Arches and Bryce Canyon National Parks

We took a back country 4x4 tour of Arches. It got us away from the crowds and was a lot of fun. Here are some of the photos of Arches N.P.

Delicate Arch

After Arches, we left Moab and drove to Bryce Canyon National Park. Here are a few photos from Bryce.

Monument Valley and Mystery Valley

We signed up with a Navajo guide, Derrick, for a 4x4 tour of Monument Valley. You can do a self-driving tour but the Navajo guided tours take you into the backcountry and show you things you wouldn't see on the self-driving tour. Unfortunately, we didn't get to finish the tour because Carol Ann slipped on a slick rock and fell on her head. She got a nasty gash just behind her left eye. Blood was spurting out of a broken artery making it look a lot worse than it was. Blood was running down the side of her head and soaking her shirt.  Derrick got the first aid kit from the truck and we applied a pressure dressing, which Carol Ann kept pressed against the wound. So instead of finishing the tour the guide took us to the Monument Valley Navajo Health Clinic. The clinic is owned and operated by the United Navajo Nation. It was new and very modern. She was seen rather quickly and assessed by a PA (Physician's Assistant). After a nurse cleaned up the wound the doctor came in and put three stitches in her head. The PA, nurse, and doctor were all Navajo and did a super job. Carol Ann is doing fine except it looks like she took a punch in the eye. To say she has a black eye would be minimizing it. The eye is completely encircled by red, blue, and black bruising.

Here are some of the Monument Valley photos I managed to take before the accident. Where possible I have included the name of the monument.

One of the Mittens

The Three Sisters

The Sleeping Dragon

One of the Mittens

Roof of the Big Hogan

The Big Hogan 

   

A traditional Navajo hogan

The next day we took another Navajo guided tour of Mystery Valley. Mystery Valley is south of Monument Valley. Here are some photos.

A Navajo hogan

The Big Hogan

Roof of the Big Hogan

Monument Valley

We arrived in Monument Valley this afternoon after a two and a half day drive from Shawnee, OK. Monument Valley looks the same as it did in the old Westerns that were made here.

The East and West Mittens

John Wayne was one well known star who made several movies here, including "Stagecoach", "The Searchers", and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon". One of these movies is shown at the Goulding's Lodge every night at 8 PM. Admission is free. We are staying in our motorhome at Goulding's RV Park just down the road.

Tomorrow we will be taking a tour of the Valley and I will post some of the photos on this blog.

*Note: The header photo of this blog just happens to be the approach to Monument Valley.

The Canadian Rockies

The following photographs were taken in the Banff/Jasper area on our recent trip to the Canadian Rockies. The weather varied from snowy to bright sunshine. It was snowing at Lake Louise, effectively blotting out the far side of the lake, which kept me from getting any good shots of the lake.

Unnamed lake.

Unnamed lake.

Lake Minnewanka.

Lake Minnewanka.

Lake Minnewanka.

Banff as viewed from the summit of Sulfur Mountain.

The Banff Springs Hotel seen from Sulfur Mountain.

Banff Springs Hotel from across the river.

Morraine Lake.

Canoes on Lake Louise.

Lake Louise Chateau.

Snow-covered flowers at Lake Louise.

Snow-covered flowers at Lake Louise.

Unnamed waterfall.

Sunset in Jasper.

Maligne Lake.

Maligne Lake.

Maligne Lake.

Tour boats on Maligne Lake.

Maligne Lake from Spirit Island.

The Columbia Icefields.

Walking on the icefields.

Transportation on the icefields.

Transportation on the icefields.

Along the highway from Jasper to Banff.

Along the highway from Jasper to Banff.

Along the highway from Jasper to Banff.

Along the highway from Jasper to Banff.

Pitoe Lake between Jasper and Banff.

Along the highway from Jasper to Banff.

Along the highway from Jasper to Banff.

Along the highway from Jasper to Banff.

Along the highway from Jasper to Banff.

Along the highway from Jasper to Banff.

Bull elk on shore of the Athabasca River.

Rafting on the Athabasca River.

Rafting on the Athabasca River.