Antelope Canyon
I was referred to Antelope Canyon by a friend who had gone
recently and adorned her Instagram page with the majestic photos of its beauty.
I realized it was on my way home (Via road trip in my ol’ faithful Ford
Explorer) and knew I had to make the time to visit. I approached the small town
of Paige, AZ and about five miles from the heart of town was the most
breathtaking beauty hiding underground. Something you should know when you head
there are there are two locations (1) is the Upper Canyon and (2) is the Lower
canyon. We arrived at the upper canyon location, which is mostly above ground
and easily accessible for children and the elderly. However, there was an
overwhelming amount of tourists with selfie sticks (bus loads!). We decided to
head across the street to the lower canyon, which was empty and significantly
cheaper. We met with our lovely tour guide (because you can only enter the
canyon with a tour guide) and trekked across the sand and walked about ¼ mile
to the stairs. WAIT WHAT? Stairs? I looked down and there was a thin metal
ladder that they consider to be called stairs. The stairs traveled down about
three stories but for a wimp like myself who is afraid of heights it felt like
a skyscraper. You have to go backwards down the stairs at most points with the
handrails because of the steepness so I don’t recommend it for adults or people
with small children under the age of five. If you are afraid of heights like I
am, be aware that you can see through the stairs all the way down so either
focus on your hands or shoelaces. Once we got into the canyon it was beautiful!
There was a nice cool breeze that found their way traveling through the shapes
of the rocks. Our tour guides are from a Native American tribe that were knowledgeable
with the history, stories and forming of the Canyon. The light was better in the middle of the day
(we started our tour at 12:40pm so the sun was directly ahead, making the most
beautiful rays of light. Our tour guide told us incredible stories, showed us
fascinating rock formations and taught us the secret to getting the perfect
shot in the lighting given. All the photos I have posted are from an iPhone, so
you can see how easy it is to snap the natural beauty. If you would like an individual
photo tour, you can pay a little more to be on your own and take your own time
through the canyon with a guide.
Happy Travels!
Happy Travels!
