Antelope Canyon

 When Orange is a favorite color 😀

The Antelope Canyons had long been on top of the must-travel-to list for my DH. But, as luck may have it (or the lack of it) somehow remained jinxed and the journey just didn't happen. With some dilemma against the heat, we decided to finally cross off the one-day-we-shall-visit Antelope Canyons and adorn a very orange feather on our beaten travel cap. Living in San Diego, it is of course possible to drive down the 10 hours all the way to Page. However, we thought that would be too stretched & instead decided to fly to Las Vegas and drive the 4.5 hour to Page. And yet once more flights were booked, hotels reserved and canyon tour tickets bought! 

Happiness with happiest color, Orange

Day 1: Howdy Rainbow! 

The first day was just all about waiting to close our work laptops & flying to Vegas. We chose to drive down to the airport, park our car at a long term parking instead of Ubers back-and-forth. (simple math to find what's cheaper over all, of course measure in convenience too). For local San Diego folks, Aladdin parking has really great service with a free cafe at their lounge & frequent shuttles to & from the airport. 

Howdy Rainbow 

With ample time on our hands at the airport (something which always is a blessing), we made it to the crowded terminal for cheaper airlines. Now that we no more fly with babies, we recently started braving the cheaper airlines. For the very first time we chose Spirit. I mean I don't mind paying $3.50 for drinks if I can get the flight for quarter the price otherwise. Luckily we were all seated together. Up in the air it was a quick one hour flight to Vegas. 7 year old, Rupkatha, seated by the window spotted a beautiful rainbow right before our descent. That was certainly a first and it was quite picturesque to see the distant rains and the rainbow. Of course, we had our own share of few mins of turbulence too. But, as they say no pain no gain. 😀

Picked our rental car, dinner done - we started on our 2 hour journey to St. George, Utah - our halt for the night. Soon the kids snored & that's when ill luck hit us as we got a flat tyre on I-15. We moved to the shoulder only to realize our AAA has expired. We tried calling Thrifty, our rental & got zero help. Finally the state Troopers from calling 911 came to our rescue (shall remain forever thankful). Fortunately, the kids slept thru the entire ordeal & the drive to our hotel. We halted at the St George Inns and Suites - strongly recommend them for their 24*7 friendly staff & good filling breakfast with ample to choose from for all ages. 

Very Important: when doing road trips, AAA is a must. Also, knowing how to change tires & few other nick-nacks are an absolute life skill. Best not to venture without those. 

Day 2: From Secret Store to the Happiest Color, Orange

Sleepy head modes on, we all woke up with just half n hour to tuck in at the breakfast at the hotel. But, won't miss this for the world as my little 6 year old Abesh says this breakfast is always his favorite part. My DH found a Walmart auto center near by & soon we were speaking to their staff to help us fix the flat tire. They took a max of 30 mins to help us and let us be back on the roads. A huge of vote thanks to them! While waiting we went thru the waiting lounge at the auto center and into Walmart. Abesh was beside himself with surprise and glee thinking that this was some kind of secret store he'd got special access to. Little ones & their wild imaginations make everything so much more enjoyable. 

Soon we were speeding towards the Lower Antelope Canyon, our first destinations of the trip. We'd booked with the Dixie's Lower Antelope Canyon Tours. All canyon tours are owned by the Navajo settlement, who own the rights to these timeless canyons. 

Lunch was on the go subway sandwiches & in the case of Abesh, it was bananas and crackers. 😄 Despite all the ordeals and thanks to the time difference we reached 2 hours before our tour and the check in lady was kind enough to put us in a tour departing in 45 mins. They have a huge air conditioned lounge & a small souvenir shop. No worries if you don't have water or any drink as they sell it there as well. 

Information: these tours do not allow any kind of backpacks, bags or purses. You may carry a clear bag or clear backpack tough. So either have that or pants with pockets or simply hold hydration in your hands. We had both pants with pockets and a clear bag. Also, strongly recommend carrying Gatorade or likes of it especially during the summer months.

Ever'fall' colors

Soon we all assembled at the porch outside as our eyes and bodies got used to the heat and sun outside. Hiking hats and sunglasses are an absolute MUST. Soon we met our guide. Each group had about 10 people so it's a small group even though the canyon itself is pretty full of tourists. Before long we were all walking towards the canyon entrance. It's just about a 5 - 10 mins of walk so even with the hot Arizona sun beating down on us, it wasn't too bad is what I would say. The Canyon itself is 75 feet below the ground level and we hopped down a fair few flight of steep steps. Once inside the canyon, it was completely shaded and very pleasant down there. 

