Monument Valley questions
 

2 week road trip itinerary from Las Vegas to Denver has us stopping for one night at Monument Valley (coming from Lake Powell, heading to Durango after).<BR><BR>Looking for some opinions from anyone who has been there:<BR>1.) Stay at Gouldings for $172 OR one of the three lodgings in Kayenta for $109?<BR><BR>2.) Do the 17 mile drive through Monument Valley Tribal Park ourselves (rough dirt road? okay in a rental car?) OR pay approx. $120 ($30 time 4 people) for a Navajo guided jeep tour?<BR><BR>3.) If we opt for a jeep tour - choices would be Goulding's jeep tours, a pre-arranged tour from one of the outfits in Kayenta, or show up at the entrance and see who is hanging around offering tours (can you bargain with these people?)<BR><BR>Thanks in advance!

Most DEFINITELY stay at Gouldings! It is quite an experience. Be there in time for the sunset AND sunrise, which are magnificent from your balcony. The restaurant was very good, and the kids loved their indoor pool. Theres also a kitchy museum on the property with memorabilia from movies filmed in the valley. You can see the room where John Wayne slept, too! :) IMO, its worth every penny to stay there.<BR><BR>

PS: :) We did the Gouldings Tour and were pleased with it, although you can see lots of the Valley yourself by driving. It was also at the last minute; we didn't realize we'd be so overwhelmed by the beauty of the area so hadn't made prior arrangements. Since then, we've returned twice on our out-west adventures, not to stay but to at least 'feast' our eyes on the Valley once again.<BR><BR>ENJOY!!

Thanks, Ellen. There were a few older posts where others also recommended staying at Goulding's, but I still wasn't sure. Based on your enthusiastic response, I just called and made our reservations. Didn't want to procrastinate any longer in case they got booked full. The woman on the phone said we didn't need to reserve the jeep tour in advance, on arrival would be fine, so we can wait to decide on that. Thanks again!

Yes, Goolding's is wonderful, and don't miss their slide presentation if you're into native poetry. <BR><BR>I think only jeeps are allowed into the valley, so you don't have a &quot;drive yourself&quot; option. Want to warn you: it may get very dusty, even if the clear plastic covers will be down.

Hey, glad to help! This forum has been so helpful to us and its a joy to pass along our experiences! <BR><BR>BTW, take tons of film; some of our best photography including Christmas card pics :), are from Monument Valley. We also found Lake Powell as stunningly beautiful as Monument Valley, so get ready! In fact, Lake Powell, Monument Valley and Crater Lake are the three places that literally took my breath away! <BR><BR>Have a GREAT trip!!!

Another very strong endorsement for staying at Goulding's Lodge. Just make sure you get up before dawn, go out on your balcony (I believe all rooms have one), sit down with camera in hand and watch the sunrise over the monuments. A thrilling sight!

Ellen (or anyone else), where have you stayed at Lake Powell? We're spending two nights there, haven't decided on lodging yet. Think we'll skip the Wahweap Lodge, and the choices in Page all seem about the same to me.

Another enthusiastic review for Gouldings. Spectacular! Bring a bottle of wine if you (if you like that sort of thing) and just enjoy the romantic sunset. We had our regular sedan and had no problems with the roads. The views are great. Take your camera and get all the classic shots. Don't forget to patronize the Native American shops on the way in.

I did the 1.5 or so mile hike a few years ago and got some great pictures. It's not difficult at all. You do pass by some homes, but it's not nice to take pics unless you ask.<BR><BR>The only vehicles allowed into the canyon belong to the tribe. You can drive around the perimeter of the canyon, which is paved.<BR><BR>snarla

In regard to wine (because I do like that sort of thing), is it allowed at Gouldings? I thought i had read somewhere that it was illegal to have alcohol there because it is on tribal land. I can't remember what I read or where but it was something about alcohol and Monument Valley. Anyone out there who cn clarify this?<BR>Thanks.

Don't write off Wahweap Lodge it is right on the lake, and spend as much time as you can on Lake Powell it is the most beautiful place you can imagine. If you were there for longer I would definitely recommend a houseboat. If Wahweap Lodge doesn't appeal try the Marriott Courtyard in Page, it has big rooms and a nice pool. Monument Valley is stunning. Take loads of film and make sure you're there for sunset. Gouldings is on a Reservation so the only drinks you will be served are non alcoholic. I would recommend you skip the alcohol free wine and beer!

