Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah
If you follow US highway 163 between Kayenta in Northern Arizona and the town of Mexican Hat in Southern Utah you will see the spectacular scenery of Monument Valley.
There is a turning from this road for the visitor centre where you can take the 'loop tour' through the park, though the route on the loop tour can be an incredibly dusty affair when busy it still shows the best of the park. There are some truly stunning rock formations here.
and obviously the 'seen in every western movie' formations too
whilst crossing this hot as hell open space I picked up a Native American guy walking beside the road, he was not hitch hiking but explained that people rarely stop for the Navajo in the area (with the exception of other Navajo) I dropped him at a small track that led to a desert dwelling away in the distance, he thanked me and as he closed the door he said "may you walk always in beauty" it really made my day.
driving along this road is such a great experience, it almost makes you want to turn around and do it all again immediately.
This was yet another one of those 'can't believe I'm here days', with the hot summer sun, beautiful blue skies and landscapes I'd seen a thousand times in western movies actually right in front of me, just another part of this endless holiday of a lifetime.