Monument Valley, AZ

I have got the travel bug and am lucky to have a husband who enjoys traveling too. Setting up a travel fund is one of the first things we did since we got married :D. Now, I love to do travel planning, each and every detail of it, that I think I enjoy it as much as I enjoy the trip itself. So, it must be clear to you by now, that I plan almost all of our trips every year except one. The exception being my birthday trip. I told my husband that the best birthday gift he could give me is to take me on a surprise trip. And take me on a nice surprise trip, he does. Last year, it was Lake Tahoe and this year it is...Monument Valley!

Some of you might have seen these majestic sandstone monuments of the Monument Valley on the screen as they have appeared in several Hollywood movies without perhaps knowing where they belong to. Some of these famous movies are Forrest Gump (Forrest ends his cross-country run here), Mission Impossible II (Opening shots feature Tom Cruise climbing in Monument Valley), Vertical Limit (which features several rock climbers in Monument Valley) and many more. There is even a Tollywood movie's opening song shot here (Takkari Donga). But Monument Valley is much more than what you might have seen on the screen. 

The vast serene landscape with all its mesas, buttes and mittens has a mystique feel to it, transporting you back in time into an era of extreme simplicity, majesty and charm. We drove along the 17 mile loop in the Monument Valley stopping at various scenic points to feel and absorb the magic of the place. Thrilled by the vastness and pristine nature of our surroundings, we jumped around like kids and had so much fun. We tried to capture some of its beauty through our cameras as you can see below.

We also did a 3.2 mile trek around West Mitten Butte in the late afternoon. The trek in itself, I must admit, was a little boring, though we ended up making some amazing videos of my husband at his acting best :D

Now, let me introduce you to the best part of our entire trip. My beloved husband booked a room for us in 'The View' hotel located inside the tribal park at the Monument Valley. The best part about 'The View' hotel, as the name suggests, was the view from the rooms itself. Each room in the hotel has a private eastern facing balcony with an unparalleled view of the Monument Valley. The rooms were little expensive but the view was totally worth it. The experience of watching the sunrise in the beautiful Monument Valley on a cool morning while sitting cozily in the balcony and sipping hot coffee is simply unmatched. I couldn't have asked for a better gift for my birthday!

Thank you dear husband!!