And Another Road Trip

Once we returned from Chicago, we headed out the next day on a road trip to California, Arizona and Utah. California for a red egg and ginger party for my niece's baby girl, Aria. Great to finally see Aria. She is absolutely beautiful and such a perfect baby.

We next drove to Kanab, Utah for a visit to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. It was spectacular. I wasn't quite prepared for the cold. It was in the teens first thing in the morning. 

From Kanab, we headed to Bluff, Utah to visit Monument Valley. Monument Valley has been on my bucket list for some time. Before we got to Bluff, we had to stop at Horseshoe Bend, another spot on my bucket list.

We stopped for a bite to eat at the Dairy Café in Bluff, where the really nice woman who owns and operates the restaurant suggested we stop at Goosenecks State Park, since it was on the way to Monument Valley. Goosenecks is named for the multiple bends the San Juan River makes as it meanders through the area. It is every bit as nice as Horseshoe bend but with multiple bends in the river.

Horseshoe Bend, Page, Arizona

It was nice little walk from the parking lot to the view point. As expected, it was crowded and everyone waited their turn to photograph the river. 

Goosenecks State Park, Blanding, Utah

Us 163 towards Monument Valley

I know this has been photographed a million times, but not by me. I just had to do it. Monument Valley is a Navajo Tribal Park on the Navajo Nation on the border of Arizona and Utah. It is one of the most well-known and iconic landscapes in the country. We took the seventeen mile Valley Drive. It is a bumpy and dusty road but easily done. The drive takes you past some incredible sandstone formations. Well worth it.