Hiking

Monument Valley in 48 hours

shaunaaguirre — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 18:41:49 +0000

Our 48 Hour adventure in Monument valley. It’s iconic landscape of sandstone towers, buttes, mesas and dunes provide a view that is unparalleled. You could easily just spend a few hours here and see the landmark sites but there is so much to do and see here that you should spend at least 48 hours in Monument Valley. History of Monument Valley Diné – The People This land is the land of the Diné. They believe that their people journeyed through three worlds in various forms before emerging from Mother Earth into this word, the Sparkling World. Anthropologists hypothesize that the Diné Split off from the Southern Athabaskan and began migrating into the Southwest around 200AD. They developed a rich and complex culture that still survives today. For more info on the Navajo Nation and Dine people visit www.navajopeople.com Modern History Prior to the 1920´s this valley was virtually unknown except by the Native Americans who migrated thru here. In the early 1920´s Harry and Leone Goulding bought a substantial piece of land near the monuments and set up a camp ground & trading post. During the Great Depression which hit this tribal community hard, the Gouldings, looking for a way to help bolster the local economy reached out to director John Ford to pitch the idea of making movies in The Valley. The idea stuck and production came quickly. Over the years, this valley has become the backdrop for dozens of movies. For more of this history visit www.Goulding’s.com Room with a view We stayed at The View which has a hotel, cabins and camping/Rv (dry) hook ups. The first night we stayed at the hotel. Every guest room has a balcony facing The Valley. The top floor has a recessed roof for star gazing. At night they project some of the old movies that were made in the area on the side of the restaurant with seating on the terrace. Sitting amongst the monuments and watching them on the huge screen simultaneously was a unique experience. We stumbled upon it and thought it was pretty cool (BYOB.) The second night we stayed in a cabin, and the view from there was even better. These cabins are small but have everything you need. We loved the feeling of seclusion they had and loved experiencing both places in our 48 hours in Monument Valley. Best ways to experience the Valley We have never been much for organized or guided tours but in the case of this site it is a necessity. Monument Valley is within the Navajo Nations Reservation so any exploration of the geological, historical and cultural landmarks must be done with a Navajo guide. Rest assured this experience is going to blow away your expectations and be far more fulfilling on so many levels, than you could have ever imagined. These tours made sure we got the most out of our 48 hours in Monument Valley. Explore the Valley floor by Horseback Our first morning there we took a 2 hour guided horse ride with “Sacred Monument Tours. Our guide Lauren was born, raised and lives in The Valley. He left for a few years to attend college and learn a trade and then returned. This is his home. The Diné guides have an intimate relationship with this land. They were very generous in sharing all of their stories with us. He told us that his Auntie lives under the 3 sisters butte and many of his relatives live within and under the buttes and mesas. He took the time to stop at picturesque locations to take our photos! They have riding tours for all experience levels and are a short walk from The View. Check them out at www.sacredmonumenttours.com Driving Tour In the evening we did a 3 hour sunset tour. We had driven the 17 mile loop the day before to check it out but doing it with a guide was a completely different experience. Our guíde Sharon took us to sites like the Sun’s Eye arch and ancient petroglyphs (rock art), the Ear of the Wind arch, the famous Totem Pole and Yei bi chei rock formations, John Fords Point and many more. We visited a traditional Navajo Hogan. A Diné woman demonstrated how they make yarn out of the sheep wool and told us beautiful stories about their culture. After talking to her more we discovered she was Loreńs (our horse ride guide) Auntie. She was so excited when we told her we had ridden with him in the morning. The tour wrapped with precise timing at a lookout spot just as the sun was setting. https://www.monumentvalleytribaltours.com A couple things to bring: Insider tips: Check out our other blogs on Arizona, New Mexico and more at https://48houradventures.com/category/arizona-southwest/

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Borrego Springs, Ca ~ Desert Wild flowers, camping & hiking

shaunaaguirre — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 07:00:00 +0000

