Monument Valley 2012
What does 2001: A Space Odyssey, Easy Rider, Mission Impossible II and John Wayne have in common? All had scenes shot 
in Monument Valley (The footage for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is used as the surface of an alien planet to which protagonist Dave Bowman travels through a stargate; 1969’s counter-culture classic Easy Rider includes some footage of Monument Valley towards its beginning; opening shots of Mission: Impossible II (2000) feature Tom Cruise climbing in Monument Valley and many John Wayne westerns were filmed there). In 2012, Jeff and I decided to take two weeks and visit the beautiful areas in Arizona, which lead us to Monument Valley. This was sort of an “add-on” to the trip but WOW, it was absolutely one of the top joys. It is located on the Arizona-Utah state line near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation and is accessible from U.S. Highway 163. I recommend staying at Gouldings (http://www.gouldings.com/campground/). The RV sites are nestled between red rocks and is gorgeous. There is an indoor pool, grocery store, museum, and John Wayne movie every night. So charming.
