8/20/13 - Page, AZ

We had to drive back through Kanab this morning to get to Page, Arizona.  Highway 89 between the Grand Canyon and Page was washed out and it is closed.  Just before entering Page we drove into the Lake Powell National  Recreation Area.  We stopped at Wahweap Viewpoint of Lake Powell.  From here you can see the two power plants.  One is run by coal and one is the hydroelectric power plant at the dam.

We got an RV site in Page.  The National Recreation Area has a privately owned RV park that cost $48.00 per night.  The one we stopped at is much cheaper, it’s just not on the lake.  It is a very good park with a pool, wi-fi, laundry and is much closer to the two places we want to visit.  We unhooked and drove to Horseshoe Bend.  This is where the Colorado River makes a curve.  The hike to it was mostly downhill so on the way back it was uphill in a temperature of 93 degrees.  Jim wouldn’t go near the edge to get a picture because he has acrophobia.  There was no guard rail – just a sheer drop of 1,000 feet to the canyon floor.  The picture posted here is mine.  I got as close to the edge as I was comfortable with.  It was still scary!

We made a stop at Walmart and then we went to Antelope Canyon.  This canyon is owned by the Navajo Nation and we paid a tour fee and a Navajo Reservation fee to get in. You can tour the upper or lower sections.  The upper section is not as long and is really crowded.  We chose the lower section.  This is a slot canyon made of sandstone rock that has been scoured by rushing flash flood waters over the centuries.  It’s dry until it rains.  In 1997 eleven tourists were killed by an unexpected flash flood in this canyon.  Only the tour guide survived.  It was sunny at the canyon but heavy rains 50 miles away came rushing down the canyon on them.  It was 98 degrees when we got out of the canyon.  We went to the Elks Lodge and had a beer.  Then sat outside at the RV park and looked at maps to decide where to go tomorrow.