Day 6~
Thursday morning started early. If you will recall, I had spent the night in Page, AZ. I had an early morning tour of Antelope Canyon. Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon. Slot canyons are canyons that are created by flash floods. Antelope Canyon is on a Navajo reservation, so I had book a trip with a Navajo group.
It did not begin at all like I expected...on a monster truck!
Turns out monster trucks are a necessity because of all the sand you have to drive through. It was a bit more adventure than I bargain for. Riding down the highway at 60 mph in the back of a monster truck when the temps are in the 40's is a wee bit chilly!
As I mentioned, these canyons are carved out by flash floods. So I had read that if there is even a chance of rain, they won't let you go. They are even more cautious now because 11 photographers died there in 1997 when they got caught in the rain. Now if you'll notice in the above pic, the sky was super cloudy. It had already rained earlier in the morning, but they claimed that there wasn't any rain to the south, so we were good to go. You can imagine my anxiety when it started sprinkling when we were inside the canyon! But thankfully no heavy rains, so I am alive to tell the tale.
This is the entrance to the canyon...
After I exited the West side of the South Rim, I stopped at the National Geographic Imax theater and saw a movie about Powell's expedition down the river in 1869. Then I drove back to Sedona through the San Francisco Peaks and Flagstaff...
I'm so happy that I got to go on a trip. I'm glad that I was able to see Sedona and surrounding area as well as everything up at Page and the Grand Canyon. Arizona was not a location that as I was leaving I was thinking that I couldn't wait to come back. I know I won't be rushing out there for another trip next year, but I think it is something everyone should see at least once, and I was happy to check off a few more items on the 1000 Places to See Before You Die book.
Thursday morning started early. If you will recall, I had spent the night in Page, AZ. I had an early morning tour of Antelope Canyon. Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon. Slot canyons are canyons that are created by flash floods. Antelope Canyon is on a Navajo reservation, so I had book a trip with a Navajo group.
It did not begin at all like I expected...on a monster truck!
This is the entrance to the canyon...
An interesting fact... I was the only American on the tour. This was the beginning of a day that was unique from any other day that I have ever spent in the U.S. I have never gone anywhere where there were so many foreign visitors! It made me feel bad because each stop I made that day, I was surrounded by non-English speaking people. I thought, They come to this country and come here, why has it taken me 34 years to get here?
Here's the beauty of Antelope Canyon...
Unfortunately, the light was pretty poor on the day I went...
but hopefully, the photos will convey some of the beauty.
It is such a natural piece of art!
All made of sandstone
Sorry! I did edit down the photos I have, but it was just so beautiful!
You walk all the way through the canyon. This is coming out the "other side"...
Then you turn around and walk back through
After Antelope Canyon, I made the hike up to Horseshoe Bend before leaving Page. The hike was uphill both ways. People laugh when I say that, but it was. The hike was about 1 mile and it was really pretty...
Remember that the day before, I had rafted around Horseshoe Bend, just like these people...
Beautiful Horseshoe Bend...
The Colorado River in Glen Canyon
More photos of the hike back...
I wish I could have photographed Horseshoe Bend on a sunny day, but as you can see, it was still very overcast...
Next Stop, Grand Canyon!
I went to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I entered on the East side and drove through the park. First stop was Desert View...
I had never been to the Grand Canyon before. I thought I knew what to expect, but it really was breathtaking.
Some spots were sunny. Some were cloudy. Some had snow flurries!
The majesty!
I love that people have been amazed by the splendor for hundreds of years.
A soldier with Coronado wrote about their expedition in 1540.
He said...
After they had gone twenty days, they came to the banks of the river (canyon rim)...
They spent three days on this bank looking for a passage down...
It was impossible to descend...
the three lightest and most agile men, made an attempt to go down at the least difficult place, and went down until those who were above were unable to see them...
They returned about four o'clock in the afternoon, not having succeeded...
Those who stayed above had estimated that some huge rocks on the sides of the cliffs seemed to be about as tall as a man, but those who went down swore that when they reached those rocks they were bigger than the great tower of Seville...
Proof that I was there...
Proof that there was snow!
It was cold for May...
Day 7~
Friday was a pretty uneventful day. I read a lot on the patio and even napped. I wanted to rest up after all the adventures I had. I was also ready to see my Lola dog!
Post-Trip~
Of course, like any good parent, I brought my baby a souvenir from the Grand Canyon...
a Raccoon...
I'm so happy that I got to go on a trip. I'm glad that I was able to see Sedona and surrounding area as well as everything up at Page and the Grand Canyon. Arizona was not a location that as I was leaving I was thinking that I couldn't wait to come back. I know I won't be rushing out there for another trip next year, but I think it is something everyone should see at least once, and I was happy to check off a few more items on the 1000 Places to See Before You Die book.
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