The South Riding RV Travels

719

19th September 2012 - Grand Canyon AZ to Monument Valley UT

Today we left Grand Canyon and headed east for Monument Valley. But for the first 60 miles we were still following the canyon - and the views are still as spectacular.
Eventually we reached the Desert Tower. It was designed in 1930 by architect Mary Coulter and has a steel frame built by the engineers of the Santa Fe railroad. She designed a number of the buildings in the park.
Many of the murals on the inside walls were painted by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie.
On a clear day you can see Navajo Mountain from here (more than 90 miles away). Sadly pollution from the Page coal burning power station restricts visbility these days.
The odd mound shape may well be the cone of an ancient volcano.
A little more of the river is visible here.
There are still canyons being formed as we follow the Little Colorado River. These rifts limit travel going north.
These odd rock formations are called hoodoos and are increasingly seen as we approach Monument Valley.
A rare sighting of a coal train from the Kayenta coal mine to the Page power station. I thought both had closed but obviously not yet.
The coal travels from the opencast mine to this tower which is used to load the train. The coal is very dirty and of poor quality which make the Page power station one of the most polluting in the US. The railway is completely separate from all other railways in the US.