In And Around Page, Arizona

Upper Antelope Canyon

Breakfast in the hotel finishes at 9.30 am so I go down at 9 am. I find that many items have run out. The yoghurt machine is not working either, until I ask the server to fix it. The only fruit on offer is apple and oranges. I improvise.

My first tour of the day is Upper Antelope Canyon. They request you arrive 30 minutes before the tour start time of 10.45 am. I drive away from the hotel at 10 am, knowing it should take 12 minutes to get there. The tour HQ is a portacabin in a dusty sand ‘field’ where a few minibuses are lined up. It is 88º F / 31º C and clear blue skies.

After checking in, everyone is just hanging around, waiting. I really don’t see why we need to get there so early. At the allotted time we are called out by the ticket number we were given on check-in. A group of ticket numbers are allocated to each minibus, and the tour guide & driver greets us as we approach the bus.

We drive about a mile back down the road then go off-road over the sandy Antelope Wash channel. When flash floods occur, which is mainly how the Canyon was created, this channel is full of raging water. Some rocks then come into view and we come a stop just before, then disembark.

“She blew my nose and then she blew my mind” *

Entrance to Upper Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon is part of the Navajo Nation and there are very strict rules about how it can be accessed. For instance you can only visit in a tour group guided by a Navajo person.

Antelope Canyon, a slot canyon, was formed by the erosion of Navajo Sandstone due to flash flooding, wind and other erosion processes. Over time passageways eroded away, deepening the corridors and smoothing hard edges to form its characteristic “flowing” shapes. These are dramatic, sinuous, and photogenic rock formations, world-famous for its wave-like, colourful sandstone walls and light beams.

The tour takes us through a series of connected rock chambers or ‘rooms’. It is other worldly, surreal and mind-blowing, all at the same time. Shafts of sun light shine down through the canyon slot, creating stunning light beams – sometimes called ‘God Beams’ – that constantly change and evolve, lighting up the dark ‘room’ in a multitude of colours.

The light beams are just incredible. They come and go as the sun high in the sky passes over and shines through the crevices in the sandstone “roof”. A beam may only last for 30 seconds or so. You may enter a room and suddenly the light beam will start to appear. You watch it as it grows in size and intensity, then as the sun moves on, the beam disappears with it.

“But she was blinded by the light” **

Light beam in Upper Antelope Canyon

It is amazing to see a light beam manifest itself in a dark room, lighting it up, then in an instant, it’s gone again. It is impossible to predict when one might appear. The guide said we were really lucky as we saw four (!) different light beams on our trip through the canyon, including an incredibly rare double light beam. And OK, they are not bright enough to blind you but they really do light up the ‘rooms of rock’.

There are about 10 of us on our tour but the other minibus groups are ahead and behind us. There are other tour operators with groups as well. The consequence is that we can’t stay in each rock chamber for too long and have to move on after a while, but I thought the pace was just right. Our guide allowed us time to take photos and soak up the experience.

I’ve read online reviews since that criticise some tours as being rushed through the canyon, with little time to see and take in the scenery. My tour was definitely not like that. The opposite in fact. The tour was supposed to finish at 12.05 pm but by the time we’re back at base, I didn’t drive off until 12.40 pm, 35 minutes late.

Exit from Upper Antelope Canyon

There is only one word to describe Upper Antelope Canyon: stunning. And spectacular. OK, two. I have never seen anything like this in all my years on this planet. A truly, truly amazing place and experience.

Horseshoe Bend

So I arrive at Horseshoe Bend to be greeted by a $10 fee to enter their very nice paved parking lot. The guy taking my dollars says “follow the trail”. Pretty obvious given the stream of folks walking away from the lot and the others returning from the Bend. The lot is nearly full and there are loads of people milling about.

I nearly asked the entry guy how far the walk was to the Bend. But then if he’d told me, having paid my $10, what was I going to do? Not visit and see one of the most iconic views in America? Hardly likely. Turns out it was a bit of a trek though in 85º F / 30º C heat. I reckon it must be at least a mile to get there because it took me about 15 minutes. It’s not flat either, there’s a slight downhill gradient to get there. Why they didn’t build the lot a bit nearer I don’t know.

Horseshoe Bend

I’m sure you must have seen photos of Horseshoe Bend but in real life it’s just as impressive. Certainly a ‘wow’ scene to remember. There are guard rails in places at the edge of the cliff overlooking the Colorado River but there are also lots of open rocks to clamber over to get the perfect photo. I think I got mine.

Sadly, in the bar later that night, I heard a local saying that around half a dozen people slip to their death on these open rocks by getting too close to the edge. Having been there, I can well believe that.

Glen Canyon Dam Overlook

I thought beforehand the stop at the Bend would be a case of pulling up, getting out for a quick 10 minute photo then on my way again. Nope. By the time I get to Glen Canyon Dam Overlook I am seriously late on my planned schedule.

I know now I can’t make all my planned stops today. I have another timed tour later this afternoon which is obviously unmoveable. After doing the Dam Overlook I calculate I can probably do my next stop, Wahweap Overlook, but then curtail the rest and go straight to the second tour at 3.45 pm.

Wahweap Bay

There are amazing views at the Wahweap Overlook of Lake Powell and its surroundings. What really amazed me though was how full of boats the marina was on a lovely Sunday afternoon. There were practically no boats out on the lake at all. I do however find time to chill and eat my lunch at the Overlook.

The next tour, Lower Antelope Canyon, wants me there 45 minutes early! With the previous delays my timing is perfect to leave the Overlook and get to the next tour location.

Panorama from Wahweap Overlook

Lower Antelope Canyon

Dixie’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours

When checking in, I ask why I have to be there so early. In the nicest possible way, the lady explains that people are idiots. From customers not pre-filling the waiver forms they were emailed beforehand, to turning up with extra family members or friends not booked on a tour in advance, forgetting their emailed QR confirmations, all of these – and more – have conspired to force the company to get everyone there so early to account for a few twats who can’t do what they are told to do.

