1. 104 THE CITY MAGAZINE | January 2016 s LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK s THE CITY MAGAZINE | January 2016 105
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QUEST FOR THE WEST
THE CITY MAGAZINE | January 2016 105104 THE CITY MAGAZINE | January 2016
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Rowena Marella-Daw slips on the boots, dons the Stetson, saddles
up with her ‘pardner’ and goes in search of iconic America

2. s LUXURYLONDON.CO.UK s THE CITY MAGAZINE | January 2016 107
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“T
hat’ll be the day”, drawls John
Wayne from our TV screen as
my husband Terry and I watch
the legendary John Ford 1956 western The
Searchers, filmed on location in America’s
iconic Monument Valley. Aside from enjoying
the film, we were getting suitably primed for
our imminent journey to southern Utah, and
to fulfilling Terry’s lifelong western-fanboy
dream of riding across the Valley’s vast plains.
I knew I might have to be Tonto to his Lone
Ranger for a few days, but a gal’s gotta do
what a gal’s gotta do.
Our road trip to Monument Valley began
in Pasadena and took us on a lengthy drive
along the Interstate 15 through backwater
towns, Arizona’s desert landscapes and
the surreal realm of Las Vegas. Beyond
Beaver Dam though, the terrain changed,
exciting the senses with every twist and
turn, punctuated by huge canyons, majestic
bluffs and rock. Eight hours later we found
ourselves at the entrance of southern Utah’s
great Zion National Park, where a chocolate-
coloured road snaked round towering mesas,
buttes, narrow slot canyons and beautiful
arches spread across 229 square miles. Every
bend revealed another spellbinding view.
Ancient Indian tribes, pioneer settlers,
explorers – all once gazed at these very
same swirling patterns in the pink stone and
traversed the same mighty red sandstone
cliffs of striated contortions carved by
geological forces over a period of 150 million
years. Stopping to stretch our legs on this
prehistoric terrain, it felt almost unreal. But
modern reality soon kicked in with a 1.1-
mile drive through the Zion-Mount Carmel
tunnel, lit only by slivers of light squeezing
through six narrow windows carved out of
the rugged cliff walls.
Even the hardiest trailblazers need to
make camp and rustle up some grub, so
hitching the wagon at a luxury cabin on
Zion Mountain Ranch felt just perfect. Set
amid sprawling farmland in Mt Carmel, this
estate proudly hosts a herd of buffalo grazing
on open prairie in close proximity to guest
cabins. This herd of around 50 are protected,
far luckier than buffalo that once roamed the
Great Plains by the millions. Their numbers
dwindled, no thanks to white hunters that
formations: Three Sisters, The Hub, Elephant
Butte, Rain God Mesa and Totem Pole. “Any
second now, we’ll see Apaches on the ridge,
then here come the US Cavalry, kicking up
dust, trumpets blaring.” Terry’s movie-buff
imagination was already in overdrive.
Once at the valley floor, visitors have
the choice to explore the Valley either in a
safari-style vehicle or on a sturdy mount.
Any self-respecting cowpoke will choose the
latter, and on finding the designated corral
of our tour company, we were introduced
to our horses. We were expecting a posse of
fellow riders, but that day it was just us and
a Navajo Indian guide who, like the horses,
had seen it all before.
The length of the ride was up to us, even
with the tempting offer of staying overnight
in a Hogan – a genuine Navajo Indian hut
out in the wilds. We opted for a three-hour
ride, probably the wisest choice for a couple
of tenderfoots. The weather was perfect –
an early morning chill and a few scattered
clouds casting shadows over the rocks.
We mounted up (with help), adjusted our
stirrups and set out from the aptly named
‘John Wayne Trail’, riding gently into the
heart of the valley. The horses casually
navigated a trail they knew like the back of
their hooves – up and down steep ridges,
through narrow gulches, past huge caves.
Settings we’d seen on film, canvas and print
came vividly alive all around us. For me it was
a magical moment. For my trusty sidekick it
was quite simply a cowboy dream fulfilled.
This is Navajo Nation, where the soul of
the native Indians still pervades. We heard
it in their language, saw it in their features.
Their gentle demeanour belies a strong
sense of pride and respect for traditions. The
trappings of 21st century life seem to have
little impact on their connection with these
sacred grounds. To illustrate this, halfway
through the ride we dismounted next to
a expansive cave where our guide pointed
to one of many petroglyphs carved around
the region by Anasazi Indians that once
occupied these territories.
The highlight of our cowboy experience
was a visit to John Ford Point, an iconic
rock precipice jutting high over the valley.
