Monument Valley

We drove through Navajo Indian country to the four corners area, detouring at Monument Valley. This is the highlight of our trip, a most inspiring landscape of soaring spires and buttes. All along this segment of our drive the red-pink-orange hues of the Arizona plateau country was crisp, bold, and beautiful. In contrast once farther in New Mexico the countryside has a dusty greyish feel. The numerous Indian trading posts and ruins along the way were romantic and took us back to a simpler time. After visiting Africa 10 years later I realize that the American southwest is evocative of the landscape of Africa.