Road tripping USA 2023

What an amazing way to wake up, sit up in bed, look out our door which looks out onto the Valley and there it is, in all its glory, the red desert covered in a fresh blanket of crisp white snow.

You can tell Dave and I are the crazy Aussies who never see snow as I was out on our balcony in just undies and singlet in -3 degrees taking photos and videos. Lucky no one can see onto our deck 😂

Then we went out into the corridor and just stared out at the falling snow. I had got dressed by this time. I felt the urge just to go out and walk around in the snow so that is what I did. After about 15 mins I went back up into the corridor and just looked out. An older couple came passed and said ‘I bet you are happy to be looking out at the snow falling and not in it’. I said to them that I was a crazy Aussie who never sees snow so I was actually out in it enjoying every minute of it! We spoke for a while about where we were from (as their brother-in-law is originally from Queensland), about where we had been and where we were going. They were from Southern California.

After breakfast we set off into the valley to the Valley Loop Drive which takes you around all the buttes, mittens and monuments in the valley. A truly magnificent drive and one we feel blessed to have been able to do. The views just go on for miles.

The drive took about 2 hours and by the time we had finished, it was time for lunch. Back to the room for some ham and cheese sandwiches.

We weren’t going to do anything for the afternoon but as it was only 1pm I said to Dave, get ready we are going to Forrest Gump Hill and then onto Four Corners Monument. Four Corners Monument is where the Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado borders meet.

First stop was Forrest Gump Hill for photos and selfies. There was quite a few people there doing the same thing. Oh my was it cold and windy. We couldn’t feel our faces or hands when we got back into the car.

Onwards towards Four Corners Monument which took us through Mexican Hat, a small Indian reservation as well as Teec Nos Pos and Red Butte.

After driving for 1.5 hours we had made it into New Mexico and could see the Four Corners Monument in the distance. Got to the turn off to go in and it was bloody shut! I checked all the websites this morning to see if it was open and it said it was but no it was closed. I rang just to make sure but all they said was ‘yes we are closed for the whole day’.

We came a different way back to the hotel which took us through Kayenta where we stopped for dinner, fuel and some milk before making our way back to the hotel.

Although the monument was shut, we had a truly amazing afternoon out adventuring and saw some spectacular countryside.Les mer