Hey, remember the road trip that I went on  with my cousin B and his girlfriend in September when we visited all the National Parks? I am still catching up on the recaps! Here are parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

After the amazing tour through Lower Antelope Canyon and a quick stop at Horseshoe Bend, we got back on the road to our next destination: Moab.

Of course, road tripping through the American Southwest is never just about the destination, but also about the journey, because there is just so much to see.

We had also contemplated driving a little detour to see Four Corners National Monument (where Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico touch), but the extra driving would have been substantial just to be able to say “we were there”, so we decided against it this time. It would have been cool though.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to enter into Monument Valley this time (as B and I have done on a previous visit), but luckily, a lot of the monuments are visible, and not less beautiful from the distance.

Remember that article that I shared in one of my Link Love posts, about how everybody snaps the same Instagram travel photos? Well, I guess, it’s true. We did, too. It’s just too cool to pass up.

After we left Monument Valley behind, I made sure we included a stop at Goosenecks State Park.

This site, though declared a state park, is still largely undeveloped. There are some very primitive campsites and no developed hiking trails, which really boggles my mind. Honestly, I think it will just be a matter of time until someone will realize the potential of this place, because just look at these views! Those are some of the most impressive views of one of the most striking examples of an entrenched river meander on the North American continent.

I first learned about these impressive meanders of the San Juan River on my geology field trip in 1998. Turns out, not even my nerdy, geology-enthusiastic co-workers knew about the Goosenecks. Wild! I feel like I am on a mission to introduce them to anybody who will listen! At the same time, it’s very nice to visit a site that is not overrun with people. Just sayin’.

The State Park is just a short drive off US 163 and very worth a stop, IMHO. You can’t miss the turn-off, because it will come up on the left just when you leave Mexican Hat behind on your right. The name “Mexican Hat” comes from a sombrero-shaped rock outcropping on the northeast edge of town.

As always, my posts come with a little geology lesson. You’re welcome.

The San Juan River is a major tributary of the Colorado River and drains the Four Corners region. It originates in the San Juan Mountains (which are part of the Rocky Mountains) in Colorado and flows 383 miles (616 km)[2] through the deserts of northern New Mexico and southeastern Utah to join the Colorado River at Glen Canyon. The river drains a high, arid region of the Colorado Plateau and along its length it is often the only significant source of fresh water for many miles. The San Juan is also one of the muddiest rivers in North America, carrying an average of 25 million US tons (22.6 million t) of silt and sediment each year.(Wikipedia).

Millions of years ago, when the land was relatively flat, the river meandered on its normal course (as rivers do). Then, about 20 million years ago, a period of uplift occurred on the Colorado Plateau. As the land rose, the river flowed faster while still following its meandering course. The river cut into the land, eventually creating the impressive entrenched meanders.

Anyway, long story short: the geologic history is fascinating (IMHO as a geology nerd) but you can also just stop there because it’s such a beautiful, impressive view. Everybody can agree with that, am I right?

We made it to Moab just in time for dinner. We checked into our hotel and then of course had to get burgers at an old favorite restaurant, “Eddie McStiff’s”, where I had eaten with Basti and my parents on a previous trip to Utah!

Hey, remember the road trip that I went on  with my cousin B and his girlfriend in September when we visited all the National Parks? Let’s continue the recaps! Here are parts 1, 2, 3, and 4.

As you might recall, I left off when we visited Horseshoe Bend near Page, Arizona.

While we were in Page, we had also booked a tour at the “Lower Antelope Canyon” via Ken Tours. [Warning: this post is photo-heavy.]

Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon, which are common in Utah and which, characteristically, are significantly deeper than they are wide. ‘Some slot canyons can measure less than 1 meter (3 ft) across at the top but drop more than 30 meters (100 ft) to the floor of the canyon’ (Wikipedia) (as you can see in some of the pictures below). B and I had seen Upper Antelope Canyon on this previous visit, and I just remembered it as a magical place carved out by Mother Nature, but M hadn’t seen either and so we decided to do a tour at the Lower Canyon this time.

Both canyons were formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily by flash floods through Antelope Creek, a intermittently water-bearing creek originating in the Mormon Ridges southeast of Page. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic “flowing” shapes in the rock. (Wikipedia).