And boy oh boy, the colors - the hues of orange were simply from another planet. In many ways, it looks like a canvas where the painter had used bold strokes to paint all around him. Smooth orange walls closing in from both sides leaving orange dust on your fingers at the slightest touch. There are quite a few famous picture points - Twin Peaks, Microsoft wallpaper, Rafiki, Donut whole and so on. The guide was patient enough to take everyone's picture & tried answering all questions asked. The really interesting thing is that what exists today may not be there tomorrow. One of the spots called the Donut Whole was actually made just a month ago when a flash flood washed away the floor and made a whole to jump thru in the wall. Just a month back people used to actually walk somewhere above from where we stood - jeepers creepers! 

Oohing and aahing, we covered the 0.8 miles hike inside the canyon in a little less than an hour. Luckily the way back isn't flanked with very many steps & it's a very easy climb back to the top again. A quick 2 minutes walk back to the Visitor Center where we brushed of orangish-reddish-pinkish sand from shoes & piled back to our car. 

Information & Suggestion: tips for the tour guide are highly appreciated! 

With the heat around us, we drove straight to our hotel, La Quinta - our abode for the next two nights. We checked into our room and simply let the air conditioning cool air wash over us. Rested and relaxed, we stepped out for our dinner at the Sunset 89. It's a hidden gem tucked away solitarily on a plateau top with nothing around. It over looked the Glen Canyon Dam and the red rocky plateaus and hills around. They have both indoor & outdoor seating. What came as an absolute blessing was that we ordered white rice & some noddles from their sides menu and the two kids couldn't be any happier. We'd ordered their fried Brussels sprouts and Korean bbq pork with rice - it was all extremely tasty & handsome portions. As the sun set, it became much cooler & pleasant outside. We hung out at their picnic tables outside post dinner soaking in the dessert beauty around us. Back in our hotel & happy tired from the day's adventures - parents slept sooner than the kids. 😂

Day 3: Bend it with the X Factor! 

The next day was a lazy start with our next trip at 10 in the morning. We all woke up when we wished to and ambled down to the breakfast lounge where a breakfast fit for the kings and queens awaited. Our 7 year old decided to go on a growth spurt and gobbled enough to make our money worth and finally declared she couldn't do lunch no more. Cuteness overloaded! 😆 We all quickly showered to keep body temperatures low, grabbed as much hydration as possible and drove down to the Antelope Canyon X by Taadidiin Tours. With  no Visitor Center here, there is just a little kiosk where you can go check in & sign the waivers.  We queued along with other cars excited in anticipation of what lay ahead. 

Information: these tours do not allow any kind of backpacks, bags or purses NOT even clear bag or clear backpacks. So it is a MUST to have pants with pockets or simply hold hydration in your hands. I had pants with pockets to carry hydration. Also, strongly recommend carrying Gatorade or likes of it especially during the summer months. 

Looking for the X factor 

Soon a pilot car pulled up at the head of the queue and an ant-line of cars drove down the dusty dirt roads. There is a big enough parking lot, where we met our guide to walk down the 5 minutes to the start of the canyon. This one too has a lot of tourists. The canyon is about 0.2 miles of hike consisting of two parts to it - North and South joined by a rocky floor under the blue sky. It's about a 1.5 hours tour including the drive. Some of the more popular spots are Pocahontas, Snake's eye, Great Bear and so on. This one too has beautiful interactions of oranges and has these little alcoves where one can stop to soak it all in. 

Information & Suggestion: tips for the tour guide are highly appreciated! 

However, in all honesty, even thought the canyon is beautiful & the tour not that expensive - it is not a have-to-do when you're in the area. It's a more like can-do-if-you-have-time kinda thing. Since, we did have extra time, we did it. 

Lunch was very quick & low-key at a Taco Bell as none of us were really very hungry. Now, what happened next was very very rare on our holidays. We actually came back to our hotel to rest and wait out the heat. I caught up on all the sleep I needed and father & kids watched a US Open match. A quick dip at the pool, we all changed back and drove to the little Page downtown for dinner. With much apprehension as my DH isn't a big chicken lover, we chose the Birdhouse. It's a busy no-nonsense place with plenty seating area and a menu which doesn't confuse you. We ordered a fried drumstick (spicy for the parents & original for the kids) each with their broccoli salad, pickled vegetables, french fries and mac-and-cheese. End results were 4 very happy tummies & 4 happy people. 😀 Even my DH became a chicken fan post this dinner.

