Totem Pole and Yei Bi Chei

Monument Valley straddles the border between Arizona and Utah and is located on the vast Navajo Nation. It is best known for it's "monuments", or huge stone pinaccles and buttes. Monument Valley is essentially not a valley, but rather a plateau. The tops of the monuments mark the level of an ancient plateau, which long ago, cracked, crumbled, and eroded away, leaving only the monuments. Most people think of monument valley only as the three "mitten" buttes at the visitors' center, when really the park covers a vast area with hundreds of spires and buttes, and many natural arches as well, most of which can only be seen on a guided tour. The 17-mile loop through the valley is quite beautiful, and passes some of the best known monuments, but for the really good shots, it is necessary to take a guided tour.

This is pretty much right as the sun came over the horizon, and is one of the more popular shots in the valley. It is also taken at sunset, when the dunes are lit from the other side.

My stepfather and I woke up at about 4:30 or so and made the 45-minute drive from Kayenta, AZ, to Monument Valley for a sunrise tour. The tour was quite incredible, and we saw sights that you would never even dream of seeing on the scenic loop.