USA Road Trip Part 3

13 June. We set off from Page around 7.30 am to beat the heat a bit, it was a long drive ahead. We drove past some photo opportunity sights like Mexican Hat, which Kirsty swore didn't look anything like a Mexican in a poncho and sombrero. Passed Ship Rock in the middle of the desert plain, and then we could see the beginnings of the red rock buttes of Monument Valley. We arrived at the Visitor Centre around 11am, it's in the Navajo Nation reservation lands so you pay an entry fee. Wandered around the Visitor Centre shop & marvelled at the prices being asked for some of the crafts. We had lunch in the restaurant which was interesting, the BBQ wings etc that Kirsty and Mark shared were very spicy, and my "traditional Navajo blue cornbread tacos" were more like blue nan breads with salad and refried beans, sour cream and guacamole on top. very stodgy. We took the circuit off road drive round the main buttes of Monument Valley, Kirsty laughing at the names of some of them & deciding that you'd have to be in the desert a long time to see the shapes they claim to look like. The dust was immense as we drove round the sand/dirt road and it was VERY bumpy and full of pot holes. Saw the iconic views and some wildlife (I'll list what we've seen up to now at the end of this). It took about 2 hours to get round the whole circuit. We went on to Four Corners - still in Navajo country - and the only place in the US where four states meet at right angles on one point. There's a circle of stall type buildings and a big metal marker you can stand on for photos. The stalls are full of Navajo "traditional" jewellery (Hello Kitty and Harley Davidson being some of the designs!) and baskets, pottery, dreamcatchers etc. Seemed a bit random to hear Bon Jovi blasting out of a radio at one of the stalls! The concept of Four Corners is great but its a bit of a let down & not much there. The only loos were long drop pit toilets in very smelly portaloo cabin. Another three hours on the road, and we finally arrived in Durango Colorado just after 6pm. Had dinner in the diner alongside the motel and then collapsed into bed, Mark very tired. Tomorrow we're on the Durango Silverton Railroad :) ................... Wildlife seen to date. Hammond's flycatcher. Western whiptail lizard Western fence lizard turkey vulture Raven wide tail grackle crow titmouse round tailed ground squirrel white eared hummingbird broad billed hummingbird elk mule deer Arizona woodpecker pinon jay Western Scrub jay purple martin swallow jack rabbit blue dragonfly chipmunk harris antelope squirrel coyote bat (Brazilian free tailed) house sparrow two tailed swallowtail butterfly blacke admiral (?) yellow crowned night heron eagle rock wren canyon wren cactus wren prairie dog painted lady butterfly house finch blue butterfly phaenopepla