A Few of the Finer Things - December 2018
Another Great Place in Arizona that Must Be Seen
We recently visited one of Arizona’s “hidden treasures”…for anyone who has not yet been, I highly recommend a trip to Antelope Canyon near Page (in the northeast part of the state). Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon and has two separate scenic sections (upper and lower). We toured the Upper Canyon—the Upper Canyon is more internationally famous and better equipped to handle crowds. It is also easier to enter, so groups with elderly or physically limited travelers can easily handle the just over one hour tour.
A slot canyon is a narrow canyon, formed by the wear of water rushing through rock. It is significantly deeper than it is wide, as is the case with Upper Antelope Canyon. The tour is just over an hour long. We walked about ¼ mile to the end of the canyon and ¼ mile back (not strenuous at all). The walls of the canyon twist and swirl and the beams of light that shine in make for truly breathtaking photos. Our pictures look almost fake…the scenery is ridiculously beautiful.
A few do’s and don’ts…the drive to Page is around four hours and I would not recommend leaving Phoenix on a Friday afternoon—there is quite a bit of two-lane highway and it got very dark (difficult to pass slow cars/trailers when hard to see and unfamiliar with the road). I would have much preferred leaving early in the morning. There are dozens of hotels in the Page area and everything is densely located within a mile or two. We visited several good local restaurants during our short time there—Ranch House Grille for breakfast (go early to avoid wait), El Tapatio was a good Mexican lunch, Slackers was a good burger place and Big John’s Texas BBQ was outstanding—would highly recommend all!
Lake Powell and Horseshoe Bend are nearby. If you want to go in the summer months, there are plenty of places to rent boats and jet-skis. We took a short flight over Lake Powell and Horseshoe Bend which was really a cool way to see this majestic area…not the cheapest way to go but it was Debbie’s 50th birthday celebration so I thought a splurge was in order (for couples or small families it isn’t so bad).
Antelope Canyon should be on your list of places to explore!
– Gary Weiss, December 2018
