Location: At the northern most of Arizona, at the border of Arizona and Utah.
Time of the year: Feb 2009
Season: Spring
Duration of the trip: 2 days (weekend)
Weather of the day: Sunny, warmDuration of the trip: 2 days (weekend)
Page, Arizona is a place that you would never get to hear about, unless you go looking for it. I had a brief stint in Arizona for a project and I was keen on checking out the natural wonder that it is. The whole landscape in Arizona is a top destination for photography enthusiasts with beautiful deserts, red rocky mountains and jagged peaks outlining the sky. While grand canyon is its most famous destination, there are many other natural wonders to see. One such place is Page.
The best way to get to Page is to fly to Flagstaff, AZ and then drive to Page. It is about 3 hrs from flagstaff. I, however, had to make a 5.5 hr drive from Phoenix. I reached Page at about 10 PM on Friday, and checked in the Days Inn hotel.
6:00 AM
The most prominent landmark in Page is Lake Powell dam that stands on the Colorado river flowing from the north. The whole town is not more that a couple of miles wide. And everything worth seeing is around the vicinity, making it very easy. The bridge over the dam offers a spectacular view of the dam, and the river beneath. Saturday morning, I was up early to catch the sunrise from a vista point from a hill above the lake. It was slightly cloudy around the horizon, so it was not the best sunrise. Nevertheless, I clicked away. I then stopped at a few other vista point where you get a great view of the dam, and the river, before heading back to the hotel.
8:00 AM
I had definite objectives in this trip. I drove 300 miles from Phoenix to Page to see exactly 2 places. The first was the Antelope Canyon. The second was horse shoe bend. And it was worth every mile. My first stop was Horse shoe bend.
8:30 AM, Horse shoe bend.
Horse shoe bend is located very close to Page, about 5 miles away. You would almost miss the sign on the highway if you aren't looking. A short hike (about a mile) from the parking area would lead you to this..!
Simply awesome. The view is breathtaking. Though it doesn't seem like much on the photograph, the vertical cliffs are many hundred meters deep. There are no safety harnesses or secure view point at this location. So you can stand right on the edge of the cliff to get a view. The experience is exhilarating.
10:30 AM
There are more than one tours companies that offer tours to the Antelope canyon. Roger Ekis is the popular one. I promptly went and signed up for it. They are quite easy to locate, and their phone number can be obtained from your hotel. The tour costs $35 during off season, and about $45 during the season. Since I went off-season, I paid just 35.
Antelope canyon is located about 10 miles from Page. There is an upper and lower canyon. I only got to visit the upper canyon. The canyon is a cavern like formation due to water erosion of the sandstone rocks. It is a slot in between two mountains, and the width is about a few feet. The width varies through the slot. In some places its narrow about 2 feet, and in other places its almost as large as a living room. Light enters this slot from above, and bounces off these eroded rock formations, giving the whole canyon an ethereal aura. Because of the erosion, the rocks have all been smoothed out, with wavelike formations on the rocks. The combination of the smoothed surface, and light entering the slot at certain angles, is what makes antelope canyon what it is. During the prime season, which is in summer, light beams form from the ceiling to the floor and offer a spectacular view. In the off season, the beams are rare, and only happen at certain times of the day, and they dint often hit the floor of the canyon. The place would certainly take your breath away. If you plan to take pictures take a tripod, since its a bit dark. The tours rent them too.
Sunday 9 AM.
With my main trip objectives already met, I had time to check out some nearby locations. One of them was a scenic drive into Utah, and catch a glimpse of the sandstone buttes that stand majestically all over. The monument valley in Utah is the destination that offers a beautiful view of these buttes.
Page, a photographers paradise.
