Shiprock, New Mexico...Thirty million years ago, it was 2,000 feet underground.

Today, thanks to erosion, Shiprock towers roughly 1,700 feet over northwestern New Mexico and attracts thousands of savvy vacationers each year.

Considered one of the world's finest volcanic formations, Shiprock is a volcanic "neck," the remains of the core of a once-mighty volcano. Anglo-Americans gave the formation, which can be seen up to 100 miles away, its current name because, from a distance, it looks like a large clipper ship.

Years before that, however, the Navajo called the rock Tsé Bit' A'i, or Rock with Wings. The name stems from an ancient Navajo legend that tells how the rock was once a large bird, who ­ summoned by the Navajo's ancestors ­ helped transport the people away from pursuing enemies and brought them to New Mexico.

By any name, Shiprock today is a great tourist destination. Thirteen miles northeast of the formation, the small town of Shiprock, founded in 1903, is still home to the historic building that once housed the Bureau of Indian Affairs. And special events are held near the rock throughout the year, including several Navajo ceremonies and a large hot air balloon festival.

Kind of makes you grateful for erosion.