Monument Valley(take 2), Arches and Canyonlands

I know you aren't going to believe this, but we went back to Monument Valley. I guess when one is in Utah, it is just the right thing to do. Somehow Joe convinced us all that it was "on the way" to The Arches and Canyonlands. This time was a little different since we arrived during a thunderstorm. Wouldn't you know it, a beautiful rainbow appeared right in front of us. After another trip to Forest Gump Point to show the parents, we settled into our favorite campground for the evening.

This morning we headed to Arches National Park. This park was not very crowded so we were able to go at our own pace and drive the scenic route. We did "hike" out to the Double Arch for a close-up view. They are quite magnificent structures. We had fun looking at all of the stone sculptures and determining what they looked like to us. Many of them were already named, but the others are fair game!  Below I've posted pictures of The Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, The Fiery Furnace, The Windows, and several others.

Just a short drive from Arches is Canyonlands. We just drove into Canyonlands and took a look at the first canyon. We didn't spend a significant amount of time here as we need to be making our way back to Salt Lake City. We say goodbye to the grandparents tomorrow:( It's been such a joy to have them with us and we hope they aren't too exhausted!