I'd always found Monument Valley to be a beautiful place, a place of wide open, epic vistas. I'd always thought that it would be an interesting place to visit, but I never really dwelled on the thought. Someday...
When we were making plans for our honeymoon drive from Las Vegas back to Santa Fe, a trek to be taken in late November, planning our route through some of the national parks in southern Utah, Monument Valley was chosen as a stopover. As the trip drew closer, my desire to see Monument Valley grew greater...
We arrived in Monument Valley as a winter storm blew in. A low, dense blanket of fog hung low to ground, wrapping itself around the Mittens. I took this shot from the deck of our room. It was the clearest the sky would be during our overnight stay...
A couple of weeks ago we took an extra day off from work and went on a road trip to Canyon de Chelly (which I wrote about here). While there we decided to take a quick side trip to Monument Valley. Another chance at seeing what couldn't be seen last November. The sky was clear, the weather was perfect for some sightseeing. Clear skies and mid-day sun don't necessarily make good photographs, but they make great memories and that's what was important that day...
There's a 17 mile scenic drive that winds through Monument Valley, and as we slowly wound our way around it we made frequent stops so I could take a few photos...
From Artist's Point I was able to take this shot, which most closely evokes the memories I have of the numerous westerns that have been filmed there...
As the sun rose higher in the sky the light grew harsher, washing out the sky, and this shot. Taken near the end of our drive, it isn't particularly noteworthy but it's my shot of the Mittens that day...
We left shortly after, moving on to other adventures that day, but I was content, having finally seen Monument Valley. And I can't wait to return one day...
Nikon D7000, Nikkor 18-55 DX, Nikkor 10-24 DX
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