Miles:
364
Today
we left Durango and drove to the Four Corners, Monument Valley and
the Grand Canyon. I did not have high expectations for this day when
planning the trip. We needed to get to the Grand Canyon from Durango
somehow and a scenic drive through Monument Valley seemed better than
nothing. First we stopped at the Four Corners where Colorado, New
Mexico, Arizona and Utah state lines come together. It is a tourist
trap but we enjoyed the stop. The drive through Southeastern Utah's
Monument Valley by far exceeded my expectations. The rock formations
and colors were amazing. We even took one of the dirt roads to get
better views. This is an incredible area that is a must see if you
are anywhere in the area. It also kept the kids attention somewhat
as it was the inspiration for Ordainment Valley in the “Cars”
movie. One warning, there is almost nothing between Cortez, CO and
Tuba City, AZ and even less after Tuba City.
The
other benefit of taking this route to the Grand Canyon is we entered
at the East Entrance instead of the most popular South Entrance.
Since our hotel was in Tusayan, AZ we drove through the park and
stopped at some of the less visited overlooks. Once we got close to
the South Entrance, we bypassed them in favor of checking in to our
hotel and getting dinner. We found an elk at the hotel entrance
chewing on the landscaping. Staying just outside the South Entrance,
we will get an early jump on the Grand Canyon's South Rim in the
morning.
(This
posting is a day late because, while the Grand Canyon is beautiful,
it has lousy internet access!)
Road between Durango and Cortez, CO
Between Cortez and the Four Corners
The FourCorners
Twin Rocks in Bluff, UT
Monument Valley, UT
Monument Valley, UT
Monument Valley, UT
Bridge near Mexican Hat, UT
Monument Valley, AZ
Monument Valley, AZ
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