Borrego Springs, Ca is one of our favorite places to go for a day trip or a couple of nights. This desert town is a 2 hour drive from San Diego, Los Angeles and Palm Springs. It’s easy to get there and worth the journey. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California. Five hundred miles of dirt roads, twelve wilderness areas, and miles of hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the California desert. The park is named after Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish name borrego or bighorn sheep. Everything from outback camping and off road trails to 4 star resorts, with luscious swimming pools, it’s all here! Our favorite places to stay in Borrego Springs There are some great hotels here. Depending on your budget, they range from motels to 4 star accommodations. Some of our favorites are: Palm Canyon hotel and RV Resort which has the feeling of an old western town. If you aren’t planning on being in the room much, it’s perfect, casual and has a cute bar/restaurant. The Borrego Valley Inn is lovely and each room has a patio/courtyard. This hotel is adults only so, very serene and picturesque. Our all-time favorite though is La Casa del Zorro. The accommodations here range from 1-3 bedroom casitas, many with their own pool to beautifully appointed deluxe suites with fireplaces. The restaurant and bar offer breakfast, lunch and dinner and sometimes live music. If camping is your vibe, Palm Canyon Campground has tent and RV camping. There is drinkable water, restrooms and coin operated showers. It sits at the entrance to Palm Canyon and the trailhead for one of our favorite hikes. This hike is 4 miles r/t and is easy for all ages. If you’re not into the campground scene, you can camp anywhere in the park. The best Wild flower viewing areas The peak season in Borrego early February thru late April when the desert wildflowers bloom. This is one of our favorite annual trips. The best flower viewing is usually in Henderson Canyon but it varies year to year and a quick stop at the visitors center in town will get you to the best bloom areas. Our favorite places to visit in Borrego Springs Some of our favorite places to go in Borrego Springs are Font’s Point, Slot Canyon, Coyote Canyon and the Pumpkin Patch, but you’ll need 4wd to get to them. If you don’t have 4wd, check out Palm Canyon, Henderson Canyon and all of the metal statues on DiGorgio road. As you drive around Borrego, you can’t miss the giant metal sculptures by artist Ricardo Breceda that are everywhere and have become a tourist destination on their own. We hope you get a chance to visit this special town.

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Sedona, Az ~ Fishing, meditation & hiking in Sedona

shaunaaguirre — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 07:00:00 +0000

