29th April – 30th April, 2023
Monument Valley
Monument Valley, a red-sand desert region on the Arizona-Utah border, is known for its towering sandstone buttes. The valley is a sacred area that lies within the territory of the Navajo Nation Reservation, The park, frequently a filming location for Western movies, is accessed by the looping, 17-mile Valley Drive.
Monument Valley has been featured in many forms of media since the 1930’s. Director John Ford used the location for a number of his Westerns; critic Keith Phipps wrote that “its five square miles (13 square km) have defined what decades of moviegoers think of when they imagine the American West. The famous, steeply sloped Mittens buttes can be viewed from the road or from overlooks such as John Ford’s Point.
The two Mittens Buttes
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Dreamcatchers
These dreamcatchers were for sale at a stall. They are not totally traditional though.
The meaning of dreamcatchers and the beliefs surrounding their construction originate from Native American cultures. The dreamcatcher is a protective talisman that is used to protect people from nightmares and bad dreams. The charm was usually used for young children and hung above their cradles or beds.
Native American cultures believe that both good and bad dreams fill the air at night. The dreamcatcher acts like a spider’s web by trapping the bad dreams or visions while allowing the good ones to filter through. The bad dreams caught in the web get destroyed when the sunlight of morning hits the dreamcatcher, while the good dreams filter down through the feathers and gently reach the sleeping person below.
Dreamcatchers can also be considered as charms that provide protection from any kind of evil influence, not just from bad dreams and nightmares. Some tribes believe that dreamcatchers work slightly differently as their legend states that the good dreams or ideas would become trapped in the web while the bad ones would pass right through the hole in the center and would be gone forever.
Example of a more traditional dreamcatcher
Each section of the dreamcatcher’s form holds specific meaning.
The circular frame symbolizes Mother Earth and everything that sustains life. Its circular shape also represents the continuous flow of life as there is no beginning or end. In addition to representing the circle of life, it also symbolizes how the sun and moon move across the sky every day in a continuous loop.
The web or net of the dreamcatcher is intricately woven inside the frame to mimic the look of a spider’s web. The circle in the center of the web is its heart and is where the good dreams and visions are filtered through.
The number of points on the woven web of the dreamcatcher is also significant and holds different meanings. A dreamcatcher with 13 points represents the 13 phases of the moon, 8 points symbolizes the spider woman in the Native American legends, 7 points refers to the seven prophesies, 6 points represents an eagle, and 5 points symbolize a star.
Dreamcatchers have become popular souvenirs and many Native American cultures believe that they have become too commercialized, misused and their meaning has been lost.
Valley of the Gods
We continued on the road towards Blanding and stopped for the night on the way to Valley of the Gods, a hidden gem, not as well known a Monument Valley but similar, on a smaller scale.
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In the morning we were woken up by the sound of air balloons being inflated near by and watched as a dozen or so balloons flew all around us.
Blanding
We decided to stop at Blanding and spend a lazy afternoon at an RV park where we could enjoy the luxury of flush toilets and a hot shower!!
