site no. 65....it was an end slot and there is no way I can get the Casita in there....I ask for another site...nope...but there will have "Stormy" come out to help....Stormy comes and says he will guide me in...I hand Stormy the keys to the Xterra and say...do your Magic..he does...we drink a beer and I then set up...have I told you life is good and so are the GREAT people of the USA.....ate dinner and then met Steve from the site next to me...it's 630pm and we talked, swapped lies and and where amazed at our common interests until 1030 or so...more on our swapping tales tomorrow.....its time to call it a day....a little Eric Clapton.....and then a good night....later  Horst

Gooseneck..Horst kelly Photographer