Having had our fill of jeeping around all that scenery, we headed south toward Monument Valley. Just have to share this photo of a truck hauling large square bales of hay. We have seen plenty of the big round bales, but these are new to us. Before we left Moab, we visited the local BLM (Bureau of Land Management) office and were told about a Forest Service campground on our way. We found it and it turned out to be nicer than many pricey resorts (but no hookups). Paved roads, parking, picnic areas, and nice native landscaping. And the sunrise!! Shortly after leaving this fine campsite, we came to the little town of Bluff, Utah. There is only a couple of side streets with no visible signs of support, but there was a nice visitor center. It was established by Mormons, as was the town, and is still run and supported by them. They have a very nice video about the journey of the original settlers and the hardships they endured to get there. The Mormons were 'called' to spread, settle and populate all parts of Utah (or something like that), so a group of families set out to the area which is now the town of Bluff. The more passable routes were about 450 miles, while going directly east was only about 200 miles, but it was more rugged terrain and there would be a problem crossing the Colorado River gorge. A split was found in the rock face of the cliff, and it was undertaken to widen and fill the crack so the wagons could come through. Blasting and chiseling and ingenious methods accomplished the task, but the way down was rough. This place is called 'Hole in the Rock'. It's a fascinating story and illustrates the hardships that the people who settled our country endured, seeking a new life. The Wikipedia article about the Hole in the Rock gives a much better account and it is required reading (there will be a quiz later!). Click here. The settlers were commissioned to befriend (and convert) the Indians, but when they began having trouble with the Indians, they were advised to 'fort up'. So they built their little cabins close together, facing inward, with a fence between them. Here's a replica of a cabin. There were 12-15 of these cabins forming a part of a rectangle, each representing the family that lived there. When the Indian problem was over, each family dismantled their cabin and took it to the land they were allotted, and reassembled them. The replica cabins that are here were rebuilt, each by the descendants of the original family. Interiors are furnished with nice old stuff, but not fully representative of what actually would be in the house. The grounds of this outdoor 'museum' has tools, wagons and other things common to the period. Here is a Navajo 'hogan', a common dwelling for that tribe. Made of cedar posts, covered with mud. Notice how the ceiling is domed with no interior support. The cedar beams are placed to be self-supporting (go figure!). The Ute Indians used tepees. This is a replica of the type of wagon that made the trip. And here is one that actually made the trip. Mary Lou was invited to play the old pump organ in the visitor center. Free fresh vegetables were offered in the visitor center, and when we expressed interest, we were taken out to the garden for some fresh-picked. This turned out to be a very interesting and pleasant stop (how does she find these places??). Our destination today is Monument Valley whose main claim to fame is the location for filming several western movies, mostly with John Wayne. Most notable are 'Stagecoach', 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon', and 'The Searchers'. There is a famous photo of a long straight road approaching some 'monuments'. We think this may be the place. We stayed at Goulding's Trading Post & RV Campground (and motel, grocery, gas station, airport, and health clinic)(could have had a bait shop, except there was no water around). The second photo below is of the many rental RV's we encountered in the Utah parks, used mostly by European tourists (they were also driving rental cars). There were many French and German, some Italians, Swiss, and oriental. Harry Goulding and his wife Leone, nicknamed 'Mike', purchased this property in the 1920's when the Paiute Indian reservation was moved away, and set up a trading post, trading mostly with the local Navajo people. The depression of the 1930's brought hard times, and having heard of a movie company looking for filming locations in the Southwest, Harry approached director John Ford and sold the idea of filming in Monument Valley. The rest is history. The photo below shows the original trading post with the Goulding's residence on the upper floor. Both floors are open to the public as a museum, and parts of the lower floor have been used in films. The view from the Trading Post and residence. Behind this building is a small structure that was used in filming 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon'. It served as the quarters of the Army Officer played by John Wayne. The Navajo Nation owns or has jurisdiction of the land of Monument Valley. I don't know the political arrangement. There is a very nice visitor center, motel, and restaurant, plus a driving tour of the valley. We took pictures of each other across the patio. The major draw here is a 17 mile drive around the floor of the valley. Navajo jewelry stands were everywhere, and even pictures on a horse for $2. The main feature of the 17 mile road was rocks, potholes, and dust. Tours were around $70 (from Gouldings, free if you drive yourself) and we feel this was the least enjoyable activity of our whole trip. We were really glad we didn't pay for a tour. We found it interesting that homes were scattered about the desert landscape. I don't know what the livelihood of these people is, unless it's driving tour trucks or making jewelry. Having had enough of the red dust of Monument Valley, we moved on to the next adventure. Stay Tuned.
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Who are We?Chuck and Mary Lou have been traveling Trip Reports
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