hotdogz,<BR><BR>You definitely want to stay at Gouldings - nice clean motel with great views. We drove through Kayenta and found it singularly unattractive, even depressing.<BR><BR>However, don't expect luxury at Gouldings. Also, the restaurant is TERRRIBLE and there's nothing else nearby (service is very friendly though). You go for the scenery, not the creature comforts. The restaurant doesn't sell alcohol (being on a Navajo reservation), but I think you can take your own into the reservation.<BR><BR>We took the afternoon Gouldings tour which was just great (and I usually dislike tours) - excellent guide and you get to see areas of the park which are not accessible to self-drivers. Since it was wintertime, we were able to enoy the AMAZING sunset at the end of the tour right in the park (found it much better than sunrise which I saw from the room balcony at Gouldings). I would recommend driving back out to the visitor center for the sunset if your tour is in the daytime.<BR><BR>All in all, our night at MV was fabulous, but expensive. I would not hesitate to repeat it if I went back to the area.<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR>Andre

bargain with &quot;these people&quot;??? hmmmm. who are &quot;these people&quot;? my day-long tour of m.v. was lead by an employee of gouldings. he was professional and knowledable and was a resident of that area. we had lunch in the shadow of one of the monuments far into the interior of the valley. beautiful western blue jays were in the trees waiting for our scraps.<BR><BR>loosen up the purse strings and be nice to those people. <BR><BR>

Seniormsuedu, just trying to figure out how things are run at MV. Something I read said you just show up at the entrance and that there will be tour guides (a.k.a. &quot;people&quot;) waiting for your business. Didn't mean any offense. I guess bargaining is in my blood. Some people (see, there I go again - we are all &quot;people&quot;!) pay full sticker price at a car dealer, too, but I do not. I am not an experienced traveller and do not know all the travel etiquette.

I agree it is worth staying at Gouldings, but only because of the view and the proximity to the entrance to MV. Otherwise it is similar to a chain style motel, all be it higher priced. I also did not find the staff to be overly friendly or the restaurant very good. You can definitely drive a rental car on the drive through the park, I noticed plenty of people doing it. But note that it is an extremely bumpy ride, and all rental agreements I have encountered mention that it is a violation of the contract to drive the car offroad. <BR><BR>At Lake Powell, I stayed at the Best Western at Lake Powell. There are two BWs right across the street from each other, and both are pretty comparable, although the BW at Lake Powell is newer. It is, again, a tyical chain type hotel, has a small unscenic pool. But I agree that you should reconsider the Wahweap. The scenery is great, you're right in the thick of the action, and the pools are great. Downtown Page, where the hotels are located, is extremely underwhelming. <BR><BR>P.S. Make sure when you are in Page you ask a local for directions to Horseshoe Bend, and watch the sunset from there.

I stayed at Wahweep lodge, and the most memorable was watching all the boats lighted at night, from the convenience of my balcony. And the sunrise over the lake. <BR><BR>Andre, what was so bad at Goulding's restaurant? I really enjoed the Navajo Taco, the portion was huge, and the quality was good, nice service. Makes me wonder what did you order?

Faina,<BR><BR>I had 3 meals there (lunch and dinner the 1st day and breakfast the next) and all were less than inspiring. I tasted the navajo taco (one of my travel companions had ordered it) and wasn't impressed. Don't remember what I all ordered, just that it wasn't good (do particularly remember the pathetic salad bar and the yucky soup at dinner though... <BR><BR>Anyway, I'm an absolute food snob so I was bound to be disappointed. That said, the place was clean and the service (all native american) was adorable. <BR><BR>Anyway, I don't need to travel halfway around the world for great food (live in Europe) - went to MV for the scenery and it more than lived up to my high expectations!<BR><BR>Andre

I'm with you Andre. Eating at Gouldings was like eating in my company cafeteria. Not bad - just not something I would seek out. Unfortunately you don't have any other choice in MV. Also, in general, I found the Navajo servers not overly friendly. No small talk and no smiles - but perfectly efficient. I found this among all the Navajo I encountered in the Navajo Nation.

This is the perfect of example of buying the 'sizzle' and not the 'steak' --- <BR><BR>Yes, the accomodations were moderate and maybe the food wasn't five-star quality.<BR><BR>But thats not what we were 'buying'. The difference here is the ambiance and atmosphere; being in the middle of Monument Valley National Park made the hotel seem like a Ritz to us, and the restaurant and food similar to The Plaza. It was the total EXPERIENCE that was a five-star, one that we will NEVER forget. Again, worth EVERY cent.<BR><BR>And BTW, we found the Navojo people to be delightfully warm, friendly and helpful, both at Gouldings and elsewhere!!! <BR><BR>In fact, this thread has inspired our return visit again this summer, on our 8th Western Adventure Vacation! Clark, Rusty, Audrey and I STILL treasure it as one of our FAVORITE destinations!<BR><BR>So hotdogz, thank YOU and enjoy your trip! You WON'T be disappointed!