Leaving Monument Valley

 Part B Leaving Monument Valley 

We were on northbound US Highway 191 leading from outside the Monument Valley to Moab,Utah.

The part of this Highway that passes through the Navajo Nation is designated by the Arizona department of transportation as the Tse’nikani Flat Mesa Rock Scenic Road.

As aptly described by its name this road was as scenic as the 17 mile loop earlier in the day. A few miles out of the Monument Valley came an iconic spot for movie buffs. It was the very location where Forrest Gump( Tom Hanks) calls off his cross country run and declares “ I think I will go home now ! “

Like a few other cars we pulled over to the shoulder of the road and got out to take pictures and videos. For those of you who’ve been following my posts you know taking pictures in the middle of the road is daily routine for me 😜. Except this was an interstate Highway with trucks and cars coming on from both sides 😃 

We would wait for them to pass and merrily carry on with our photo shoots. What if Forrest Gump was an Indian woman in a saree? If you are curious I have some photos and a video for you 😜.

After having enough of the Forrest Gump nostalgia we carried on our drive. Indeed a very scenic drive on Highway 191. Highly recommended.

I was driving that day. Couldn’t take pictures though everywhere the eyes turned it was beautiful. The landscape was changing at every turn and was truly stunning . We passed through a cute town named Mexican Hat. As we entered another small town named Blanding in Utah, I saw a sign indicating slower speed of 50 miles. I promptly slowed from 65-70. Must have been hardly 2-3 miles since slowing down when I saw a cop car pull out from a gas station. So I moved from the left lane to the right to further slow down. Next thing I knew he was behind me with his lights going on. I pulled over promptly. The years had made me very familiar with the ritual. I got out my driver’s license, pulled down my window as he walked to the car. He said to me M’am you were driving at 45 in a zone with speed limit of 30. I was really surprised. Nowhere had I seen 30 miles sign. I told him I had seen 50 miles sign outside the town and slowed down. His reply was “I have worked here for over 10 years and nowhere there is a sign for 50 ! And if you missed the 30 miles sign you need to be more attentive while driving”. I pleaded for mercy and asked politely “officer can you excuse me this time “? His reply was I  have to do my duty . Oh well ! Whatever ! He took the car registration and my license to his car to enter the ticket details. Those 5-10 minutes seemed like eternity . He returned and told me he had given me the ticket only for driving 35 miles in a 30 mile zone. It cost about $130. Much less than it would if he put my actual speed of 45 ! I thanked him but wanted him to know that I wasn’t lying about the 50 miles sign I saw earlier ! My family was aghast and chiding me in Marathi, making me hush up and stop arguing with the cop over it 😃. 

What a bummer! I was stunned because I hadn’t gotten a speeding ticket in over 10 years! And that too to get one when driving barely 45 miles an hour ! It hurt my feelings 😃

We started back on the road. In less than 2 miles there was the sign for 50 miles speed limit ! Again !! I wanted to go find the officer who had proclaimed he had worked over 10 years and hadn’t seen that sign !

Made it to Moab by 4 pm. The hotel was brand new (opened in March 2021)and had a modern decor. We had a studio room with a fully equipped kitchen. It was European style but American size,which is a perfect combination. A full sized refrigerator meant we didn’t need to worry about ice in the cooler to  store the home food. I had carried some onion,tomato,chillies, cilantro( kothimbir) from home. Minal chopped these and fixed a yummy bhel from Haldiram’s ready mix. 

We freshened and set out for an evening ride on a scenic byway to a Potash factory. Potash is a mineral used for fertilizers. This place recovers this by flushing water into underground tunnels and then evaporating them in ponds. One can see these ponds spread across tiered terraces from Dead Horse Point overlook which we visited the same evening. The drive to the Potash plant is stunning. The paved road runs along the Colorado river on one side and stiff cliffs on the other. We saw several rock climbers with their tools attempting this treacherous climb up the daunting cliffs. Unfortunately on our way back we also saw an ambulance getting ready to transport one of the daredevils who had fallen off the cliff. Could only hope his sprits remained unbroken and the bones could be fixed !! 

Halfway on the scenic byway we realized we were running low on gas. So after making it to the potash factory we headed back to Moab town to fuel up before proceeding to Dead Horse Point State Park. This was where my much appreciated photo on the rock was taken. From this overlook we can see the potash terraces at a distance. The Horse Shoe Bend of the Colorado river in Utah seen from this location is just as spectacular as one we saw in Page Arizona two days back. Here too we reveled in a beautiful sunset before heading to our hotel.  

We warmed our masoor curry and theplas for dinner. Then relaxed at the elegant bar in the hotel lobby for some cocktails and an exotic cheeseboard and flat bread. One formality remained before calling it a day. Had to watch a video describing the risks and procedures for the skydive scheduled for the next morning and then sign a waiver relieving the vendor from any liability. 

Before going to bed I told my husband 3 things: (tomorrow if I don’t survive the skydive)

1. This is where the keys to the bank lockers are. 2. Do not become dependent or a burden on the kids.

 3  . Think twice before you remarry. She may be just there for your money and leave nothing for the kids.

I don’t know about him but I slept peacefully after that pep talk 😃

The saree on the Forrest Gump trail was my much celebrated Ramchandra Pedi saree.