I drove from Moab to the Grand Canyon in a straight shot. I didnt' know what to expect from the region, I hadn't had a chance to research it. What I found was the Valley of the Gods.

For quite awhile, heavy rain and dark clouds made for a forgettable drive. Finally I reached the edge of the darkness and off in the distance I could see blue mountains.

Soon I was in the Valley of the Gods. It was amazing - long flat valleys punctuated by intricate natural sculptures. I'd never heard of it before and I was pretty blown away. It was like Moab on a much grander scale.

This one's called Mexican Hat. They should probably rename it Sombrero.

This one looks like a penguin. I don't know what it is called. Arctic bird?

The valley was really big, stretching from a good ways into Utah as far south as the southern edge of the Grand Canyon, statues extending the whole distance. I couldn't go see any of the side spots because I wanted to hit the Grand Canyon by sunset. Anyway, it was cool.