Arizona: Monument Valley, Stage for Movies

Several movies have been filmed in Monument Valley.

You can go here to see a list of movies and shots including the valley.

The Vanishing American (silent film of 1925) was the first film shot in Monument Valley.

Probably the best known is Stagecoach (1939), introducing John Wayne.

Arizona: Monument Valley Drive

I was surprised to see a hogan on the Valley Drive (lower left).

Some of the geological features looked like they could have been petrified animals. Each of the formations has a name.

Arizona: Monument Valley, Valley Drive

As soon as we entered the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park we went on the Valley Drive.

It's a 17 mile unpaved dirt road. The initial part of the drive was very rough. I'm glad my niece was driving an SUV.

This gives a little perspective of the road (at the bottom) compared to the buttes and spires. It was dusty.

Here is another perspective.

Arizona: Monument Valley, Highway 163

We turned north at Kayenta onto Highway 163.

We were seeing beautiful formations miles before we reached the Navajo Tribal Park.

Arizona: Glen Canyon Dam to Monument Valley

We stopped for lunch on the shaded grounds of the Glen Canyon Dam Visitor Center.

We headed east into Navajo Nation.

I was still fascinated by the geological features periodically appearing on the plateau.

At one point I felt like we should be in Australia.

We began to see hints of Monument Valley.

A last glimpse of Black Mesa before we turned north to Monument Valley.

Arizona and Utah: Grand Canyon to Glen Canyon Dam

Our next destination was Monument Valley, in the northeast corner of Arizona. Due to a road closure, we traveled northwest to Kanab, Utah. We drove along the Vermilion Cliffs and then up onto the plateau of the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument.

We continued to see unusual geological formations.

We eventually came off the plateau.

Finally, a portion of Lake Powell in view.

Arizona: Grand Canyon North Rim Sunrise

We were out early to catch the dawn light on the Canyon. The South Rim visitor center and lodge can be seen on the Canyon edge, about the middle of the horizon.

This was the dawn view to the south east.

It didn't take long for the color to wash out after the sun rose.

Arizona: Grand Canyon North Rim, Sunset

Sunset from the lodge at the North Rim.

Arizona: Grand Canyon North Rim, Bright Angel Point

Bright Angel Point, at lower left, is the most visited viewpoint at the North Rim.

The path to this viewpoint begins at the lodge and is less than half a mile. It is at 8,100 feet, however, and steep in places, so we did have to stop for a breath now and then.

Part of the allure of the North Rim is the closeness of the geological features.

Arizona: Grand Canyon North Rim, Cape Royal

Cape Royal is the most southerly viewpoint on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This first view is toward the south, showing a couple of the buttes in the distance, towards Flagstaff.

This second view is toward the east, with the Painted Desert in the distance.

Arizona: Grand Canyon North Rim, Angels Window

Angels Window is a natural arch. Do you see the people on the top? It was a short walk from the parking lot near Cape Royal and the views from the top were amazing.

Arizona: Grand Canyon North Rim, Point Imperial

Our first stop at the North Rim was Point Imperial. It is the highest point on the Canyon rims at 8,803 feet.

It is just north of here that the narrow Marble Canyon broadens to become the Grand Canyon.

Part of the draw of the North Rim is the closeness of geological features.