We arrived in Page, Az. after a ride in the rain from Durango to forty or so miles East of Page. The attractions in Page are the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, and a place called Antelope Canyon.
We found out that you needed reservations for the Antelope Canyon tours and at first we thought everything was booked. After a drive out to the tour site we were told to return the next day and they would get us in. It turned out that we were among a large number of people who didn't reserve anything. We got to the site very early and we were the last people to get on the 8:45 tour. The tours were really packed due to the holiday weekend. The 8:45 had two bus loads of Japanese tourists. I even met people from Indonesia and India.
Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon that gets fast running water from rains in the mountains. It is a red colored sandstone that has been formed into beautiful swirling walls which in some places were over 200 meters high. It is on the Navajo Reservation just outside the town of Page. Our guide, Henry told us that 17 French Tourists were killed here by flooding water in 1997. Apparently they refused their guides orders to leave the canyon and they were swept away.
We found out when we got into the canyon that the best time to take the tour is probably between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm because the light from the sun shines on the walls to the canyon all the way to the floor of the canyon. This depends on the time of year of course but for the prime summer hours our tour only had the sun about a third of the way down the walls. We probably took two hundred photos and, even though it will be difficult, I'll limit my pictures to 10 or so. It was a short but beautiful tour.
In the afternoon we drove to the reservoir behind the dam on the Colorado River. The water has risen this year but it is still very low. A very pretty place and an active recreation area.
On Sunday July 3rd we drove to Sedona. We relaxed for three days here, had a couple of really great meals, and just enjoyed the red rocks and the peacefulness of this beautiful place. We had a mission to find something to hang over our fireplace at home. I can say that our mission was accomplished.
It was a quiet 4th of July because they don't have fireworks in this tinderbox desert.
All in all we had another great five days. I really love the desert even though it's pretty hot this time of year.
On 7/7 we moved on to Laughlin, NV on our way to Valencia, CA. (The Reagan Library) my next post.
Life is good. Enjoy the Pictures.
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| On the way to Antelope Canyon |
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| Enjoy the beauty. Ten times better in person. |
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| Our Guide Henry. He just buried his fourth wife. Had a dad who was 7ft plus. All Navajo Guides. |
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| This is where the water would enter the canyon. |
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| Lake Powell Recreation. |
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| Glenn Canyon Dam Page, AZ. |
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| The beach is kind of hard with the water down. |
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| A vista spot on the way to Sedona. Az. Route 89 |
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| Shopping on the vista point. |
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| July 3rd traffic soiutheast of Sedona. An hour to the campground. |
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| Coffee Pot Rock, Sedona |
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| Dangerous climbing on the sandstone. |
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| Goodbye Sedona. For now! |
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