MONUMENT VALLEY

TUESDAY, 24th MAY.

Our first stop this morning was at the 13 mile marker on Highway 163 in Arizona, which our Blanding motel owner had told us was where Tom Hanks was filmed running in the movie "Forrest Gump".  It was a popular spot and just as well there was little traffic at that time as people tried to recreate the scene, posing for photos in the middle of the road. 
Once in the valley, we first visited the Trading Post, built in the 1920s by Harry Goulding and his wife Leone (known as "Mike") and now now a museum exhibiting Anasazi Indian artifacts, historical photos, motion picture memorabilia and the Goulding's living quarters.  John Wayne's cabin, an original set from the film "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" is situated behind the museum.  The tradition of film making continues to this day, Monument Valley is still used as a location for movies, television shows, commercials and magazine shoots. 
However, as interesting as it all was, it was not why we came and after our wander through the past, we drove along the valley drive, 17 miles of unpaved dirt road which took us about two hours.  There are tours available but we took the self drive option and of course, the usual squillion photos. 
After leaving Monument Valley, we drove back into Utah and stopped in Mexican Hat at the Olde Bridge Bar & Grille by the San Juan River, for coffee and apple pie before continuing on to Colorado through ever changing scenery, not a red rock in sight!  We are now in Cortez for two nights and a little r and r.