This slot canyon tour is very different from the Upper Canyon. That canyon is a rock formation above ground. The Lower Canyon is actually below ground. So we have to climb down and up permanently installed ladders to get in and out of the canyon. There are also ladders and steps within the canyon to move between the rock chambers.

It’s the same principle as Upper, but the Lower canyon is deeper, narrower and longer than Upper. It is also much more physically demanding. Some of the gaps between chambers are very narrow indeed. The Lower Canyon also doesn’t get the light beams that characterise the Upper because its shape is different.

However the variety of colours on the sandstone walls was much greater in the Lower. So two similar but different experiences. I did prefer the Upper because of the light beams. Whatever, both were spectacular, sights rarely seen anywhere else in the world.

The Lower tour ran on time. I leave site to drive home at 5.15 pm. Back in my room I revise the plan for tomorrow. It is a relatively short transition day. So I can fit in the missing stops from today before I leave town in the morning.

Tavern, Taproom and Chat

Later on I walk to the State 48 Tavern & Taproom, about 10 minutes from the hotel (I learn when writing this up that the Tavern has since permanently closed). Sitting at the bar, the barman, a young black guy, is very helpful in choosing food and beer. I have Chimichurri Fries, which is not just a bowl of fries but also has shavings of steak. So fancy steak and chips. The beer was Tower Station IPA.

Overall the food is good but the Chimichurri is tasteless and adds nothing. Whilst eating, a couple of ladies sit down on my right. The eldest, with short white hair, is probably mid-50s and sits next to me, her friend to her right, probably mid-30s. There’s another guy to her right.

I think white hair and I exchanged a few words but nothing got going. As there was baseball on TV I focused my attention on that. Some minutes later, probably about 15, the other friend, Heather, announces, “We’re swapping places, you sit here and I’ll move there.” Sounds like ‘trouble at mill’ as we say in the UK…

I ignore this until a few minutes later Heather, who’d obviously been listening to me talking to white hair and the barman, says “Where are you from?” Here we go again…

We have two strands of discussion going forward: Heather’s problem with her friend and then Heather’s problem with her life. The former is best summarised by saying that Heather invited her friend out for a girly chat. I think Heather wanted to unload a bit and was looking for some moral and emotional support from her friend.

The problem is, Heather’s friend, according to her, is in a relationship but she is an awful, terrible flirt with guys. Any guy. Hence as soon as they sat down white hair totally ignored Heather and started talking across her to the hunky man two seats down. So Heather comes for a night out and gets ignored whilst white hair flirts with a stranger in a bar. Heather, quite rightly, gets pissed off at this, swaps seats, and ends up with me. 😉

So problem #2 is me and what I do with my life. In other words, how I end up sitting next to Heather in Page, Arizona. Heather is a server in Dennys with two kids aged 20 and 12. So my mid-30s estimate must be wrong, she must be in her 40s. But Heather wants to travel. Anywhere. But she hasn’t even got a passport. I tell her that 90% of Americans have never even been outside their home state, never mind abroad.

She has at least ‘scratched her itch’ a bit and been to some other states. What did strike me about her however was her focus and desire to do it. She told me she’d been talking to her 12 year old about not living in the city, moving out to live in the countryside. She said he seemed amenable to that. Not quite sure how that fits into wanting to travel, but whatever.

“Mamma mia, here I go again” ***

I told her the usual stuff, 9^th trip this year, do what you want, follow your dreams. I showed her my website but without being condescending. I’m always careful when talking about what I do because not everyone can do it. I understand that. What I hope to inspire is that, yes, can too, so go do it. Heather said to me at one point, “I’ll never forget this conversation.” I replied, “Don’t. Go do it.”

Hunky man goes to the rest room so white hair, suddenly lonely, turns her attention our way. Soon she has inveigled her way into the conversation so much such that when hunky man returns Heather decides she’s had enough – again – of white hair’s behaviour. She ups seats and goes and sits next to hunky man!

Earlier, when Heather ordered a drink and kindly bought me a beer, she specifically told the barman, “Separate checks” and didn’t buy white hair one. That’s how pissed off she was.

I can’t remember whether I got fed up of being in the middle of a feud between two supposed friends, or I’d had enough beer, or just the amazing day had taken its toll and I was beat, but I decided to leave. I recall also becoming bored with white hair and I shut her down, just ignored her. I’m quite good at that when there’s someone I don’t want to deal with anymore. Her attitude towards Heather was out of order and I think I wanted to try and push back to help her.

I went to the rest room then paid my check and got up to go. Unseen by me, hunky man had left. When I return white hair had got the message and moved next to Heather. I heard elements of the conversation as I approached and Heather was giving, quite rightly, white hair some shit. Good. Not my problem. I ignore white hair, go up to Heather and say “I’m leaving”, give her a peck on the cheek and say “Go for it”, then quickly walk out.

It’s important to me not to preach to people like Heather, and I sincerely make an effort not to here in the USA. I just talk about what I do and why. In these troubled times in America, I always emphasise what a great country they have. Don’t lose it.

I hope Heather and white hair sorted their problems out. Seemed to me that white hair has got some issues to address, but as ever I guess there are two sides to every story.

I make it back to the hotel and crash out, ready for a new (and what will be a frustrating) day tomorrow. Today was amazing, incredible, outstanding. I will never forget either of the Antelope Canyon tours, both absolutely mind-blowing. Truly wonders of the world. The rest of the day wasn’t bad either!!!

* Honky Tonk Women by The Rolling Stones

** Blinded By The Light by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

*** Mamma Mia by ABBA