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.
Wake and Wander 
This looks so familiar from my time living in Arizona. Now that it is 16 degrees F outside, I wonder why I ever moved (but come July, I’ll remember why)! I wish I had seen more of Arizona while we lived there… we visited Sedona and Flagstaff while living in the Phoenix area, and I’ve been to Vegas and the Grand Canyon, but there are so many other places to see that I guess I’ll just have to wander back one day!