Bend it!

Post that we drove down to the Horse-shoe Bend. And boy oh boy, is it popular or what!! Phew it was like a carnival out there with people milling in to catch a glimpse of the setting sun moment. The kids and I did a few mandatory selfies & pictures and found our way atop a rock to settle in as my poor DH scampered around for a spot to take some pictures. We hung out there till the crowd had almost thinned out giving the photographers a few moments of peace to click what they could. We walked back the 1.5 miles loop back to the parking lot as the skies turned from lightest to the deepest shades of blue. Little Abesh stopped to exclaim 'Mamma! Look so many stars' as with every passing minute more and more stars appeared in the half moon night. 

Back in our hotel, we all snuggled back into our blankets and were soon dreaming away to glory!

Day 4: Curtain Fall 

Today we had an early morning at the grandad of the canyons, the Upper Antelope Canyons. We had our tour booked with the Antelope Slot Canyon Tours company at 8:15 am. I woke up early to shower and make sure everyone was up and had enough time to tuck in at yet another grand breakfast. 

Tummies full, we drove down the very quick 5 minutes to their Page downtown office. There is a small section selling souvenirs where we bought a magnet for our over spilling board. 😎 Now, this tour added another layer of adventure as they drove the tourists in mini buses through the canyon wash, on the sandy roads and the bumpy terrain to the very mouth of the Upper canyons. Usually I don't buckle up in bus rides. But, this one called for it - it was quite the amusement park ride that one. 

Information: like its Lower cousin, these tours do not allow any kind of backpacks, bags or purses as well. You can carry a clear bag or clear backpack tough. So either have that or pants with pockets or simply hold hydration in your hands. We had both pants with pockets and a clear bag. Also, strongly recommend carrying Gatorade or likes of it especially during the summer months. 

The upper canyon stands bejeweled in its own beauty. There are quite a few famous spots here as well - The Candlestick, Abraham Lincoln, The Ear and so on. The thing to write home about were these little illuminated spots where the lights where turns an ethereal blue and funnels straight down creating a spotlight for those who might stand it in. We were lucky to come across about three spots illuminated such. The hike in itself is a short 0.6 miles round loop with hardly about 2 - 5 minutes in the sun right at the very end. But, the entire joy trip lasts about 1.5 - 2 hours, including the bus rides. We all meandered through the canyon bed listening to slightly nerve racking stories about what happens when a sudden flash flood occurs; and the fact that a massive flash flood can happen with just 5 minutes of rain. 

Illuminated Li'l Miss! 

Again, we were blessed with a tour guide who let us amble along as much as possible taking pictures and simply wondering at the beautiful architecture nature is constantly working at. With its wall looming in on us and dimly lit trail, the kids pretend played haunted house - what a wonderfully natural and organic play pen. 

Information & Suggestion: tips for the tour guide are highly appreciated! 

Back at the trail head, we took the bus ride back to the tour company office & quickly made our way back to the hotel. It was past 10 when we got back to our room. Quick showers for the kids, suitcases packed one more & with a quick-one-last-time glance around our room we checked out of our hotel in Page. 

With ample time to spare we started the drive back to Las Vegas for our night flight. We stopped at St. George for lunch. My newly fallen in love with chicken DH had chosen Viva Chicken for our grub grab. It was a Peruvian eatery designed in a very contemporary way. We ordered the Arroz Chaufa (Peruvian Fried Rice) for the kids, Sopa De Pollo (Chicken soup with Rice) and DH chose a Quarter Pollo a la Brasa with Solterito (Peruvian rotisserie chicken with corn salad). The fact that I mention each and every item we had with description simply goes to show how good the food was. So if you're ever halting or simply passing by St. George, you now know where it eat. 😋

The last bit of the drive from St George to Las Vegas Airport came with its own big hiccup - a huge slowdown on the interstate because of lane closures on a two-lane interstate. It took us more than double the time to get to the airport & having lost an hour to time difference, we felt lucky to be on our flight home. But, cest la vie and as good things happen in our travels, so will ill fated things too. It was a very short 45 minutes flight from Vegas to San Diego. Back home, all I will say is that all's well that ends well! 

Ready. Set. Buckle up. Ride!