Photos: Monument Valley and The View Hotel

Even though there are currently two inches of snow sitting on my balcony and I’ve had to clean off the boat multiple times, I’m in an extremely good mood.

I was disappointed yesterday by my late arrival in Flagstaff, but today more than made up for it. Not only did I get to hike Monument Valley and take in the incredible views, I also got to finish said hike in a snowstorm.

While being caught in bad weather doesn’t usually do it for me, there’s something to be said for the sense of peace and quiet that comes over an area as a snowstorm approaches. A light dusting began to fall and I walked through the valley, watching the red clay slowly turn white, the green of the snakegrass beginning to stand out (then it got a little more intense and I had to retreat to the hotel).

I’m staying at The View (which lives up to its name). My balcony faces the valley and the monuments – it’s a spectacular thing to see. I unfortunately only got to experience it for a short time – the fog has pretty much taken care of that now.

That’s all right – I can see and appreciate the potential, the beauty behind the design. It’s a comfortable place with lots of good photography (of Monument Valley) and a nice lobby fireplace.

Here are some photos. Can you see the face in the first one?