April 2

We get up early for one more visit to the Grand Canyon. Our goal is the "Red Route," which can only be explored by shuttle bus or on foot. After a quick coffee stop in Grand Canyon Village, we wait for the bus. Unfortunately, the system only allows round trips — 80 minutes without photo stops — but since we need to continue driving today, we ride just one stop and walk back. We visit the Grand Canyon Depot with its historic Grand Canyon Railway trains before heading toward Monument Valley.
Highway 64 (20 miles) runs along the rim of the Grand Canyon past many overlooks where we make several stops. Particularly beautiful and highly recommended: Mather Point, Yaki Point, Grandview Point, Moran Point, Lipan Point, and — as a grand finale at the road's end — Desert View Point with its sweeping view into the Painted Desert (colorful stone desert). This brings us to the outer reaches of the Grand Canyon. The drive continues through the scenic and absolutely worthwhile Painted Desert, through the territory of the Navajo Nation. Here, various roadside stops offer handmade souvenirs sold by Native Americans. The route continues through Cameron and Tuba City into the land of the Hopi and Navajo peoples, arriving at the iconic MONUMENT VALLEY — familiar from countless films and, as it were, John Wayne's living room. We drive a short distance toward Monument Valley and enjoy the sunset before grabbing a quick bite to eat and heading to our hotel in Kayenta.