Quote Originally Posted by CalOldBlue View Post

Day 14: Santa Fe to Monument Valley. Second longest driving day of the trip. Lunch at Twin Rocks Trading Post in Bluff Utah (where we have traded $$ for Navajo artwork in the past). Goosenecks of the San Juan. Arrive in Monument Valley (View Hotel; two nights) in time for shooting sunset shots from hotel balcony (just the lit buttes, not the actual sunset), moonrise from front plaza, Milky Way from side parking lot, then more star/butte shots from hotel balcony. Get up early the next morning to shoot sunrise over Merrick Butte from cabin area. Take all day guided tour. More shots that evening. (371 miles, 6+ hours drive time, 2 1/2 hours lunch/sightseeing.)

Day 16: Monument Valley to Death Valley. Longest driving day of the trip. Covering territory we've been through before, so pretty much drive drive drive. Stop in St. George for lunch and gas. Check in to Furnace Creek Inn for two nights. Shoot Milky Way from valley floor. Get up early next morning to shoot sunrise hitting Zabriskie point. Shoot sand dunes area that evening. Spend some time in the pool/pool bar. (525 miles, 8 1/2 hours driving, one hour lunch stop).


Technical note: those of you into taking pictures, even if only on your cellphone, and want to know when and where the Sun and Moon will be and what they are doing on any given date/time of day/location so you can pre-plan a shot should look into an app such as Photopills (my current favorite) or The Photographer's Emphemeris (which I also like and have used in the past).
Sounds like an awesome trip! I have a couple of concerns I just want to make you aware of since you mention October but aren't giving specific dates.

1. The Albuquerque Balloon Festival is from Oct. 2 to Oct. 10th this year and while we've never been we hear that people stay as far away as Santa Fe and there is a lot of traffic involved.

2. Since we are going to be in a Dark Sky place for our anniversary in early October, I know that the new moon for Oct. 2021 is on October 6th and we plan to see the Milky Way. You will be in good locations for seeing the Milky Way. That said I don't know the dates of your Milky Way photo opportunities, but a full moon or near full will probably not make them possible. https://www.moongiant.com/calendar/october/2021/

Utahtea