Running on…. Too quickly
Last night after naps, we headed to the Stagecoach Dining Room for Navajo cooking. We learned that no alcohol can be sold or served on the Navajo reservation. Fry bread was a hit, and our Navajo tacos were delicious. Everybody enjoyed their dinner.
Navajo Taco, Monument Valley
The girls demonstrating “chaotic evil” drinking style. If that doesn’t make sense to you, feel free to ask either one of them for an explanation.
The meal dragged on awhile, and after waking up between 4 and 4:30 AM, we were all pooped. We opted to skip the star tour and go to bed early again. The service was glacially slow, partly due to the strong sense of hate we received from the waitress (toward everyone, not us) and the restaurants obvious knowledge that they were the only place to eat anywhere nearby.
To demonstrate the general atmosphere of the restaurant, see below the list of prohibited activities.
Premium Villa at Goulding’s Lodge, a highly recommended destination and hotel
We opted instead to get some ice cream, eat it in the room, watch videos together, and go to bed early. The girls were out by around 8pm, the time our star tour was about to start. We were all proud of ourselves for making a relaxing choice.
This morning we woke up early and energized. Everybody was well rested. The sunrise was stunning!
We left Arizona for good on our way to Mexican Hat, UT.
Stunning sunrise
We stopped at the Forrest Gump point, where Forrest Gump just stopped running. So many people stop in the middle of the road, they had to change the speed limit to 45 mph on that stretch. Before we got there, we all watched the entire Forrest running scene.
We went straight away to Mexican Hat, UT for breakfast. It was flawless! They also had a fun gift shop.
Jane’s pancakes were undisputedly larger than her head.
Our breakfast came with a view of the San Juan bridge.
Everybody loved their breakfast at “The Juan”
The girls were given $80 to buy Uncle Chris something from the Grand Canyon. The girls found him authentic souvenirs from GP National Park, so they were busy spending the leftover.
In Mexican Hat, they spent the money on a dream catcher and a book for a friend of Carmen’s. We were all excited about how the shop and hotel employees were authentically speaking Navajo to each other. We also learned about Navajo Code Talkers on this trip.
On the way out of town, we actually passed by the Mexican Hat formation.
Unfortunately, we also passed by a genuine Utah state trooper when Beth was driving too fast.
I haven’t had a ticket in so many years I figured it was my turn. Should have been using cruise control. He was a super friendly trooper. He talked about sites we should see and gave the kids sheriffs badge stickers as gifts with my ticket.
The shops here were the girls favorite. They had their number for sure. Many treasures were found.
We bought poetry from this street side poet in Moab.
Everybody loved these mixed up animals. I think there are two girls who would love to receive one for Xmas.
Food truck quesadillas were a culinary delight!
Our hotel room is huge. Best free hotel room I have ever had. We all agree that this hotel is the best in town. It’s near all of the action, new and clean, and has a super cool pool.
So we went to the drug store in town (they have no Walmart or Target) and bought Carmen a swimsuit so we could swim.
Carmen with her new drugstore swimsuit.
We couldn’t swim before we went to the rock shop to cash in coupons for free dinosaur bones. The girls expected femurs but were surprised when they received bone fragments.
Now we are all having a swim before dinner and the surprise birthday party. Our cake just got delivered.
We have the whole pool to ourselves for most of the time, until real old fashioned bullies showed up. One walked over to our table and took two of our towels. When we said that those were towels she needed, she said we only needed four and the rest were hers.
The lady who walked up and took our towels.
Tonight we have our surprise party, followed by potentially more swimming. Tomorrow morning, we eat Hotel breakfast before taking off on an all day private 4x4 adventure in Canyonland and Arches.
Spirits have been high and not a grump in the bunch for the whole trip. Nothing can get us down. Prepping now for a surprise birthday party!
Sounds like a fun day! I didn't even think of packing a bathing suit, oops!
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