After the whirlwind of the holidays, working, entertaining and enjoying this time, we decided on an impromptu road trip. One of our all-time favorite road trips is Sedona and so we decided to go there and then to the Grand Canyon! We were ready to do some hiking in Sedona! The abundance of outdoor activities and hiking in Sedona make it the perfect place to visit if you’re on a budget. I really love this place so I was thrilled to show it to Bryan for the first time. We had a bunch of back-to-back storms in late December and it snowed the night before. When we dropped into the Sedona valley and saw the palisades and red rock formations covered in snow, we were truly blown away. Even though I’d been here many times I had never seen it like this. The stark contrast of the white snow on the red soil was spectacular, creating a dramatic view. If you are going here with someone who has never been, make sure they are in the passenger seat as you arrive. There’s nothing quite like making the turn on the last bend and seeing the Red Rocks for the first time. We arrived a little before sunset and we were able to spend some time driving around. We checked into our hotel, the Hilton at Bell Rock and it was freezing outside. Fortunately, just adjacent to the bar, there were several outdoor fire places with comfy sitting areas and the fireplaces in the rooms make it super cozy. Dinner at The Cowboy Club is a must! By now, we were starving so we headed out to the Cowboy Club, formerly “Oak Creek Tavern.” Opened in 1946, this restaurant was a regular stomping ground for many of the Hollywood celebrities that shot western movies in and around Sedona in the 50’s and 60’s. The steaks are epic, the bar is super cool and really nostalgic. The restaurant is directly in the middle of town so there’s lots to see. We walked around and checked out some of the art galleries and souvenir shops in the village. We stopped in at Pink Jeep tours to get some off trail info. Due to the fact that we have a 4wd, we didn’t book a tour with them. However, if you are in Sedona and want to get into the off road areas, they have a lot of great tours to offer. The longhorns that hang above the bar are the second largest in history. Ask the bartender or server to tell you about how they came to be the focal point of this bar! Hiking Sedona Early the next morning we set for some Sedona hiking. Due to the fact that it is fairly easy and a great warm up, we chose the Little Horse trail. This trailhead was a short drive up US 179 and is a 4.3 mile round trip hike. The trail wraps up into the canyon has a plateau with spectacular views of the whole valley. The perspectives of Bell Rock & Cathedral Rock are stunning and it leads to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a landmark built into the side of the red rocks. As you will discover in Sedona, there are always several places to leave the trail that offer breathtaking views and almost complete silence. These places make for a perfect place for a morning meditation If you’re going to do a lot of hiking in Sedona, you’ll certainly want to buy the parking pass. It allows you to park at any of the trailheads. If you are only hiking one trail, you can pay at the trailhead. We highly recommend a stop at the Ranger Station where you can pick up maps and get all the park info you need. In addition, be sure to take plenty of water & sunscreen. Finding the right trails Due to the presence of snow, we weren’t sure which would be the best trails to hike so we headed over to Sedona Zen Trail to get some expert advice. The staff here is always super-helpful. We left with lots of maps to hike the front of Cathedral Rock. The bonus of this hike is that it is easy to access and has a substantial parking lot. A short climb provided some spectacular views of the valley. The face of the rock had some snow and ice on it which made it a little tricky but there were plenty of families and non-hikers on the trail indicating it wasn’t too difficult.. If you are hiking this area in the summer, regular hiking boots are fine. In the winter, be prepared for snow and ice. An memorable brief encounter After hiking the rock, we headed off-trail into an adjoining meadow. While I was exploring, I came across a man in his 80’s cross country hiking. I said “Hi” and he obviously didn’t hear me so to get his attention, I waved and it startled him. He stopped and I asked him which way I should go to get back to the trail. He described the washes and arroyos so I knew which way to go. Then, unexpecdetly he said “I hike here daily and I have never seen another person out here.” I said “wow, really?” and we had a nice chuckle about it. It was a brief encounter but a memory that will last forever. Our top 5 favorite places for hiking in Sedona: Bell Rock Vortex hike: There are numerous trails on and around Bell rock. Starting up the Bell Rock pathway you can blaze whichever way you want. Our favorite is to head up the face of the rock. Once you get up to the second or third plateau, the view is great. This hike can be a long or short as you want and the degree of difficulty ranges from easy to hard, your choice. Cathedral Rock : Moderate climb, 1.4. miles R/T 645ft elevation gain. Great Sunset hike. Little Horse Trail: Easy trail with stunning views of the valley, 4.3 miles R/T, well worn trail with minimal climbing. Boynton Canyon Trail: Moderate hike, 6 miles R/T, great vista views of Sedona. Fay Canyon Trail: Moderate, 2.4 miles R/T, waterfalls, natural rock arch, caves. One of the restaurants we visit every time we are in Sedona is Dahl & DiLucas Ristorante Italiano. The food is always amazing. Their choices of pastas, salads, grilled meats and seafoods will make this one of your favorite meals ever. The Caprese d’amore salad and the Pollo piccata are two of our favorite dishes! Our top 5 favorite restaurants in Sedona: Dahl & DiLucas Ristorante Italiano – Dinner – Traditional Italian Cowboy Club – Steakhouse – Lunch & Dinner Los Betos – Mexican drive thru – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner – best breakfast burrito in town. Cafe Jose Restaurant – Southwest Mexican – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Casa Sedona Restaurant – Breakfast only, reservations required On the way back to our hotel, we acted on a whim and drove out the road to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Turned out to be a great call, it was lit up! It was hauntingly beautiful and because there is zero light pollution here, it is stunning! Slide Rock When we were kids we lived in Phoenix and so my Mom would take us up to Slide Rock in the summer. Back then, we would fish and play in the water and picnic. In those days, for the most part, the crowd was mostly locals. I went back a couple years ago with a friend and her kids in the middle of summer. There were so many people that you could barely walk without stepping on people’s towels. I could hardly contain my excitement to be going there with Bryan. I needed some sage and fortunately there are a lot of gem stores in the village making it easy to find. When we arrived at the parking lot we were happily surprised to find it was virtually empty! After a quick stop at the Ranger’s booth and chat with the Ranger, we were off to the creek for some fishing and meditating. We were the only people there… Bryan broke out his fishing pole and walked up and down the creek fishing. I took some private time to meditate and burn some sage and light some Palo Santo. We stayed for a couple hours, exploring the trail along the bank up and down the creek. This quickly became one of my favorite travel moments ever! After hiking Sedona and checking out of our room, we went to my go-to place Los Betos drive thru. They have the best breakfast burritos in town or anywhere ! Leaving Sedona is always very emotional for me and I always immediately begin looking forward to my next visit. On this day, I was eating a green chile breakfast burrito, listening to Natalie Merchant sing one of my favorite songs, “Thank you” and feeling so blessed. Goodbye for now Sedona, can’t wait to see you again!

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