..........Navajo National Monument, Arizona and Monument Valley Arizona/Utah.

Following our visit to the Grand Canyon, we spent the night in Page, Arizona. The next morning, we drove a short distance to the Navajo National Monument. We walked a one-mile trail there to see a small cliff dwelling and several nice overlooks. This park had a great example of the Southwestern pigmy forest. They are made up of small Pinyon pines and Juniper. The small amount of rainfall and high amount of heat have kept them small and stocky.

After leaving the Navajo National Monument, we turned toward Monument Valley. Now, if you've ever watched some of the great western movies of the 1940's and 1950's, you've seen Monument Valley. John Wayne made many of his westerns there. Other films made there include Easy Rider, How The West Was Won, and one segment of Forrest Gump, just to name a few. Monument Valley is in both Arizona and Utah.

.........Navajo National Monument Park.

.........Monument Valley.

.......this is the Director's Chair used by John Ford when he filmed the greatest western picture of all time (in my opinion), The Searchers. This outstanding movie was filmed in 1956, and stars John Wayne. If you haven't seen it - see it now before it's too late!!!

This is the actual building used by John Wayne's character, Col. Nathan Brittles, in another fantastic John Ford western, Tie A Yellow Ribbon. This is another "must see" movie for you. After Monument Valley, we made our way to Moab, Utah for the evening. Arches National Park is next.