Monument Valley Trading Post

I woke at the KOA campground near Monument Valley. There was a heavy fog hanging over the valley and periodically it would snow. I spent time reading, hoping the fog would clear. By 9:30 am the fog seemed to get even heavier and snow was accumulating on the ground.

Driving up to the Navajo Trading Post at Monument Valley through heavy snow, I was disappointed to learn they didn't serve coffee. As I entered the restaurant, I noticed all the chairs were flipped over, but I spotted an open area beside it. Although on a clear day the views from here would be breathtaking, today the scenery was obscured by the thick fog, creating varying layers of white.

I drove up to the Navajo Trading Post at Monument Valley through the snow. It was snowing even heavier. I learned that they don’t serve coffee. All the chairs in the restaurant were flipped, but there was an area next to the restaurant that seemed to be open. On a clear day, the views from here would have been gorgeous. Today, the view was varied layers of white depending on how thick the fog was.

Close to 5:00 pm, the fog began to rise so that the base of the Monuments were visible. The plan for the day was changing by the hour. By now it was too late to drive to Canyon De Chelly National Monument. I called the KOA and made a reservation for another night.

I went to the gift shop and looked at jewelry, paintings, dolls, and various other items they had for sale. The silver inlaid jewelry was exquisite. There weren’t a lot of people in the shop, so I asked the woman at the counter about the work. It is all produced by local Navajo. The pieces I really liked were very intricate by Fred Begay.

The weather seemed to abruptly change. I notice the inches of snow all the ground had all melted. I went outside and the temperature felt 20 degrees F warmer. There wasn’t much snow left but it seemed to be getting more foggy with all the moisture in the air. I remembered what the woman at the KOA had told me, “We can get all four seasons in a day.”

They wouldn’t serve me in the area where I was sitting but they told me I could order takeout and eat it there. I ordered the salmon, with rice and vegetables. It was very bland, but probably healthier for me.

Around 9:30 pm, I left the Trading Post and drove back to the KOA. The fog was so heavy, I had trouble finding the exit from the parking lot. I drove 15 mph down the hill with my flashers on. It was difficult to see where the road was at times. Around 10:30 pm I was setting up the car to sleep and the fog began to clear. It was astounding that stars were beginning to appear.

The Internet access seemed to be much improved from the night before. I remembered they had told me that the KOA uses StarLink for Internet service. This made sense that the bandwidth was much higher when the skies were clear.