Monument Valley - She wore a yellow ribbon

Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon

She wore it in the springtime

In the month of May

And if you ask her why the heck she wore it

She wore it for her soldier who was far far away..........

I always wanted to visit Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park to see the geological wonders that John Wayne called "God's Treasure". John played the role of Cavalry Captain Brittles in the 1949 movie "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" filmed in the monument valley based on James Bellah's story "War Party". He played the role of a lonely army man based at a western front who was on his last mission - to contain the Indians. Mr. Wayne, his hair streaked with silver and donning a dashing mustache, is the absolute image and ideal of the legendary cavalryman. The movie was directed by John Ford. Sharing a title with this film, a song called "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" was the official anthem of the United States Cavalry that is used to keep marching cadence. The song most likely was brought to America by English settlers. It is symbolic of the Puritan heritage. It was during the English Civil War that the Puritan Army of English Parliament wore yellow ribbons onto the battlefield.

Monument Valley sits at 5,564 feet above sea level. The park straddles Arizona and Utah. It is within the Navajo reservation that covers about one third of the 130,000 square-mile Colorado Plateau. Wonderful sculptures, carved by millions of years of erosion by water, wind and ice, are a visual treat. The orange-red colored sandstone cliffs are of the Cutler Formation from the Permian period, approximately 160 million years ago. The various stages of erosion - Mesa, Butte, Spire - all exist here.

We stayed at the historical Goulding's Lodge in the valley. Harry and Leone "Mike" Goulding established a trading post in the valley. During the Great Depression, the Gouldings drove to Hollywood armed with scenic photographs and convinced film producer John Ford to consider Monument Valley as his next movie location. The valley ended up becoming his favorite movie location. John Wayne acted in five legendary movies shot here between 1939 and 1956. The Goulding's old house and trading post is a museum now, but unfortunately it was closed during our stay at the lodge.

I will indeed write more about Monument Valley in future blogs. There is so much to experience in and around this gorgeous landscape. From captivating rock formations to breathtaking desert views, no one should miss a visit to this historic gem in the Great Basin Desert. Listen to the wind, the rocks, the streams chiming in to the fabled tune, "Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon." Do not forget to watch the great horsemanship from the movie at the bottom of this blog.