Deja view

Heading toward the Grand Canyon, we took a detour in Kayenta, a small Arizona town in the middle of the Navajo Nation, to see one of the West's most famous landscapes.

Monument Valley's iconic red mesas rising from the desert floor are no less impressive for having serving as a back drop for many western scenes. Even from miles away on U.S Route 163, the lone way to the park in Navajo lands, they're thrilling at first sight -- maybe because they're so familiar. You're amazed they exist in real life.

We wanted to get to the Grand Canyon before sunset, so we didn't actually go into the park after crossing into Utah. We marveled for a few minutes before heading back to Kayenta. But the more than 40 mile round trip were worth it just for that valley view.