We took advantage of the off season to visit Monument Valley and some surrounding sites. The advantage of this time of year was no crowds, nice temperatures (much prefer it a little cooler than hot - it was unbearable when Norah and I stopped here last summer on our way to the canyon), and less expensive hotel rates. We stayed at The View and it was really nice. The rooms were comfortable with Native artwork and a small balcony that overlooked the valley. And free breakfast included (the view alone is worth $$$!).

We arrived Friday evening, so missed sunset (shorter days - drawback of this time of year), but were up for sunrise Saturday morning. We drove the loop road on our own and then headed down the highway to visit River House Ruins. These ruins are located near the San Juan River on the west side of Comb Ridge. It's about 12 miles from Bluff, Utah (eat at Twin Rocks Cafe - we've had several good meals there). It's not far down Comb Wash, but the sandy wash and rock sections make it slow going. I was impressed at how well preserved the ruins are and it was a neat spot to explore.

On the way back to Monument Valley we stopped at Mexican Hat to check it out. We had driven by several times on the highway and saw it from afar, but wanted to see it up close. After scrambling around for a bit, we continued on to the valley. Steve went for a run on the Wildcat Trail and we watched sunset from The View. It was a beautiful evening and night. We were up again early for sunrise and it was a gorgeous morning. There isn't much hiking to do in Monument Valley, but the one trail available, the 2.5 mile Wildcat Trail, is a beauty. It circles West Mitten Butte and the views that morning were fantastic.

We did one more loop on the road before heading out. Some day we will have to do one of the more extensive tours - several go to some neat spots in the tribal park that you can only access with a guide. We attempted to see White Mesa Arch on our way home, but encountered a "no trespassing" sign and had to turn back. So we decided to swing by Coal Mine Canyon outside of Tuba City. We failed to find any information about a permit needed (we had a permit last time we visited) and didn't see any info about having to have one outside the Coal Mine Canyon chapter house, so went ahead and drove to a few viewpoints. The clouds and light were terrific and the views were even more spectacular than I remembered. We could've spent hours and hours here, but had to tear ourselves away to head home for the weekend. It was an unexpected stop and a lovely way to wrap up our weekend.