Many consider sunrise the best time to take one of these tours, but sunset can be equally impressive as can a night with a full moon. Time of Day Tour: Because light can change the color of the rock formations dramatically, several tours revolve around the time of the day.As the sun begins to set, the tour continues with a Navajo dinner, usually puffy fry bread topped with meat and beans, followed by traditional dancing and music. Cultural Tour: Held late in the afternoon, this tour builds on the full valley tours, adding a cultural experience like a weaving demonstration or live music.So why pay the $65 to $75 per person charge for a guided tour? Many drivers don’t want to subject their vehicles to the treacherous road, but Navajo guides also give you insights on how the formations came to be, point out where movies were filmed, and share their culture. Basic Scenic Tour: Lasting about 90 minutes, these tours follow the 17-mile route through the park that you could drive on your own.in association with Kayenta-Monument Valley Scenic Road. Text courtesy of Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. If you want to immerse yourself in Navajo culture while being surrounded by breathtaking scenery and the most iconic views of the west, plan a trip on the Kayenta-Monument Valley Scenic Road and weave your own tapestry of memories. Other nationally renowned Navajo arts and crafts include silversmithing and jewelry, basket making, and sandpainting. Navajo weaving is a valued art form with textiles selling for hundreds and often thousands of dollars. Navajo rugs and blankets detail their history and interactions with other cultures. While traveling on the scenic road, visitors can see the various Navajo textile designs and the complexity of this traditional art form. There were over 400 Code Talkers in World War II, and they were praised for their skill, speed, accuracy, courage, and for saving many lives.Īlong with Navajo language, weaving is at the center of Navajo culture. The code was never broken by the Japanese and is credited for the success at Iwo Jima. Navajo code talkers were Navajo soldiers who used the Navajo language as a code during World War II to relay messages by phone and radio. On Highway 160, near the Kayenta-Monument Valley Scenic Road, there is an exhibit honoring the Navajo Code Talkers inside the Burger King establishment. The Navajo language played a very significant role in World War II, ultimately helping to win the war. Many types of Navajo-guided tours are offered in Monument Valley, including jeep, van, truck, horseback, and hiking. Traveling on the Kayenta-Monument Valley Scenic Road, one can hear the language spoken and experience the culture through visits to the nearby Navajo Tribal Park and Visitor Center and the Kayenta Visitor Center. The Navajo people value their traditions, harmony, and life, all of which are intimately tied together in their language. These oral histories are often translated into their art, crafts, and events. The Navajo language ties the people in present times with stories, songs, and prayers that have been passed down through the ages. The scenic road is steeped in rich Navajo culture, and at the very heart of Navajo culture is the language. The Monument Valley area is home to the largest tribe in North America, the Navajo or the Diné (The People). Much of this history is told through the excellent interpretive materials on display at the Kayenta and Monument Valley Visitor Centers. The area’s earliest inhabitants include Paleo-Indian hunters and archaic hunter-gatherers. The archaeological significance of the region stretches back thousands of years before the time of the Anasazi or “ancient ones” who resided in the area. Today their history, intertwined with the early Spanish and Mexican incursions into the area, as well as the frontier period, provides many rich stories for visitors to explore. The Navajo presence in the region extends back hundreds of years. The history of the Kayenta-Monument Valley Scenic Road is that of the American West. At an elevation of 5,200 feet, the 26-mile-long scenic road weaves through breathtaking landscapes of majestic sandstone, rock formations, and buttes that tower at heights from 400 feet to over 5,000 feet. Known as the Gateway to Monument Valley, the Kayenta-Monument Valley Scenic Road is called Tse’ Bii’ Ngzisgaii by the Navajo, which means Valley of the Rocks.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |