点评:Unbelievable Scenery and One of the Highlights of Our Southwest Trip
Monument Valley was one of those places that somehow looked even more spectacular in person than I expected. We visited as part of our family RV trip through the Southwest, and the scenery from the moment we arrived was simply unbelievable.
We stayed at Goulding’s RV & Campground, which turned out to be a great base for exploring the area. The campground sits right among the red sandstone formations, and we even discovered the short trail to Goulding Arch right from the campground. Having the pool, laundry facilities and full hookups was also a huge convenience while traveling as a family.
One of the highlights was our guided Monument Valley tour with a Navajo guide. Riding through the valley gave us a completely different perspective than simply viewing it from the highway. We were able to get deeper into the landscape, see incredible formations up close and learn more about the area along the way. I would definitely recommend taking a guided tour rather than only driving through.
The Monument Valley Visitor Center was also excellent. The exhibits added important context to what we were seeing, and the views from the visitor center area overlooking the Mittens are absolutely spectacular. It’s worth allowing some time there rather than treating it as simply a place to begin your tour.
We also made the drive north to Forrest Gump Point, and I’m glad we did. Standing on that famous stretch of highway with Monument Valley in the distance is one of those classic American road-trip views that you’ve seen countless times in photographs and movies, but experiencing it yourself is completely different.
What I’ll remember most, though, is simply the landscape. Monument Valley has an almost unreal quality to it. The enormous sandstone buttes rising out of the desert, the changing colors throughout the day and the huge open sky make it feel like you’re driving through a movie set.
Between Forrest Gump Point, our Navajo-guided tour, the excellent visitor center and camping among the sandstone formations at Goulding’s, we felt like we experienced Monument Valley rather than simply stopped to take a few pictures.
翻译:令人叹为观止的景色——我们西南之旅的亮点之一
纪念碑谷就是那种亲眼见到后才发现比想象中更加壮观的地方。我们是在进行西南地区家庭房车旅行时造访此地的,刚抵达时眼前的景色简直令人难以置信。
我们下榻在古尔丁房车露营地,这里确实是探索周边地区的绝佳基地。露营地就坐落在红色的砂岩地貌群之中。我们甚至从露营地找到了通往古尔丁拱门的短途小径。对于全家出游来说,营地里的游泳池、洗衣设施以及完善的水电连接也带来了极大的便利。
最难忘的经历之一便是由纳瓦霍族向导带领的纪念碑谷观光之旅。驾车穿行于山谷之间,让我们获得了与仅仅从公路上观赏时截然不同的视角。我们得以更深入地领略这片自然景观。可以近距离观赏那些令人惊叹的地质景观,同时还能进一步了解这一地区。我强烈建议参加导游讲解的游览路线,而不要只是开车经过。
纪念谷游客中心也非常出色。那里的展览为我们所看到的景观提供了重要的背景信息,而从游客中心眺望“双指峰”的景色更是美不胜收。值得花些时间在那儿游览,而不仅仅把它当作开始行程的出发点。我们还驱车北上前往阿甘正传地点,我很庆幸我们这么做了。站在那条著名的公路上,远眺着纪念碑谷,这种景象正是典型的美国公路旅行画面——你或许曾在无数照片和电影中见过它,但亲自置身其中的感受却截然不同。
不过,最让我难以忘怀的还是那里的风景。纪念碑谷有着一种近乎超现实的氛围。那些巨大的砂岩尖峰从沙漠中拔地而起,一天中不断变化的色彩以及广阔无垠的天空,让人感觉仿佛正驾车穿行在电影片场之中。
从由纳瓦霍人担任向导的“阿甘之路”之旅,到设施完善的游客中心,再到在古尔丁营地中于砂岩地貌间露营,我们觉得自己真正体验了纪念碑谷,而不仅仅是停下来拍几张照片而已。