Upper Antelope Canyon (also called ”The Crack”), which you can access through a (most of the time) dry river bed, is ground level and requires no climbing. The entrance is a narrow curved slit in the cliffs only a few feet wide and you could easily miss it. However, once inside, the canyon has the shape of an upside down “V”, it’s mostly pretty wide at the bottom and narrower at the top. The beams of direct sunlight radiating down from openings at the top of the canyon are much more common here and bathe the sandstone in bright orange light.

In contrast, Lower Antelope Canyon (also called “The Corkskrew”) is the opposite. The opening, where you enter into the canyon through a series of staircases, is pretty wide, but the bottom is narrow and there are many twists and turns. It is longer, narrower in spots, and even footing is not available in all areas. Five flights of stairs of varying step widths are available to aid in descent and ascent through the canyon. The canyon has the shape of a “V” and it feels much more cave like, even though it is shallower than the Upper Antelope Canyon.

We were part of an early morning tour at 8:20 a.m., so we had to get up early to make it there in time (although it’s only a 10-minute drive from the center of town).

{courtesy of Google}

The crowds were already forming (which was to be expected) and I cringed a little bit inside to be once again part of such a mass event to see ‘nature’. It just feels contradictory, but again, if I complain about the crowds, I realize that I am part of the problem.

The organization seemed a little haphazard, as there were so many people in line for a various different tour starting times and we all had to be separated out into the correct groups. The waiting time wasn’t too bad though and we were amused by the lady that repeatedly asked for our “confirmination numbers”.

In the end, it all worked out and our tour started on time.

I was a bit wary that the walk through the canyon would be pretty crowded (and usually it is hard enough to take pictures without other people in it as it is), but luckily the crowds dispersed a bit when the tour started and our tour guide made sure that people had space and (mostly) unobstructed views to take pictures.

When you’re inside the canyon, it’s very hard to imagine that this place still experiences regular flash foods and reshaping of the canyon walls. Sometimes you can find hints of the most recent flash floods stuck to the walls (like debris and wooden logs).

As you can see, the walk through the canyon is a lot of twist and turns and absolutely stunning views. The tour guides always point out different shapes that the water has carved into the rock and that they have named because they resemble certain things like

… the upside down heart…

…the eagle …

… the lion…

… the buffalo head…

… the Indian Chief…

… the Joker face…

… and the lady in the wind.

The newest ‘addition’ to the tour guides repertoire: “Donald Trump” carved in stone.  Do you see his hair flip?

And this is where you ‘crawl’ out of the canyon at the end of the tour. It’s hard to believe when you see this opening from above that there this whole deep labyrinth of beauty below the surface.

If you would ask me which tour I would recommend, Upper or Lower Canyon, I would say both. As mentioned, expect significant crowds. The place has become much more popular (even since I first visited in 2011) and you just have to expect wait times and many, many people. However, Antelope Canyon is so unique and so incredible that I think it’s possible to look past the crowds and still be able to appreciate its stunning beauty. While the waving and coloring of the sandstone is pretty similar, the hiking experience in the two canyons is very different (IMHO). The Lower Antelope Canyon tour was $40 and quite a bit cheaper than the Upper Antelope Canyon tour (in case this might be a deciding factor for you), although the Upper Canyon is the only place where you have a chance of seeing those iconic light beams mentioned earlier

Some travel tips:

+ Lodging options around Page are unfortunately all on the expensive side. We stayed at the La Quint Inn & Suites Page at Lake Powell. It’s one of the cheaper options and it’s a pretty new and well-run hotel (with a very decent breakfast).

+ We’ve been going back to “Bonkers Restaurant” every time we visit Page. It’s a local favorite and the food is really good.

+ If you’re in the area, make sure you visit Horseshoe Bend and go on one of the Antelope Canyon tours. (Duh!) You won’t regret it. But you should know that there is much more to see in the area. Unfortunately due to time and money constraints, we couldn’t take advantage of it all, but other cool things to check out: Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam,  Rainbow Bridge National Monument (by boat), and I really want to do the Glen Canyon Float Trip (where you can see Horseshoe Bend from below!) sometime!