Anyone here driven their 911 through Monument Valley?

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

The wife and I want to drive to Moab for Memorial Day Weekend and don't want to miss Monument Valley on the way. But it looks like the main road around the Mittens is unpaved. I did it on a family vacation around 1980 in the '77 Dodge Aspen wagon (before National Lampoon stole our story). But I don't remember being on an unpaved road. I usually take the 993 on long trips, but can't do unpaved roads with it. Any way to see Mon. Valley in the p-car?

bell · bell's Garage

i think roninlb was out there searching for wild horses at some point

edit:
yep.....page 5

2 911s now driving X-country

Rich76_911s · Rich76_911s's Garage

I can't help with the monument valley stuff. I never drove around the monuments only saw them from the road at sunset on my way home from the Grand Canyon.

But when you are in Moab. Stop and get lunch at Milt's stop and eat. Awesome Burgers and stuff for reasonable prices. Milk Shakes are really good too.

It is off the beaten path, but Moab isn't that big so it's not hard to find. It is located at the corner of 400 East and Millcreek Drive

Milts Stop and Eat
356 Millcreek Dr

*how can you disagree with a place who's address starts with 356?

VaSteve · 05-14-2009, 07:02 PM

Rick, I'm sure some people have, but YOU will not be happy doing so. Park at the closest Hertz and rent a car for the day.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Yeah, we may rent something for this trip. I was in Moab when I was a kid, but I've heard it's really taken off since then. I'd like to drive through Shiprock, NM again, but it's a little out of the way.

VaSteve · 05-14-2009, 07:46 PM

The rest of the trip should be fine, just monument valley is on a dirt road. There's a reason all the famous car photos are outside monument valley, not in it.

onlycafe · 05-14-2009, 08:25 PM

i have always wanted to do that, like for the last thirty plus years. i did do it in 1999 with a rented by the month blazer, came with unlimited miles, when i left new york in february of '99 the gas was 85.9. i got a major shock on april 1st when i saw gas at 2.39 outside of san luis obispo.

charleskieffner · 05-14-2009, 09:25 PM

rick follow the map to 4 corners. along the way you will see monument valley, if really hard up for abuse take 40 over to 666 and go north. you will have seen more than enough navajo sandstone than you will EVER desire in your life. trust me im a native and have driven that stretch to gallup/cortez/durango/moab/powell more times than i want to remember.

now since i have bean around heres a TOP TIP:

treat it just like mars. cuz it is. and the nava-joes hate you and yer kind and yer car and ya cant have a gun on you unless hunting w/hunting lic., carrying in your car on highway is az state property subject to azdps laws. first step off highway and yer in "injun-land" and they dont LAK YER KIND OR MY KIND!

watch out for dead puppy dogs. indians like them to fall out of truck so they dont have to feed them.

watch out for: horseys/jackasses/pigs/goats/buzzards/drunk indians in middle of road or side of road/car parts/dogs/cats/washing machines/dryers/refrigerators/dishwashers/truck parts/potholes etc. got the picture???

and watch out for alot OF DRUNK DRIVING INDIANS.

in other words...............i would rather drive in baja at night than the freeking REZ EVER!

another top tip: captive meth audience on rez. and THEY WILL LAK YER CAR AND STILL NOT LAK YOU!

dont drive at night. signed a native white guy

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of driving around on reservations. But how else can one see Monument Valley? I think I have to go through a lot of Navajo Nations to get to Moab.

RoninLB · 05-15-2009, 01:18 AM

driving around a reservation and listening to a local radio announcer saying "Don't drink too much and drive" cracked me up.

dirt roads do get my car dusty

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

We did that back in 2000. We stayed the night a Mexican Hat. There are a lot of cool things to see. Cool is a figurative word, it was rather warm temperature wise. Two people in a 911 for two weeks takes careful packing. We hit 9 national parks and drove over 5,000 miles total.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Were you able to see Mon. Val. on pavement only? Or did you have to drive on dirt?

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

The road through the reservation right there at Mexican Hat was paved. It was a nice road. It has been 9 years so the specifics are a bit hazy. I would have to look at my photos to remember more.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Can you see the Mittens from that road?

Rich76_911s · Rich76_911s's Garage

From looking at the place on google maps (both above and street view) it certainly appears the road is paved into the visitors center. If your only goal is to see the mittens, from the visitors center you will certainly be able to see west mitten, and a 3 mile hike around it on the wildcat trail will defenitely allow you to lay eyes on east mitten as well. I would be surprised if you couldn't see both from the visitors center.

I have done the drive from Phoenix to Durango better than a dozen times now, and have never had one issue, and I have done it late at night a few of those times. One fo the few places left in America where you get no cell phone coverage for very long time periods though.