Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
The Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park actually sits in Arizona, although you are in Utah when you turn off Highway 163. From the turn off, it's about 1.1 miles to the Arizona State Line and then another 2.2 miles to the Admissions Booth. Fee is $20 per vehicle, up to 4 people. The View Hotel and the Visitor's Center is about a half a mile beyond that.
The Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park has a 17 mile scenic one-way loop (Valley Road), which takes you to several overlooks. You are suppose to stay on the main road and overlook areas, and are not allowed to drive, bike, hike, or camp anywhere else without being part of a paid Navajo guided tour. The only exception is the Wildcat Trail that circles the West Mitten, which you are allowed to hike on your own.
All the guest rooms of The View Hotel have a balcony that overlooks the West and East Mittens along with Merrick Butte.
Below is the vista looking east from the rear side of the hotel or from your room. Too bad the Navajo Nation is dry (no alcohol allowed), as sitting on your balcony with a glass of wine enjoying the view would be wonderful.
At John Ford's Point Overlook, there is often a Navajo with his horse. He will ride out towards the end of the point in the foreground and pose for tips. He wasn't there either time we stopped.
The Yei Bi Chei (Navajo spiritual gods) is a formation of dancers emerging from a hogan, located just east of the Totem Pole.
We made sure to get back to the hotel to catch the sunset, lighting the Mittens in a warm glow. Twice a year the West Mitten casts its shadow on the East Mitten just before sundown. We were probably 2-3 days after the ideal time, but still got a nice shot.
Grand Canyon
Our visit to the Grand Canyon was limited to the South Rim as the North Rim doesn't open until May 15th. Really wasn't sure what to expect (other than a big hole and lots of people). Came in the East Entrance on Highway 64, and was a bit surprised at the vegatation and all the trees.
Desert View Watchtower
Located 25 miles east of Grand Canyon Village. The tower was constructed in 1932 and underwent major renovations in 2010, and is recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The design was influenced from the architecture of the ancestral Puebloan people of the Colorado Plateau.
South rim overlooks
Bright angel Trail
The Bright Angel Trailhead takes off just west of Kolb Studio near Bright Angel Lodge. The trail is 9.5 miles in length (to Phantom Ranch) and has 4,500 feet in elevation change.
Horseshoe Bend
A couple miles south of Page, AZ on Highway 89 is the parking area for Horseshoe Bend. From the parking lot the trail climbs a sandy hill and then descends to the overlook. The trail is 1.5 miles round trip. At the end of the trial you will be greeted with a breath taking view 1,000 feet above the Colorado River. This is a very popular hike and therefore plenty of tourists.
I did some research before the trip and found that my 24-120mm lens would not be wide enough to capture the entire scene in one frame. I ended up renting a 15-30mm lens specifically for this shot. The image below was shot at 19mm on a full-frame DLSR.
We visited this location twice in the same day. In the morning the sky was clear, causing the left cliffs and the river directly below to be in shadows. We came back late afternoon when the the sky was overcast and captured this image.
Upper Antelope Canyon
Just east outside of Page, AZ on the Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park lies Lower and Upper Antelope Canyons. Each canyon requires a separate tour, as they are run by different groups. Upper Antelope Canyon is known for its light beams that reach the canyon floor mid-day from April thru September, and is the most photographed canyon of the two.
(We booked our tour online at Antelope Canyon Tours by Roger Ekis )
There are two types of tours for each canyon. The Sightseeing Tour does not allow tripods, and the Photographic Tour requires that each person have both a SLR/DSLR and a tripod. On the Photographic Tour your guide helps with locations and timing, holding back other tour groups so you can get your shot, plus you get to stay in the canyon a bit longer. The tour company that we booked with did allow an "assistant"; however they do limit that. Lower Antelope Canyon tours are very rigid in allowing only photographers with "proper equipment" on the photographic tours.
We did have a chuckle at the start of the tour. Immediately before we entered the canyon, our Navajo guide said "Before we go in I have a couple of questions." "Everyone is shooting RAW, right?" We all confirmed our cameras were set on RAW. He then asked "Who is the whitest in the group?" There was an awkward slience as the six of us looked at each other not knowing how to respond.
"Who is the whitest in the group?" -- Navajo Guide
"16?... 17?... 20?" he questioned. At this point I realized that he had said "widest", referring to the lenses we were using. I spoke up with "I'm at 24mm." After 3 or 4 seconds, the photographer next to me then responded "Oh... sorry, I have a 16mm lens." The rest of the group, having figured it out and now relieved, chimed in.
(The reason the guide wanted to know about our lenses is so he could position us inside the canyon, with the wider lenses up front and the longer lenses immediately behind.)
The image below is a HDR combination of 5 bracketed exposures. This was needed because of the sun striking the canyon floor. Without combining the different exposures, the spot on the floor would have been blown out (totally white) with no detail in the sand.
Another HDR image due to the extreme difference in the bright and dark areas of the scene, and the inability of the camera to capture in a single exposure the range of what our eyes can see.
Extras
On our way back home from Page, AZ we stopped in Moab, UT to visit close friends. We did a 6 mile round trip hike in Negro Bill Canyon to Morning Glory Arch. While we were there a mountaineering tour group repelled down the gap between the arch and the cliff face. (Bonus: The 15-30mm rental lens came in handy one more time.)
Final Thoughts
Really enjoyed Upper Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Monument Valley, in that order. The Grand Canyon was nice but not sure it would be the primary destination for another trip.
Upper Antelope Canyon is such a special place, and Horseshoe bend is spectacular. There are also other slot canyons to explore in the area. Definitely would like to return to Page, AZ.