It is with hesitation that I write this post.  While I want to celebrate The View Hotel, which is opening this month in Monument Valley, I am not sure I can.  It is providing a travel opportunity not previously available, and it is owned and operated by Navajo Indians.  It’s goal is to be mindful and celebratory of the of land and the spectacular landscape.  But I  am torn between all these great and worthy accomplishments and the fact that a landscape that was once pristine and largely untouched by development has now been marred. Doors have been open that can’t be shut.  I worry that what seems like the small exception to the rule will invariably become the crack in the dam that leads to a flood.

I am excited to see a program will be developed with the local Navajo high school to grow vegetables and herbs. They will use the seasonal harvest and learn about composting and environmentally sensitive planting and harvesting.  I am also encouraged by what continues to be a trend in spa design; to offer treatments in natural outdoor settings.

I look forward to seeing how the project evolves.  I hope that a constant mindfulness informs decisions for expansion and future development in this sacred landscape.

Learn More:

Make reservations and learn more about The View Hotel in Monument Valley here.

images by Noel Reynolds, Graeme Maclean (cc)