BEST OF THE SOUTHWEST – Navajo and Mounument Valley

Best of the Southwest 9 comments

 

Friday May 22 – NAVAJO NATIONAL MONUMENT

Weather – High – 70, Low – 47; Chance of Rain – 10%
Breakfast – Glen Canyon Steak House in Pag
Lunch – Pick up snacks and liquor @ Safeway in Page (Best in the Southwest!)Page Safeway
Dinner – Blue Coffee Pot in Kayenta (Navajo Taco!)
Drive SH 98 to the junction of SH 160. (65 miles)
Turn left on SH 160 toward Kayenta until the turnoff to Navajo National Monument (25 miles), and take SH 564. (9 miles)
 

Highlights – Drive across Navajoland
Kaibito – Take a quick drive down the main drag through a real Navajo town on The Rez. (Be respectful and don’t start snapping pictures of people unless you ask permission first!)
                            

Black Mesa Coal Mine– Across the highway from the turnoff to Navajo National Monument is an interesting detour if you have the time.  Turn right by the sign to Black Mesa and drive to the top of the mountain (1 mile) and you can see the coal slurry line that services the two biggest coal mines in the world and the Navajo generating station back in Page.

Tsegi Canyon Overlookalong the park entrance road on the right

Navajo National Monument

Hikes – Take the paved Sandal Trail to Betatakin Ruin Overlook with some steep sections. (1 mile)

Aspen Trail – Paved trail off the Sandal Trail to the bottom of Betatakin Canyon with some steep sections. (0.8 miles RT)

* If you want to hike inside Betatakin Ruin you must take a ranger-guided tour that leaves only once a day at 9 AM from the Visitor Center. *
H 160 to Kayenta (20 miles), and take SH 163 to Monument Valley. (25 miles)
 

 

                                              Gouldings Trading Post
                                                King Room
                                                    $165
 
Sat May 23 – LAKE POWELLNATIONAL RECREATION AREA
Weather – High – 80, Low – 55; Chance of Rain – 10%
Breakfast – Goulding’s Trading Post

Lunch – Rivers End Café in Page

 
Dinner – Lake Powell Resort – Rainbow Room (make reservations)

 

Drive back to Page the way you came. (125 mile) 

Highlights – Goulding’s Trading Post and Museum (Best place to buy Native American jewelry and gifts, and they provide shipping)
 
* The Navajo Tribe offers open-air wagon tours of the major monuments from the nearby Tribal Park, but you can also catch the same tour from Goulding’s and avoid the congestion at the entrance to the Park. *
 
Swimming – The Coves or the pool(s) at the Lake Powell Resort with spectacular views of sacred Navajo Mountain.

Rainbow Bridge Boat Trip (purchase tickets in the resort lobby.

Antelope Canyon – This is one of the iconic locations in the Southwest, and a trip into Antelope Canyon is a bucket list must see.  Upper Anteolpe Canyon is known as Tse’bighanilini, or “the place where water runs through rocks”, and Lower Antelope Canyon is Hasdestwazi, or “spiral rock arches”.  The upper section is an easy walk, but the lower section is more difficult.  The canyon is located on the Navajo Reservation and requires a Navajo guide.  Jeep tours can be arranged at multiple locations along the main drag in Page.

Page Airport – Page is one of the few places that has a small regional airport where you can make connections to Pheonix and L.A.  They also provide rental car services.

                                                     Lake Powell Resort

                                                 2 Queens
                                                           $230

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