Dammit.

I failed in my quest to sneak in a visit to Sedona today – I really wanted an hour or so to explore the beautiful scenery, but an early evening brought on by dark clouds rained on my parade.

The sky during the sunset was beautiful, though. The clouds were a melting pot – all different shapes and sizes jumbled together – pretty cool (check out the photo below).

I’m excited for tomorrow – I only have to drive three hours to Monument Valley where I’ll stay at The View Hotel for the night (I’m holding up in Flagstaff tonight).

Apparently there’s a 4-mile loop that leaves right from the hotel, and it’s the only trail in Monument Valley Park that visitors can hike without being escorted by an authorized Navajo guide.

And the area has some great stargazing (you should really click that link and check out the photo…it almost looks fake).

Here are some photos of today’s drive – the green hills of California (Santa Barbara) giving way to the boulders and snow-capped mountains of Arizona.