Have you ever had a picture-perfect day, filled with so much splendor that it makes you want to cry? Our day in Page, AZ was the best day of our travels so far. There is something about this unbridled beauty that unchained my heart from the suffocating grasp of grief.
We started and ended our day at Horseshoe Bend, a lovely capstone to the day. There is a ¾ mile paved path down to the overlook with several spots to stop and rest or take in the view. Even before arriving at the overlook, the vista here is photogenic. Approximately 200 million years ago, the area was covered in sand dunes. Sandstone was formed from mineral and water deposits with layers of sediment resting on top. The powerful Colorado River sculpted the landscape around a 270-degree bend. The city of Page charges a $10 parking fee per regular vehicle. Of note, most of the activities in Page were not covered by our America the Beautiful Pass.
The advantage of visiting during the winter is the lower visitor rate. Occasionally, we waited on someone posing in a particular spot, but were able to access any viewpoint that we wanted easily. After our initial awe, we proceeded off the beaten path to climb to a higher vantage point. The kids ended up scrambling up a steep, rocky area and John followed them; however, they reported that the view up higher wasn’t any better than the one I had below.
Despite trying to time the lighting so we would see the water shine the brightest, the winter sunlight didn’t provide full clarity of the river. It was still breathtaking.
We traveled onwards to the Glen Canyon National Park. The dam here and resulting harvested energy was impressive, but I have mixed feelings after hearing a Navajo park ranger explain how this changed the river streaming through the Grand Canyon and thwarted a major part of the Native American ceremonies and livelihood.
The park is quite small and they were out of Junior Ranger badges, but they are gracious enough to send badges to anyone who completes their packet at home. We traveled along the road further to see several pretty overlooks before heading towards Antelope Canyon.
I learned about Antelope Canyon almost by accident as I was researching the best places to stay near the Grand Canyon. A deeper dive found numerous people saying this was one of their favorite spots in the nation. Antelope Canyon is on native land, and as such, requires a native tour guide to enter. We were taken aback by the price ($90/pp) of the tour for the Upper Canyon and decided to look further into the other options. Lower Antelope Canyon is much cheaper ($35 pp), but does require more physical mobility. This made me nervous, but as soon as I saw the photographs of Lower Canyon, I knew that I had to give it a try – and that this was the preferable vantage point for me. In addition to the cost of the tour, there is also an $8 pp permit fee for traveling on native land.
Both upper and lower canyon is a photographer’s dream, the interplay of a beautiful landscape against the playfulness of the sun. During each tour, there are six groups of ten individuals. In the summer months, tours are booked out months ahead. We managed to snag tickets a week ahead and our tour guide reported they had sold out the previous day (including walk ups) and their first sold out day (with just advanced tickets) on the calendar was in the first week of March. There is a very short walk to the entrance to Lower Canyon where the groups stand under a shelter, waiting their turn to descend. The initial descent is five flights of stairs, some of them so steep that it is easier to climb down them as ladders. As soon we made it to the bottom, our tour guide led us around the first bend where sunbeams streamed in, planting a kiss atop our heads, as they bounced off the canyon walls, illuminating the zigzagged lines of color all around us. The tour guides are pros at the best spots to stand to catch each sunbeam and named formation. Every corner held a new wonder that could warm even the coldest heart.
Words really cannot do this place justice. I’ll let some of the pictures take you on the journey instead.
The Navajo believe that Antelope Canyon is a symbol of Mother Nature’s gifts and power to the Navajo. The Navajo name for Upper Canyon means “the place where water runs through” while the name for Lower Antelope Canyon is Hasdez twazi’ which can be translated to “the spiral role arches.” Water ran through the rocks to form the canyon and continues to reshape it.
The path through the lower canyon is much more accessible than its entrance. There are a few tight spaces where everyone is asked to walk sideways and several easy stairs (definitely not as treacherous). In fact, the only ladder type stairs in lower antelope canyon were replaced earlier this year. In the past few months, a flash flood knocked out a new opening, making it easier to walk through this section of the lower canyon.
The Navajo believe that the canyon was formed by the Holy People as a way of connecting with nature and the spirit world. They perform a blessing every four years, giving thanks for the way that the earth has been shaped and formed into such beauty. I love the Navajo way of giving thanks for the land. They believe that ownership is a western ideal. Instead, they favor stewardship over the land and animals. It’s a very beautiful concept that aligns with my own beliefs. The tour ends in a unique splendor as you literally rise from the earth back into the open sky.
After our tour, we picked up Ginny from the pet sitter, and returned to Horseshoe Bend to watch the sunset. It was truly a picture-perfect day.
