From our campsite in Blanding UT, we headed south on 191 to 163W toward Mexican Hat. 

This took us through a red sandstone viewscape called Valley of the Gods.

Considered a smaller version of Monument Valley, it has been the location for several television shows.

You can drive through Valley of the Gods on a 17 mile dirt road, FR242.  It didn’t look too to us as we drove by, but I hear that a vehicle with high clearance is highly recommended. 

We thought the name was immensely appropriate.

Some of the rock formations looked like ancient temples.

As we passed the incredibly scenic area…

…we saw the Mexican Hat rock, for which the town is named.

 It seemed that breathtaking beauty could be found everywhere we looked.

And then we saw the first clue to Monument Valley.

And we braced ourselves for an incredible experience.