MONUMENT VALLEY
ARIZONA'S MYTHIC LANDSCAPE
by Janet & Stuart Wilson

Mitten-shaped buttes and slender spires glowed in late afternoon sun, transfixing our gaze as we approached Monument Valley on U.S. Route 163. This geologic
spectacle, straddling the Arizona/Utah border,
captivated us with its grandeur while
imparting a feeling of dejá vu. 

FWe found this 90,000-acre Navajo Tribal Park well off-the-beaten-path’s 300 miles from Phoenix and further yet from Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, or Las Vegas. But once here, a mixture of revealed geology, iconic scenery, and traditional culture, interwoven with a measure of myth, rewarded the journey. It turns out Monument Valley is something of a misnomer. Beneath wide skies, amid a vast expanse of undulating purple sage and sand, fanciful geologic formations indeed appear monumental. However, they are not in a valley, but on the Colorado Plateau at an elevation of about 5,500 feet.

We first checked out the Visitor Center, where we collected literature, shopped for Navajo crafts, and booked a guided tour for the following day...

The complete article can be found in the current issue of RV Journal, available at quality campgrounds, RV dealers, parts, and service suppliers. Subscriptions are also available for this quarterly publication.

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