This was our final stop before heading back to the 1000 Islands for the summer. We had been told by many people the that Antelope Canyon was a must-see if we were in the region. Not only was this totally true, but there was a bonus: Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam.
The day before our Canyon tour, we visited The Glen Canyon Dam and drove around Lake Powell. They are part of the Colorado River water system that provides water to much of the Southwest. The lake and dam are similar to size and scope to the Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. Like Lake Mead, Lake Powell was formed when the valley behind the dam was flooded. Consequently, it is very long, narrow, and serpentine. It’s also quite beautiful and is surrounded by National Recreation Areas and BLM lands that you can camp on. As we drove around Page, AZ, we saw hundreds of houseboats on shore waiting to be launched. The lake is large, but it must be interesting on the water in the summer when they are all in use.
Just outside Page, there are actually two canyons of note: Antelope Canyon and Rattlesnake Canyon and both are owned and operated by the Navajos. The only way to see them is with a Navajo guide. The beauty of the canyons is self evident (see pics below) and the way the light strikes the wall results in other-worldly colors and images. The tour was only a couple of hours and it was a bit rushed, but it was well worth the “tour stop”. We finished off the day and the visit to the area with a short hike to the “Big Bend” in the Colorado River. …. just one more magnificent natural wonder to see before heading home for the summer.
