In celebration of One for the Money Two for the Road’s first anniversary, we want to share some shots from some of our favorite national park posts over the last year. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate each of you for following us on the blog site and on Facebook. You are the reason we post our adventures! Enjoy the recap…
From our very first post: Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National ParkZion National ParkInspiration Point, Bryce Canyon National ParkBear Lake with Hallett Peak reflection, Rocky Mountain National ParkGrand Canyon National Park – North Rim at Imperial PointThe Three Gossips, Arches National ParkBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National ParkCanyonlands National ParkDeath Valley National ParkCarlsbad Caverns National ParkBison grazing at Wind Cave National Park
Badlands National ParkMonument Valley Tribal Park (Navajo Nation)Gifford Barn, Capitol Reef National ParkThe Tepees, Petrified Forest National ParkGreat Sand Dunes National ParkLower Falls, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National ParkGrand Teton National Park
Thank you for joining us over the past year. We hope that you will keep coming back for more fun adventures, tips, and tricks. Oh, and there are sixty-one “national parks” now, and we’ve only covered eighteen of them so far! We will be covering more national parks, national monuments, national historic sites, state parks, awesome camping sites, and some great cities during year two. We’re also going to give you some helpful tips on RVing and road tripping. You won’t want to miss a post, so sign up, buckle up, and let’s go. Until the next trip…
Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road (or at a national park!)
Mike and Kellye
As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.
Tribal owned hotel and restaurant in the park (Arizona)
Campground in the park
Privately owned lodge and restaurant in the park (Utah)
Additional hotels and restaurants in Kayenta, Arizona
Hiking
Guided tours
Scenic drive
When to go: anytime
Iconic. That is the word that comes to mind when seeing Monument Valley for the first time. At least it was for us. This spectacular park sits within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation in southern Utah and northern Arizona. It is not a national park service park, as some believe. It is a tribal park of the Navajo Nation. Many movies have been filmed at Monument Valley because the scenery epitomizes the American West.
Getting There
Our trip is going to start from Page, Arizona, which has a small regional airport.
⇒From Page, take Highway 98 east to US Highway 160. At US Highway 160, take US Highway 163 northeast to Kayenta, Arizona. Continue east to the park entrance near the Arizona-Utah border. Drive time: 2.25 hours.
*Recommended hotel in Page: Hampton Inn
*Recommended restaurant in Page: El Tapatio – 25 S Lake Powell Blvd.
Destination: Monument Valley Tribal Park
Our trip to Monument Valley was on the highway (US Highway 163 and US Highway 160) because we arrived when the visitor center was closing. This is a park that we will definitely return to in order to see and do everything it has to offer. However, a lot of the beauty of the park can be seen from the road. We will let the pictures speak for themselves…
Awe-inspiring Agathla Peak near Kayenta, ArizonaOwl Rock near Kayenta, ArizonaWest Mitten Butte, Monument ValleyThis friendly horse posed as if he knew he belonged in the picture!
The tallest butte in Monument Valley rises approximately 1,000 feet above the valley floor. The colors are incredible, and no, we never get tired of seeing red rocks!
Sitting Hen
⇒Side trip: Valley of the Gods. On Highway 163, about seven miles north of Mexican Hat, Utah. Drive time between Monument Valley and Valley of the Gods: 1 hour. There is fantastic scenery all the way, so the drive is worth the time!
Valley of the Gods
Travel tip: Valley of the Gods is located on Bureau of Land Management property. The roads are graded dirt and there are no facilities. Take plenty of water and prepare for the weather.
Bonus stop: Alhambra Rock. Located just a few miles south of Mexican Hat, Utah, this is a can’t-miss photo op.
Alhambra Rock
*This post is an update of an original post from March 9, 2019.
