Antelope Canyons and Horseshoe Bend

This winter break we headed to Arizona for days of stunning red rocks, more cacti than we could count and amazing food. Seriously, not a single bad meal. This was our second trip to Arizona. The first was a short weekend trip to the Grand Canyon. 

We took an evening flight out and landed in Phoenix later that night.. picked up our rental car and headed straight to the hotel to sleep.    

The next morning we were out bright and early and on our way to Page. The drive into Page was a stunning one. You can see here. 

We had a tour booked for the Antelope Canyons. The antelope canyon is a slot canyon on Navajo land. Antelope Canyon was formed by the erosion of Navajo Sandstone, due to flash flooding. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, deepening the corridors and smoothing hard edges to form characteristic "flowing" shapes. You must book a tour, they can not be explored independently, in part because rains during monsoon season can quickly flood it. Rain does not have to fall on or near the Antelope Canyon slots for flash floods to whip through; rain falling dozens of miles away can funnel into them with little notice.

On August 12, 1997, eleven tourists were killed in Lower Antelope Canyon by a flash flood.

The canyon is split into 6 sections. The most popular two are the upper and lower canyons. Upper Antelope Canyon is more popular and often gets crowded, but it’s known for its incredible light beams (which we would not have seen as we were arriving after midday) and is easier to walk through. Lower Antelope Canyon, on the other hand, is less crowded and offers some beautiful narrow passages and staircases, which can make it a bit more adventurous and fun for those who enjoy a little hiking challenge. 

We chose the Lower Canyons and I booked a tour with Dixie's at 1:15pm. We had a wonderful guide and had the most incredible time. He took such great pictures for us. 

A picture from above. They had metal staircases built after the 1997 event. They are very steep and I would take that into consideration before choosing to go to the lower canyons. 

We hadn't eaten much all day and were ready for lunch. We stopped at the Bird House and devoured some really good fried chicken.. 

Then we headed to the hotel to check in and get some rest. We headed out again a little before sunset, grabbed some coffee and hot chocolates at went to Horseshoe Bend. There was an entry fee. 

Nature is just amazing isn't it?

It had been a long day.. plus the jet lag. We headed over to Sunset 89 for dinner. No pictures. Food was good.

Glen Canyon National Park in Page is a dark sky area, meaning there is minimal light pollution. There are 20 designated dark sky zones in Arizona. I don't know much about astronomy or constellations but I think that is part of Orion's Belt. Correct me if I'm wrong. 

And just like that we wrapped our first day in Arizona. 

        

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