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Lovely picture!! Love the depth of color too!
Speaking of which, you said your photos from Sedona and Monument Valley didn't have the vibrant colors you saw when there. The answer is a combination of reflectivity of the sandstone and the altitude. Basically, you need to cut up to 3 f-stops. If using an all automatic camera, find a lighter color area, put that in the sensing box in the middle of the frame, depress the shutter halfway, so it can take its computerized light metered reading, then put that central part of the frame in the photo for your composition, and finish depressing the shutter and take the photo. Basically, the camera reads wherever it's aimed at being of average (middle gray) brightness. By aiming at a brighter place for it to meter the light, you have it close the apeture enough to cut back on the excess light. (Basically, light has to go thru more dust, etc. at sea level. At altitude, the light is actually brighter, and you need to close the apeture. Not having direct access in an all auto camera, you have to fool the camera by having it look at something lighter and brighter.
I hope this explanation makes sense. If you read this and have questions, just leave a comment on one of my newer photos.