San Juan River and mountains and Medicine Hat

Beginning to see mesas and "monuments" in the distance...

Though I frequently would see oil wells pumping away, I was seldom quick enough to get a photo of them.

Then there were these black shiny rocks which we couldn't identify.

Coming to a stop where another highway joins...just love that huge pile of rocks...

We stopped to pick up a snack...which ended up taking 30 minutes to prepare a "to-go" of bread, veggies and a very heavily garlic hummus.  Apparently everyone who was seated got preference.

There's that brilliant salmon colored earth! And look at those wrinkled mountains!~

Georgia O'Keeffe would definitely love this!

First view of Medicine Hat...behind those power lines...shucks.

We kept exclaiming over the beautiful colors!

We crossed a bridge over the Santa Fe River

Let's go to Monument Valley the scenic way!

We started over on the far right in CO, about where Hwy 41/162 goes off Hwy 160 going west through Utah and into Monument Valley.  What a beautiful ride. McElmo River gorge continued along much of the highway.

It was late afternoon, and driving west meant the passenger (myself) had great views with bright sun and few shadows.

My son told me of a recent camping trip while rafting down the San Juan River in this area.  He and Kendra had also gone back packing camping in Canyon of the Ancients nearby.  This territory is becoming familiar to him, but he'd never been as far as Monument Valley, where so many movies have been filmed.