A trip that I would describe as both fun-filled and tiring! An entirely unique experience in the midst of nature and the natives.
March 13th, 2016
The morning of the 13th was pleasant, and our first visit was to the famous Antelope Canyon. We had spent the night at a motel in Page, Arizona, which was a stone's throw from the Antelope Canyon.
We had booked ourselves a tour with the Navajo Antelope Canyon Tours for 11 a.m. True to our nature, we were punctual and reached the tour counter well ahead of the 10 a.m. check-in time. After strolling around for a while, we finally got to start our tour. Our tour guide was friendly and the tour group was a fun-loving lot, who kept the tour lively with their comments and antics.
The Antelope Canyon was quite different from what I had imagined it would look like. Unlike the pictures on the internet, the canyon was the color and texture (as should be!) of sandstone. We had plenty of fun exploring the canyon, listening to interesting facts shared by the guide, and clicking away pictures from vantage points that the guide was kind enough to point out. The climate was hot and humid. The ride into the canyon on our open jeeps had been thrilling, and quite dusty as the guides seemed to love racing each other across the dust plains! The ride out was slightly less noisy, but no less dusty. It was a great experience on the whole.
Useful tips:
Right after our satisfying tour of the Antelope Canyon, we proceeded to the Horseshoe Bend. I was told "Prepare to be amazed". Well, I was truly amazed at the beauty of the famous Horseshoe Bend. It was more than a mile hike from the parking to the bend (or may be it felt so to me!). And no hike would have been more worth it. The beautiful green of the snaking Colorado was a sight to behold. It wove around the canyon like a jewel against the brown cliffs. Close to the edge of the cliff, life felt beautiful. For the first time in my life, I found a dry desert-like land worth admiring.
We spent a good few minutes admiring the bend and clicking mandatory touristy photos. Our next destination was none other than the famed Monument Valley. As we neared the Navajo County, we could experience the beauty of the red-sand desert. The drive along the seemingly endless road was exhilarating. The towering sandstone buttes were visible right from the roads. We reached the visitor center for the Navajo Monument Valley Tours and hoped that the daylight saving, timezone difference and thereby our late arrival would not lead to us losing out on an opportunity to tour this raw beauty of nature.
An extremely satisfying day did come to an end and off we went to get a much needed rest at the lovely lodge - The Cameron Trading Post in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The view of the Grand Canyon afforded from the watchtower was more or less similar to those that we got to view as we drove towards the Grand Canyon Village in the South Rim. The village had an abundance of tourists, all jostling to get a better click of the mesmerizing canyons. After few more stops, both en-route and at the village, we drove on to the world famous Hoover Dam.
We reached the dam just before its closing hours and got to enjoy the silence and peace at one of America's most beautiful and immensely useful man-made structures. The stars were beginning to peep out and the weather was perfect, After spending some time discussing the virtues of the Hoover, and listening to a father-son pair trying to get the loudest echo, we wrapped up our tour of the desert state and headed towards Las Vegas.
March 13th, 2016
The morning of the 13th was pleasant, and our first visit was to the famous Antelope Canyon. We had spent the night at a motel in Page, Arizona, which was a stone's throw from the Antelope Canyon.
We had booked ourselves a tour with the Navajo Antelope Canyon Tours for 11 a.m. True to our nature, we were punctual and reached the tour counter well ahead of the 10 a.m. check-in time. After strolling around for a while, we finally got to start our tour. Our tour guide was friendly and the tour group was a fun-loving lot, who kept the tour lively with their comments and antics.
The Antelope Canyon was quite different from what I had imagined it would look like. Unlike the pictures on the internet, the canyon was the color and texture (as should be!) of sandstone. We had plenty of fun exploring the canyon, listening to interesting facts shared by the guide, and clicking away pictures from vantage points that the guide was kind enough to point out. The climate was hot and humid. The ride into the canyon on our open jeeps had been thrilling, and quite dusty as the guides seemed to love racing each other across the dust plains! The ride out was slightly less noisy, but no less dusty. It was a great experience on the whole.
Useful tips:
- Use chrome mode on iPhone for good pictures.
- Carry water on the hike.
- Listen to the guide, or you may miss out instructions on how to angle the camera, and where to stand to get the right shots.
- Do not move anything. They leave untouched even branches washed in by flash floods to preserve the natural environment.
- Summer affords the most spectacular photos, as that is when the light penetrates the canyons at the right angles to make it vibrant.
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| An attempt to capture the heart shape formed by Sun rays playing on the canyons walls |
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| Horseshoe Bend |
We spent a good few minutes admiring the bend and clicking mandatory touristy photos. Our next destination was none other than the famed Monument Valley. As we neared the Navajo County, we could experience the beauty of the red-sand desert. The drive along the seemingly endless road was exhilarating. The towering sandstone buttes were visible right from the roads. We reached the visitor center for the Navajo Monument Valley Tours and hoped that the daylight saving, timezone difference and thereby our late arrival would not lead to us losing out on an opportunity to tour this raw beauty of nature.
The tour guides were very accommodating and friendly. The guide arranged a jeep for our party and took us on a drive of a lifetime along the Monument Valley. The park consists of mesas, buttes and spire rock structures which have been given very descriptive names. Relating the names to the structures is left to our imagination. The park was so vast and the sandstone structures were so majestic that it made us feel the power of nature. Standing there amid nature's beautiful art made us feel humble, I, for one, felt as though we were the only humans left on Earth. But somehow that thought was not scary at that time. It instead brought peace and calm.
We met a couple of native Americans who were selling hand-crafted jewelry. We spent some time talking to them and then made our way back to the visitor center. The drive back to the center was memorable in itself as we got to witness the beautiful sunset, which made our imagination go haywire. I am sure I spotted a giant sitting near a butte, with his back to us!
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| What do you see? |
An extremely satisfying day did come to an end and off we went to get a much needed rest at the lovely lodge - The Cameron Trading Post in Flagstaff, Arizona.
March 14th, 2016
We started the day fresh and bright after a good sleep. We were able to make out the beauty of he lodge's surroundings only in the morning light. Our spirits rose seeing the surrounding canyons and we immediately set off towards out first scenic location of the day - Desert View Watchtower.
The tower was probably the first time I was exposed to the Indian paintings and art in their natural setting. The view from the tower was breathtaking, and the art work inside the tower was interesting to say the least. The murals and petroglyph-style decorations look almost authentic and give the rustic tower a very ancient feel. The tower also housed the original furniture used by the caretakers who used the tower as their living space.
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| Original furniture in the Watchtower |
The view of the Grand Canyon afforded from the watchtower was more or less similar to those that we got to view as we drove towards the Grand Canyon Village in the South Rim. The village had an abundance of tourists, all jostling to get a better click of the mesmerizing canyons. After few more stops, both en-route and at the village, we drove on to the world famous Hoover Dam.
 |
| One view of the Grand Canyons |
We reached the dam just before its closing hours and got to enjoy the silence and peace at one of America's most beautiful and immensely useful man-made structures. The stars were beginning to peep out and the weather was perfect, After spending some time discussing the virtues of the Hoover, and listening to a father-son pair trying to get the loudest echo, we wrapped up our tour of the desert state and headed towards Las Vegas.
I have known and loved the beauty of rolling green meadows, mountains covered with fall foliage and shimmering lakes and oceans. But, this trip exposed to me the earthen beauty of the sand structures, canyons and the bare-faced desert!
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