Today was one of the best "back to nature" days of our trip. We ventured into the Monument Valley not knowing what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised that there is a lodge, restaurant, gift shop, restrooms and tour guides in abundance. The View lodge reminded us of the accommodations in Yosemite; that is, you need to reserve a room/cottage at least a year in advance. The Navajo people are so kind and gentle and easy going. We got some breakfast at the restaurant (super good) and then after perusing the gift shop for hat pins and t-shirts, we met up with our guide, Sam, or Uncle Sam (the good one) as his co-workers called him! He was just awesome. He took us on a great tour of the valley and a genuine hogan with a Navajo woman inside who showed us how she turned fur into thread and wove blankets. Incredible. This is an art and if you need a blanket on a cold night, you could learn this in a heartbeat. We were shown "John Ford" valley, where he shot most of his westerns. Sam told us that when a movie producer wants to film there, they have to shut down all the tourist rides and even the locals cannot go into the area, so it has to be pretty expensive. These guys are true capitalists. There is nothing free, nor should it be. We are on their homelands and we should respect it. We were so impressed with Sam. He told me that he was born and raised on this land; he has 6 kids and 3 grandkids and they are all self sufficient. You know Nixchix aren't afraid to ask questions! We noticed that there were little piles of rocks here and there along the valley road and asked Sam about them. I thought they might have been something that the locals put up, but no, he said the Italians and French make them and he didn't know what they meant. Speaking of the Italians and French, they were out in force, and lots of Germans, and Scandinavian people, too. They are all so self-centered! As we were taking photos of the beauty and natural phenomenon, they were striking poses and making like they owned the place. Curious. Also, there were about 12 Navajo GIs who were Code Talkers during WWII and the Japanese never could crack it. Sam told us that on one of his tours there was a man from Japan who told him that he had cracked the code. Well, Sam said he offer up two Navajo words for the Japanese guy to translate. He got the first one, but not the second!! It was a moral victory for Sam, as the Japanese guy didn't give him a tip!!! It is so amazing and wonderful and beautiful. It was an experience that we will never forget. After that wonderful adventure, we wanted to get to the Four Corners before we headed into Farmington, NM and our HI Express room! The Four Corners is not like it used to be. There are vendors, craftsmen, cafes and all sort of commercial enterprises going on. We did get to stand on the Four Corners and got some pictures, but it did not have the spiritual feel that I had expected. No matter, we went there, we saw that, and we moved on. Tomorrow we go to Albuquerque to see the tag end of the Hot Air Balloon races. We will then race home on I-40, then I-10 and hope to be home by Monday or Tuesday. I have officially gotten home sick! I will post tomorrow evening but may be over and out until we get home. Roll Tide and go Falcons!! There is Sam sitting watching his cousin make yarn. He was such a great guide. Patient and kind and eager to please. The drawings were made by Sam's ancestors, circa 1200 or 1300 AD. Such awesomeness is hard to put into words. More beauty and a shot of The View from the valley. So cool, such a great place to visit. Four Corners.