My mom wanted to check out Upper Antelope Canyon near Page, Ariz., since it’s only about a 4.5 hour drive from our home. I didn’t even know where or what it was until I googled it and realized I had seen some pictures of the famous slot canyons before. Apparently, it’s one of the most photographed places in the world. You can only access the canyon with an authorized guide because it’s on Navajo land. That means you have to reserve and shell out about 45 bucks for a 1.5 hour tour. They also have rules on the tour like ‘no tripods.’ I was told it’s because you don’t have enough time in the canyon to set up a tripod shot, so you need to take the longer (and more expensive) photographer’s tour. But honestly, how long does it take to set up a tripod? I’d say 20 seconds if you’re being slow. I think it’s just a push to get you to pay an extra 40 bucks. But I digress…
Anyway, we made the reservations and booked a motel room for the night before the tour. We were warned that the weather might not cooperate, and there was a chance the canyon would be closed.
The drive out to Page was cloudy but refreshing. I forgot about how incredibly beautiful desert scenery can be. After living in a small island country for a year, it was a nice change to see the vast space of the American West. I also forgot about how annoying it is to have to drive long distances without cruise control.
Since we were taking the noon tour (it’s one of the peak times because that’s when the lighting it the most dramatic inside the canyons), we headed to Horseshoe Bend beforehand, which was just 5 minutes away from our motel. It’s where the Colorado River makes a U-turn of sorts. I wasn’t expecting too much, but it really was incredible to see in real life. My mom and I were pansies and tried to stay away from the edge as much as possible, but there were plenty of brave souls I was able to take pictures of. If you’re ever in the area, be sure to make a stop there. It’s free and worth the short, 3/4 mile “hike” to the rim.
Unfortunately, the weather started to turn against us. Just when we were done with Horseshoe Bend and ready to head to our tour of Upper Antelope Canyon, we found out they had closed the canyon because of flash flood dangers. I would be angry with the flash floods…except they’re exactly what’s responsible for creating the beautiful slot canyons in the first place.
With our chance of viewing the famous part of the canyon shot, we asked about other scenic points we could check out before or along the way home to Vegas. We took the suggestion to go take a boat tour instead from Lake Powell into Antelope Canyon. It ended up being a private boat tour because my mom and I were the only ones taking it (“Yay, VIP!” as my mom said). The boat driver took us as far into the canyon as the waters would allow. Towards the end, you could see all the debris left in the water from flash flooding that cut through the canyons. It wasn’t exactly the jaw-dropping scenes you see in the pictures from the Upper Antelope Canyon tours, but it was still amazing to see the beautiful aftermath of Mother Nature on the ancient Navajo sandstone.
No Comments