Day FourWe drove out of the canyon village and stopped at a couple of more points on our way out.
Navajo Point - Not to be missed. You can clearly see the Colorado River and its impact on the canyon.
On our way out of the park we got blocked by a big elk meandering along the street. Was exciting for the kids and we got great pictures.
We started making our way up toward Page, AZ. The drive, like all of them were beyond description, we stopped a few times to marvel at the views. We would constantly be saying "Whoah!" As we turned a bend and saw a new sight.
Activity:Lower Antelope Canyon - This was a real treat. We booked a few months in advance with the tour company Dixie Ellis. It was $20 pp plus $8 pp to the Navajo for the privilege of entering their land (it's the least we can do). We arrived about 45 minutes early and they ended up adding us to a previous group so we didn't wait long. But it was really busy so we did have to wait a few minutes at the entrance to the canyon.
This experience is indescribable but I'll try. You got down about two stories of stairs and then walk through a slot canyon. It's not wide and you always can see the sky above but it's a combination of a canyon and a tunnel almost. So you feel pretty enclosed. The structures and the colors were breathtaking. We kept saying "Wow" at every turn. It was not at all physically challenging and it was well worth the money.
Activity:Horseshoe Bend - Just a couple miles away from Antelope Canyon is this horseshoe shaped curve in the Colorado river. You view it from above and the colors and textures are simply breathtaking. I couldn't believe it was real. This was my favorite thing to see so far. I don't remember seeing something so absolutely beautiful in North America to this point. It's a short, simple walk to and front the parking lot, about a half mile each way. As always though, being water and sunscreen, etc. it was hot!
Activity: Swimming in Lake Powell - This was just a few miles north of Horseshoe Bend and a delicious respite from the heat and hiking. Again, if you don't go mixed swimming, skip this spot, but if you do, definitely take a dip. Most places with access to the water charge for parking but we found a spot that didn't.
Take a gravel road on right side just before the dam as you leave Page to access a big parking at the end of it (it is the second parking on the way about 5 min drive from main road). You can then hike down through the rocks to a small beach and take a swim in the lake.
The rocks that you climb down are really cool formations. My kids decided to not swim and just climb around which was great for them. I went swimming and the water was great. My wife stayed on the rocks and just took pictures of everyone.
(those are my kids on top, to give you an idea of the scale)
Activity:Old Paria - We ended up skipping this by accident but it was in our itinerary and is supposed to be amazing. It's a quick dirt road drive with amazing views right off the main road when driving up 89A.
We made our way up to St. George to Utah to spend the night there. On our way we passed through a town, Kenab, that had serious flooding from an earlier storm. Everyone was out putting sandbags out to save whatever they could. We saw police officers carrying people out of their homes. We contemplated stopping to help but figured we'd end up just being in the way and continued on.
Activity:St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm - This was an indoor activity that we had planned on case it rained. We didn't end up needing to do it but I kind of regret skipping it. It's a location where they actually discovered dinosaur bones and you can get up close and handle them and learn how they discovered them.
Hotel:Red Lion Hotel in St. George. A beautiful drive-up room and an indoor pool in the adjacent building. The kids and wife went swimming in the pool and I fell asleep poolside. That was a long day but amazing memories.
