Monument Valley

Your "Bucket List" should include Monument Valley.  The place to stay is The View hotel, the only hotel within the Tribal Park of Monument Valley.  Their rates, advertised at around $190 a night, are about the same as the less than spectacular chains along the highway some 30 miles away from the park.  The only other close hotel is Gouldings Lodge, where John Ford and John Wayne held up during filming some of their classic westerns.  When we arrived at the hotel at the height of tourist season, July 7/8, there were still rooms available and were going for $99 for that night.  I believe these were rooms with no view though. Take the self-guided tour for a more solitude experience.  Park at the North Window buttes and stroll the trail for a remarkable feeling of awe and isolation.  Great photo op's abound. Their hotel restaurant is basic and passible.  Remember, you're not here for the food.  The restaurant is 100% better than anything you'll find in the nearest town.