A Date With John Wayne!

It must have started when I was four or five.  For my 4th birthday I was over the moon with my very own "Ranch Set" of plastic fences, barn and horses.  Today I have a black and white photo of "Nancy" in her wild west cowboy (no skirts for me) outfit: hat, chaps, boots, and cap guns (2) and holster set, standing out in front of our house, looking for outlaws. (or Ricky, the boy across the street!)

"Nancy" circa 1952 - with double 6 shooters

  So, no surprise I am anxious to get to Monument Valley, not only due to beautiful tribal lands, BUT the very place many wild west movies were filmed...with, no other than John Wayne and some beautiful ladies.

We decide to pull in and stay at least three days at Goulding's RV Campground.  Harry and Mike Goulding built and operated Goulding's Trading Post in the early 1930's.  They knew the local people (Navaho) needed income and they hatched a plan to take the last of their  money, travel to Hollywood with photos of Monument Valley, and the result was a meeting with John Ford, who decided, this was THE place to film westerns.  Lots of them!  In 1938 Stagecoach was produced with many scenes filmed right here!

Steve at the door of John Wayne's cabin - film: "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"

Nan and her date for the stage

Checking out the schedule

Ready to roll in original stage from "Stagecoach"

But wait....Steve is back in the bar with my date!

The Trading Post, living quarters for the Goulding's and the film museum are great fun.  So are the nightly movies played in the mini theater.  We watch "Stagecoach" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon."

Then it's off to the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park with the Jeep to drive the trail among the "monuments."  We unload the kayaks and off we go!

Cowboy caddy....ready to roll

The Totems

The Elephans....see them?  It?  Well...maybe!

Sparky size monument

This 17 mile drive is awesome and we enjoy every turn in the road and every stop to figure out what we're looking at.

Graded road!

But wait!  There are shopping opportunites along the road!  We stop at two different "stores"...but this is my favorite.  Can't leave the tribal lands without helping out the economy!

Jerry Cly at his jewelery "store" 

Whoa!  What a bracelet!  

Little do we know, upon our return "home" we will see a familiar rig pulling into the campground.  It's Paul and Karen...friends from Coyote Beach!  Fellow Pinches!!  We are SO glad to see them.  I basically run down the road with open arms, shouting "Happy hour at 5!"

Happy Hour ....again!

It's a great reunion and we all tell and listen to the adventures since we last saw each other in February. Oh my!

Next to the reservation land is BLM land with a fabulous Jeep road among more...big, red rocks, Valley of the Gods.  Before we drive this loop we go up to Goosenecks State Park for a look down at the winding river, and then a drive up a WINDING road named Moki Dugway.  I'll just say, "We had NO idea!"  Oh, and, "Spectacular!"

Goosenecks State Park ....the view below...far, far below!

Not too near the edge now..

Pretty defined!

The Moki Dugway Road is described above!  And they aren't kidding.  We drive to the tippy top and back, grateful to only pass a few vehicles.  I do all the "looking over the edge" spectating...Steve does the driving, staying AWAY from the edge!

Layers of switchbacks!

Ship? Holland America?

Hen Resting???

Our time in this part of the desert southwest is almost over.  The RV keeps trying to point northwest...and here we are in Utah.  Waking to strong winds in the campground, we know it's time to move on, but not in 50mph winds, gusting to 70mph!  Maybe just one more dinner with Paul and Karen (find those Baja shrimp in the freezer) and one more movie night with John Wayne!

Monuments in the dust storm.....red "air" everywhere!

Moab, Utah, next stop!