Monument Valley
The USA is absolutely HUGE - I'm from Italy which doesn’t even come close size-wise. We had to see as much as we could in the three months we were there, so we rented a car in Miami and drove to San Francisco.
We travelled through New Orleans, Mesa Verde, and Santa Fe before finally reaching Monument Valley in Colorado. I have to admit, It was a long trip. The journey up to this point was very nice but exhausting and the fatigue and stress of the many nights spent in cars were taking their toll on our level of excitement.
The tourist facilities are really limited around Monument Valley. Arriving at the last minute in high season can mean being left without a bed - especially if you are a traveller on a budget like we were. Unable to get any affordable accomodations, we decided to spend yet another night in the car, close to the park entrance. I’ve never felt so cold in my life. During the day temperatures were quite high, despite being January. Then at night, the temp drops suddenly. Heavy coats and blankets were not enough to keep us warm. We spent the night waking up every 10 minutes to turn the car back on to keep the heat running.
In the morning, needless to say, we were not in great shape. But being awake at six am, near the park, allowed us to get in first and enjoy the landscape almost entirely alone. You can choose guided tours, or visit the valley with your own car.
Our rental sedan was not exactly a desert off-road vehicle, but the path that took us inside the valley was rather beaten. Meter by meter we approached the huge rock clusters that rise from the red earth - stone giants staring at you from above, around the boundless desert with a scorching sun overhead. The landscape is really impressive. You feel so little and insignificant in front of that vastness of rough and unfriendly land.
We began to take pictures, looking for more unusual corners - meanwhile, a curious lonely horse decided to take a look inside our car through the open window!
The valley is so big and full of interesting places that, without realizing it, it was already time to get back on the road. We needed to get to the Grand Canyon and visit it before heading to Las Vegas. We had already found a place to couch surf there, so no more sleeping in the cold :)