The image of John Wayne looking out from
here was immortalised by veteran director
Ford, and this same location was used in the
recent movie The Lone Ranger. This spot has
to be the most photographed of all, and six-
gun Terry wasn’t going to leave without one.
Finally, as the music swelled and the end
credits rolled, we dismounted reluctantly,
stamped off the red dust from our boots and
said goodbye to our guide and horses. At
this point the wind was kicking up a mild
sandstorm, but we didn’t care. This was a
true bucket-list moment, and in our best
cowboy drawl we declared: “That sure was
one helluva ride!”
WHERE TO STAY
ZION MOUNTAIN RANCH
Our ‘little house on the prairie’, one
of several dotted around, would have
been considered a mansion in the days
of Wyatt Earp. These western-style
cabins are kitted out with 21st-century
mod-cons, but styled with a rustic ‘Old
West’ feel. Our Zion Sauna Lodge, as
the name suggests, features a sauna in
the master bedroom, accessed through
swinging saloon doors. Cowboys
hankering for a quiet evening will find
a barbecue pit and campfire area on
the back porch overlooking the open
range. And when the last cinders have
faded, you just have to lie back and
watch the heavenly constellations
cramming the night sky.
zmr.com
AMANGIRI
Mid-way between Kanab and
Monument Valley lies a very special
place within the depths of Canyon Point.
Pioneers in their own right, the owners
of Amangiri decided this was the perfect
location to build a five-star retreat that
blends with its sacred surroundings.
The Aman brand is known for its
understated elegance, but why would
any modern cowboy choose to spend
the night here? For starters, it’s not often
you get to swim in a pool that wraps
around a canyon rock that’s millions
of years old. The suite’s sprawling bed
looks out onto the open desert valley.
And when the clouds roll in, rain lashes
and lightning illuminates the skies, the
landscape looks even more dramatic.
Any saddle-sore trailhand will find
solace in the spa, and nourishment from
the bountiful breakfast buffet.
aman.com/resorts/amangiri
Horse riding tours:
Several companies
offer a range of horse
riding itineraries around the
Monument Valley Tribal Park,
such as Roy Black’s riding Tour
(blacksmonumentvalleytours.com)
and Sacred Monument Tours
(monumentvalley.net/horse)slaughtered them almost to extinction not
only for their hides, but to deprive the Indians
of their sustenance, ultimately forcing them
onto the reservations.
Our quest for the West continued
with a visit to Kanab city in Utah’s Kane
County, where the deep valleys flanked by
distinctive rocks and canyons have featured
in numerous movies, including Mackenna’s
Gold and The Outlaw Josey Wales, plus scores
of TV Western series from the 1950s and
1960s. Classic shows such as Gunsmoke,
Wagon Train, and the original Lone Ranger
were filmed at the Kanab Canyon Movie
Ranch (now the Best Friends Animal
Sanctuary) and nearby Johnson Canyon. A
mosey past antique and gift shops took us
to Kanab’s Little Hollywood movie museum,
which houses a replica Western town with
authentic sets and a small main street that
just begs for a good-guy/bad-guy showdown.
And just a few gallops away, the nostalgic
Parry Lodge, a charming 1960s hotel, played
host to the stars who filmed in the area.
After bacon, beans n’ coffee, it was time
to holler wagons roll and forge yonder
into the great Wild West. After crossing
into Navajo territory, we checked in at the
famous Gouldings Lodge, which sits loftily
against a sheer red rockface overlooking
Monument Valley. My pardner was quick
to inform me that this place served as the
army headquarters of Captain Nathan
Brittles, played by John Wayne in the 1946
western She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, along with
another of his cavalry sagas, Fort Apache.
Captain Brittles’ cabin from the film still
stands behind the lodges, and the museum
next door is crammed with memorabilia
and images of the area’s film locations.
With our prize destination in sight, we
loaded the pack-mules and prepared to ride
boldly, heading thatta-way to the famed
Monument Valley Tribal Park, the one
distinct place, perhaps more than any, that
conjures up the definitive Western backdrop.
From high above the valley we rattled along
in our hire-car down a seemingly endless
dirt-track trail, gasping all the while at the
magnificent natural monuments: West and
East Mittens, Merrick Butte, then slowly
winding our way down past more mystical
We found ourselves
at the entrance of
southern Utah’s great
Zion National Park,
where a chocolate-
coloured road snaked
round towering
mesas, buttes, narrow
slot canyons and
beautiful arches
Zion National Park