ProCaliberTraveler
Well-Known Member
Riding through Monument Valley on a motorcycle made me feel like I was in a dream. We stopped at the parking lot of The View hotel for some glamor shots of ourselves on the bikes with the Mittens in the background. Later, we made a stop at Forest Gump Hill, an area I hadn't seen before.
Of course, lots of other tourists were doing the same thing we were there to do, except some of them chose to lie down or sit in the middle of the highway for some reason. After I parked the bike in the pullout, one lady approached me and suggested (as an idea for a picture), "You should park your car in the middle of the road."
I rejected this idea.
We continued north through Mexican Hat and seemed to leave all tourism traffic behind. The landscape, to my surprise, became even more...Martian?...north of Monument Valley. I'd stay in Mexican Hat for a week to explore the area, which would include a stop at the Mexican Hat formation which we could see from the road with this bizarre reddish-orange tilted mountain in the background:
We turned onto the road leading towards Goosenecks State Park. I remember the roads were deliciously smooth and curvy, and we all briefly considered riding towards Natural Bridges National Monument. We decided against a visit there because we still had plenty of distance to cover until our next overnight stop in Moab.
The visit to Goosenecks was a short but enjoyable one. I thought it was like a poor-man's version of the Grand Canyon, minus the dense crowds. I like how you can see the tips of the buttes and mesas of Monument Valley, and I liked the campground/RV spots right on the rim above the San Juan River. I had never heard of this place before joining Focalworld, so I must thank you all for the inspiration.
The rest of the ride to Moab was downright pleasant and relaxing, but I regret not stopping to take photos of Valley of the Gods from the highway.
Of course, lots of other tourists were doing the same thing we were there to do, except some of them chose to lie down or sit in the middle of the highway for some reason. After I parked the bike in the pullout, one lady approached me and suggested (as an idea for a picture), "You should park your car in the middle of the road."
I rejected this idea.
We continued north through Mexican Hat and seemed to leave all tourism traffic behind. The landscape, to my surprise, became even more...Martian?...north of Monument Valley. I'd stay in Mexican Hat for a week to explore the area, which would include a stop at the Mexican Hat formation which we could see from the road with this bizarre reddish-orange tilted mountain in the background:
We turned onto the road leading towards Goosenecks State Park. I remember the roads were deliciously smooth and curvy, and we all briefly considered riding towards Natural Bridges National Monument. We decided against a visit there because we still had plenty of distance to cover until our next overnight stop in Moab.
The visit to Goosenecks was a short but enjoyable one. I thought it was like a poor-man's version of the Grand Canyon, minus the dense crowds. I like how you can see the tips of the buttes and mesas of Monument Valley, and I liked the campground/RV spots right on the rim above the San Juan River. I had never heard of this place before joining Focalworld, so I must thank you all for the inspiration.
The rest of the ride to Moab was downright pleasant and relaxing, but I regret not stopping to take photos of Valley of the Gods from the highway.
