June 10 2025 Day 5

June 10, 2025 – Monument Valley Utah – Day 5

 

I should’ve started this story while in the restaurant at the lodge, but it was already late and I just wanted to eat since I have to get back to my campsite a ½ mile up the road and there is no place that serves alcohol that I guess it’ll be an early night, and one of camping on top of that. I did have plans on spending more than one night in Monument Valley, but when I found out there was no alcohol around, I figured one night will be enough for me. 

 

The weather was perfect when I woke up in Durango and I only have over 3 hours in front of me that I have all day to make the trip and don’t have to rush myself. I did take my time getting ready since checkout was 11:00 and the room was fine for the night even with the problem of having to walk 40 minutes to get back to where I started the night. My first stop was the Durango Harley Davidson as a revisit from the last time I was in Durango, and I don’t think anything has changed, but it’s a great place for a stop and I spent some good time talking with the ladies and even made a purchase. I could use another bungee cord to attach my jacket to the bike because it’s getting warm not that I think I can probably ride without it for a while. 

 

That didn’t last long cuz about 5 miles up the road I was already getting chilly and had to realize I was still in the mountains so it’s not going to be that warm yet. I did pull over where I could and put the leather jacket back on and was on my way to Four Corners first before heading to Monument Valley. 

 

Four corners haven’t changed since the last time I was there, and the only problem was their parking lot isn’t built very well for bikes. My concern was getting situated so I could just ride out, but it didn’t turn out that way. My front time in a rut and more rocks than gravel in front of me that I might need help getting out of here. I made my way to the main experience and took my photos of all 4 states at once; do you know which ones? Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. I did have to get a Navajo flat bread with honey on it, and it was wonderful. I took my good old time since I was thinking about what my Monument Valley situation might be, and was able to get my bike out, both without help and without dumping it. One thing I did thing about for the 4 corners area is how cool it would be if they had a nice little road around it so people like me could make a short loop around the complex and be able to say I did all 4 states in a matter of minutes on my motorcycle. I guess because it’s part of the Indian tribe with no national support, that ain’t going to ever happen.

 

I did get to Monument Valley and the Navajo Tribal Park and the View Lodge where I did check room prices and for $200, I think I might just stick to camping for the night. I did ask about taking the tour around the 17-mile loop that doesn’t allow motorcycles, and they directed me to the parking lot where there was a small building doing all of the tours. I made my way down and they said the last shuttles would leave around 5 which would be in about another half hour, and they are a 2 ½ hour trip that I asked if there was anything shorter that I could get since I still have to get a campsite to worry about. One of the old timers standing bye offered to take me on about and hour and a half trip that I said that, sounds like a deal. It was $95, but to do the loop in shorter time, I’m in. We were getting ready to leave when another couple decided to join us. Pat and his wife Terry decided on a shorter trip that they were going to ride along. 

 

I’m sure glad I did the loop cuz the guy driving had lived there all his life and was now the grandpa and elder of his clan. He did try to explain that clans and apparently, they go by the women in the tribe and not the men. He had some great stories to tell from his grandma about what his great grandmother had to deal with back in the 80s’. Apparently, it was the Calvary, but another tribe in the area that they didn’t get along with. His tribe as the Dante and not the Navajo which the area is named. Pat, Terry and I were also visiting so I found out they own a Hardware store in Connecticut and it was great visiting with them. 

 

Our guide did make a number of stops for us to get out and take pictures and now I know why they don’t allow motorcycles on the trails. They don’t even let 4 wheelers to the park and absolutely no drones. The road was horrible and is not for others to try and drive, depending on what kind of vehicle you have. There were some cars, but I don’t think I’d take any of my vehicles on the road, not even my Avalanche cuz I’d like it to last a bit longer. He pointed out all the rock formations to take pictures of and I probably have more than one of each. We did breakdown halfway thru the trip so had to wait for his wife to show up with backup and I thought this quick trip was going to turn out to be a lot longer than expected, but she was there in no time. He left his wife whit the broken-down truck and we had air conditioning for the rest of the trip.

 

Once done, our tour guide did tell me there was a better campground than the Views about 3 miles past the intersection that I came in on, that I headed that way. A lot of spots were full, especially the RV spots, but they had a couple of cheap ones close to the office that I went to scope it out and found one with good parking. I went back to the office and reserved my spot and for as late as it was getting decided to setup the tent and get the sleeping bag filled with air, that my next choice was dinner. I made my way to the Goulding’s lodge and had a local Navajo taco. When I saw how big the guy’s next to me was, I did ask if they had a smaller version cuz there was no way I was eating all of that and she was great to oblige. Just what I was looking for, a local food that I could eat. 

 

Back to the campsite and tonight was a full moon night that I sat on the deck of one of the lodges just to watch the moon come up over the monument overlooking the campsite. What a wonderful experience and I know the picture that I tried to take won’t do it justice. I guess it’ll be an early night and probably not a problem since it’ll be my first night camping that let’s see how it goes. 

 

Time to close shop that I’ll have to finish on that later. 

 

Now to finish the story since it’s a few days later, the camping wasn’t bad at all. Even without any alcohol in me I was falling to sleep and sleeping well and didn’t have to get up often to take a piss. This year I tried peeing in a bottle instead of getting out of the tent and it’s not that easy. First of all, I definitely need a bottle with an even bigger opening and second is just letting your brain get over that go ahead, just make sure you put it in the bottle where it belongs. I did happen to see a guy who did a YouTube video on it, but he had some plastic bag thing with a really large opening. My first night of camping behind me and if I have to do it again, I should be ok.