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Hi there. I'm Don Vinson, ride manager and
booking agent for all Monument Valley Trail Rides.
I've been a cowboy for 50 years and have been
organizing trail rides for the last 20. We head up
friendly groups of folks who soon feel like family.
We have a lot of fun on our rides and share some
great times. I look forward to meeting you and
having you be part of our experience. |
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Monument Valley is one of the most beautiful and historic
places in the world. I love it! We take you out in the valley
where there is no cell phone reception and no electricity. The
air is clear and the sky at night is magnificent. The nearest
services are in Goulding, a 1920's trading post, located 8 miles
away.
Rides normally go from 9:00am to around 2:30pm. There will
be one 20 mile ride. During the week there will be one short
ride that gives people a chance to relax and look at hogans and
other Navajo artifacts.
Navajos from the region participate in our program. Some go
with us as guides. We also visit their village, where we will be
able to tour a hogan (made out of mud and juniper) and see how
sheep are raised for the wool to make the gorgeous rugs for
which Navajos are famous. You will even get to see a
demonstration of rug weaving and can purchase rugs and jewelry.
We will also be treated to a
traditional Navajo taco dinner once during the week.
What to Bring
We wagonwheel out to base camp, set up, and take our
daily rides from there, returning each evening to sleep. Bring
accommodations - sleeping bags, campers, tents - whatever you
need to be comfortable. Bring some extra cash for purchases at
the village and as a tip for the taco dinner.
You will need to bring your own horse, though occasionally
rental horses are available.
You furnish your own food and water and your horse's food.
We furnish water for the horses. If you have firewood, bring it!
There is very little available in the desert.
Every night we have a pot luck dinner. Everyone brings a
dish. After dinner we gather round the campfire where our Navajo
companions play drums and sing native songs. You won't feel left
out though . . . there is singing by all.
This may be a vacation of a lifetime for many people and
we want you to always feel you are a part of the ride, not just
a participant. People love the down home atmosphere of our rides. They
often say to me as they are leaving, "I'm going home and I'm
telling all my friends."
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Lonnie Yazzie |
We suffered a tragic loss this year. Lonnie,
our scout, was a great guy with a wonderful
personality. A good military man, he was a bull
rider in the rodeo, and a tour guide before he
founded his own tour business. He is greatly missed.
The rides we take this year will be memorial rides
in his honor.
Lonnie's sister will be taking his place as a
guide for us.
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To book a ride or get more information send
email by clicking here.
Don Vinson, 1675 Los Osos Valley Road, #119
Los Osos, CA 93402
805 704-5778
