Monument Valley



The Mittens!

Crossing the border from Utah to Arizona, we
arrive at Monument Valley, a Navajo Tribal Park. 
Just when I think I have seen every shape of red
rock, there it is, not only a right but a left mitten!

         Horrible road conditions prevented us from completing this self-driven tour of Valley Drive.

Merrick Butte

Our most enjoyable three week tour of northern Arizona and southern Utah has come to an end and we are ready to head home.

Arches National Park - Moab, UT

After having been rained in the previous day, we are looking forward to exploring Arches National Park and are rewarded with beautiful blue skies. As the name implies, this park is known for it's many photogenic arches, as well as, other aptly named rock formations.




The Three Gossips

Delicate Arch



Balanced Rock






 



Landscape Arch

Double Arch

In 1991 a rock slab  60 feet long, 11 feet wide, and 4 feet thick fell from the underside of Landscape Arch, leaving behind an even thinner ribbon of rock.


Parade of elephants

 

Window Arch





 

One of many mule deer viewed from our window 



 



Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky

We begin our Canyonlands adventure with our stay in Moab, Utah. Canyonlands National Park, described as 527 square miles of wild America, is divided into three regions: Island in the Sky, The Maze, and The Needles. Today we are exploring Island in the Sky.



Candlestick Tower

Mesa Arch





Green River Overlook





Upheaval Dome thought to be caused by a meteorite




A closer look of the dome

Shafer Trail Road





Morgan club visiting the park

Capitol Reef National Park

Beautiful aspen trees turning their fall colors as we drove over Boulder Mountain at a summit of 9600 feet, traveling Scenic Byway 12 from Kodachrome to Torrey - destination Capitol Reef.

The Fluted Wall

Goosenecks

The Castle

Navajo Knob



Hickman Bridge

Hiking to Hickman Bridge



Capitol Dome



Thinks he's going to get an apple pie

Apple orchards discovered along the road








Typical lunch for my driver





 







Hole-in-the-Rock Road - Escalante, Utah

Hole-in-the-Rock Road was one of the few dirt roads we planned on exploring that was not closed due to recent rains in this area. The underlying clay conditions, common to this area, can take quite long to dry out resulting in hazardous driving conditions, and reason for us to cut short our stay at Kodachrome.

Beginning 5 miles east of Escalante off Scenic Byway 12, the 57 mile gravel and dirt Hole-in-the-Rock Rd closely follows the route taken by Mormon pioneers in 1879-80 in an attempt to establish a shortcut across the Colorado River.

Metate Arch

 After traveling twenty minutes along this rough road, in what appears to be the middle of nowhere, is found Devil's Garden, as the sign says "an outstanding natural area".

The 4 Hoodoos

Jim standing near hoodoos



Joyce with more hoodoos!




Mano Arch or Jim's "Tortoise Arch"

Cool place to take in the views