Our first stop today is at the tourist center in downtown Page, AZ, to get the scoop on the Antelope Canyon tours. Not only did we get booked into a tour for tomorrow morning, but the attendant also gave us some suggestions for scenic Jeep trails we might enjoy.
But first things first, we’re all hungry. While driving around town running errands, a wonderful, smoky scent came wafting in our window. Welcome to Big John’s Texas Barbeque. GREAT barbeque.
With tummies full, we are off to Horseshoe Bend.
Just about everybody is familiar with the iconic formation.
The Bend is an “entrenched meander” of the Colorado River. It just means that the river cut down into bedrock in a regular curving, looping, winding way.
The meandering Colorado River created roughly a 1,000 foot deep, horseshoe-shaped bend. But enough of all this serious stuff. It turns out Candy is afraid of heights. Not so unusual. It is a natural instinct of self-preservation, or as John believes, natural selection.
We are all having some fun teasing her about it and scaring her by getting, what she thinks, a little too close to the edges. Andy encouraged her to crawl up beside him for this picture.
She is a good sport about it and even agrees to pose for a picture looking over the ledge. What you can’t see is the death grip she has on the rock she’s laying on.
John can’t resist striking his “I am the most interesting man in the world,” pose.
With Candy a sufficiently stressed out with our too-close-to-the-edge antics it is time to move on. She and Andy have some errands to run and John wants to check out the Lake Powell Dam.
The ravens around here really aren’t very afraid of people. I think people feed them or something. We pull up to the bridge over looking the dam and this guy is sitting right by my passenger door. I get out, shut my door, walk up and snap this picture. The raven never flinched. (yes it is real!)
Though not as impressive as the Hoover Dam, the Lake Powell Dam is an engineering feat in and of itself.
Okay, well, dams aren’t really that exciting to photograph. Let’s move on. We decide to drive a short way around the lake and do some exploring. The lake is pretty no matter from what side you look.
We found a unique activity, perhaps landscape graffiti, but not one we felt like participating in. It involves climbing up and down hills and John’s knee has had enough climbing for one day. But it is still cool finding messages in the desert constructed from collected rocks.
The sun is going down and it is starting to get cool. Time to head back to camp. Tomorrow is going to be a big day, bucket list check-off time!!!! I’m so excited!
