Dodging the Tourists – Not The Painter

May 8, 2026 — Day 45

Valley of the Gods BLM, Mexican Hat, UT — Monument Valley KOA, Monument Valley UT.

We had been up late but somehow Paul woke early enough to see the sunrise. He wasn’t going to wake Susan up unless it was worth it. He sat in the front passenger seat watching the sky glow increase. When color hit the Seven Sailors he knew she wouldn’t want to miss it. So we went outside watched. Paul photographed the sunrise.

Then, what’s next? We couldn’t head down to Monument Valley to check in, check in time are usually between 1 and 3pm. Driving the Valley of the Gods scenic road had been on our list. We were here so why not head out and do it?

The eastern part did not disappoint. This is one of the few images that convey just how vast this place is. Look carefully and you’ll see 2 bicyclists on the left side of the road. Just above them is a huge RV that was probably a mile down the road.

The above photo is at the northern limit of the scenic drive. The western half was, well, disappointing. It was also very sparse on campsites. Worse, much of it was impassable for Clifford. It was just dumb luck that the east entrance was closer to us last night or we’d have given up on such a great place.

Susan was feeling pretty fatigued, and that made sense. We just had 2 sunrises along with a night sky session. We were sleep deprived at this point.

On the way back we stopped by Goosenecks State Park. That is on our list to stay after Monument Valley. You boondock right on the rim of the canyon. How scenic and exciting! Test your nerve and see how close to the rim can park!