‘My Mama always said you’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on.’-Forrest Gump

No trip across the southwest would be complete without a stop at one of my all time favorite places, Monument Valley! Coming from Moab it isn’t far but I miscounted my days and had a free evening. Since I had been sleeping in my car, decided the right decision was to head to Page, Arizona. I had Gus so that greatly limited my options of what to do plus only being there for the evening, so kept I it simple. First, I took Gus to a dog park and we both had an amazing time! He made new friends, I chatted with their pawrents all with stunning views of the Arizona desert.

Then we headed to catch the sunset at Horseshoe Bend, the National Park Service side. Dogs are welcome and we saw plenty. The path is mostly paved and about a mile from the parking lot. Gus, once again, earned a lot of compliments for his smile and Ruffwear hiking harness, although a couple moments he got a bit overwhelmed by the number of people but he adapted quickly. He did not try to jump off the side of the cliff so I take that as a win. The evening was made even better by the most stunning sunset. Worth the trip.

I once again stayed at Gouldings but instead of staying at the hotel, I stayed at the campground! I did a premium spot and the view was STUNNING! You are in close proximity to others but I had great neighbors. It was also around 80ish degrees during the day but I had a tree with a light breeze so it wasn’t terrible. Plus the views made up for it. Gus did get covered in a lot of dirt so was a bit rust colored when we left but he loves lounging in the sun at home-he was a big fan of our site’s picnic table. They have a lot of amenities and felt safe walking Gus around at night, although quite a few stray dogs but Gus let them know while he came from the streets, we were not adding to our family on this trip. While it is pretty rural, there are some convienentt stores and gas station on the premises.

This time going on the Monument Valley trail had a lot less restrictions and, while reservations were sold out on the website, I was able to just drive up to get my pass. I hadn’t quite hit peak season so unsure if this is typical year round. I also was not given a two hour limit this go around, so Gus and I were able to just enjoy the scenery. Dogs are allowed but must, for the most part, stay in the car or parking areas. Gus loves just sticking his head out the window so not a problem for him. The highlight was fry bread at John Wayne Point. It is run by the family that lives on the overlook and I have dreamed of it since the last time I was here. It is soooooo good! Gus did try to steal some but it is not a dog approved snack, lol.

Again, I recommend having all/four wheel drive. It is a dirt, rock filled, one way road. I do see sedans and such but I can’t imagine doing it in a small car. Very glad that I got theToyota Rav4 XSE which includes options for trails and rocky terrain. It was not super crowded so I was able to go at my own pace on the roads and occasionally pull by camera out to catch the horses (not sure if they are technically wild horses as the Navajo live there but definitely free range).

And if you know me from the blog or real life, you know that Forrest Gump is not only my favorite movie but holds a special place in my life. So you know I couldn’t not go to Forrest Gump Point! During the day is great but sunset is truly and utterly magical! Gus enjoyed the views from the backseat (he has an Acadia seat belt-I bought my at Petsmart but they did not have it on the website). Next to the Grand Canyon, this might be my favorite place to be. I spent more than an hour just enjoying watching the afternoon turn to night. Golden hour is my favorite time of day, especially out in the wild!

After a few days of magic, Gus and I started the journey home. We had been gone about two weeks and had the best time. It’s hard to imagine I used to go on these road trips with out a gus giving me goodnight kisses or sunbathing in the Navajo sandstone but it was pretty perfect.