Road Trip!

We knew all along that there was just “too much to see and do” in our brief and initial visit to Sedona, so we decided that at least one day would be devoted to a road trip excursion on a guided tour to the Grand Canyon area.  Rather than a Canyon tour, though, we had seen a great opportunity to get two different amazing experiences for the price of one!

Boarding the (small) tour bus in Sedona, our crowd sets out north.  As we climb out of Oak Creek Canyon, we’re heading towards the Grand Canyon, but as mentioned, that’s not our stop.  We make our way through Navaho reservation territory, which is both fascinating from the geographic variety and also somewhat sad from the relative poverty of the people who live there (and have lived there for quite a long time).  A brief rest stop gives a chance to stretch our legs and see a bit more of this different, but still very native American, lifestyle.

Our first major destination is Horseshoe Bend.  A natural and well-named curve of the upper Colorado River as it makes its way towards and into the Grand Canyon.  This particular formation is so iconic that seeing it in person is somewhat surreal.  It’s been featured in what seems like almost every Western movie that tries to show the grandeur of the American West, but for me – I also remember it from a signature scene of one of my favorite science-fiction movies, the original 1968 “Planet of the Apes“.  In that movie, Taylor, Cornelius, and Zira are making their way across “The Forbidden Zone” and what better representation of some imposing natural background than Horseshoe Bend?

Kathy and I take tons of photos each, including some great shots using my photosphere, but one of the most humorous bits for me was a young lady, that I’ll call “InstaGirl“, who was obviously posing for photos (taken by her put-upon boyfriend) for her Instagram account.  This was confirmed as she transitioned from photos to selfies (with the requisite and highly annoying selfie-stick) and her annoyed Valley-Girl whine as he dared to be in the background of her selfie.  

Rolled eyes and chuckles-to-self aside, it was a sadly accurate representation of social media’s “influencer” mentality.

Fortunately, my photos and presentations (like this travel blog) aren’t that bad right?  Right?  (I hope)

It’s a shame to have to leave this magnificent icon, as I feel like I could have happily hung around and watched the shadows creep across the view until we got to some magical sunset lighting, but we’re back on the bus and heading for more!

Slot Canyon Exploration!

Before we get to Antelope Canyon and our signature photo excursion of this trip, there’s a brief stop for lunch and then some sightseeing around the Glen Canyon gorge and dam.  The Glen Canyon Dam is the less famous cousin of the Hoover Dam – it is about the same height, but it is actually 25% wider and used about 50% more concrete to construct.

Getting off the bus to look over the canyon includes some short hikes over some incredibly “fluid looking” rock formations (MUCH more on that later!).  The views downstream of the dam are intriguing and make me wonder what a boat trip would be like between those high canyon walls.  Visiting the Dam itself shows just how large the structure is, holding up the water to form Lake Powell and the massive recreation areas it includes.

Back into the bus and onto dedicated Navajo Territory for the actual slot canyon visits.  There are actually several “Antelope Canyon” options, and we’re going to Antelope Canyon “X” (more later) because it’s actually less crowded and just as beautiful.

Slot canyons in Arizona are formed primarily through the process of erosion, where water, typically from flash floods, rapidly flows through narrow cracks in the rock, carving out deep, narrow channels over time. The combination of the region’s soft sandstone and infrequent but intense rainfall events allows these striking geological features to develop and evolve. 

Getting off the bus and heading down into the canyon via a long set of stairs carved into the gravel and dirt floor, we make our way down below the surface of the surrounding landscape into what truly feels like another world.  Seeing Antelope Canyon X for the first time evokes a profound sense of awe and wonder, as the interplay of light and shadows reveals the intricate patterns and vibrant hues of the sandstone walls.

The narrow, winding passageways create an intimate and almost surreal experience, leaving you feeling deeply connected to the raw beauty and timeless artistry of nature.

The photos, as usual, don’t do this amazing experience justice, as the light changes throughout the day and even as the clouds move overhead.  Even with the tour group and our guide, it was easy to lose yourself in the soft, flowing visuals of the rock walls.  They looked, at times, more fluid than solid.

Breaking up the visual splendor of these rock walls was an amusing sign reminding everyone that … um… certain activities were not allowed down in the canyons themselves.

There were two distinct sections of this slot canyon that we explored, with a more open section between them.  As we walked into the narrow opening of the second segment, our Navajo guide made sure to direct our view upwards at the very clear “X” in the rocks above that gave this section of Antelope Canyon it’s additional designation.

In this last section of the slot canyon, the top was more open to the brilliant blue sky and the soft, smooth, curving walls of the canyon were too tempting not to run my hand across and think about the millennia of humans that had done this exact same thing, in this exact spot, with these exact emotional reactions.

Getting to the end of this section, we retrace our steps and make our way back up the long and winding stone staircase.  Yes.  I’m out of shape here and have to stop a couple of times.  Ugh.  I would, though, love to return some day and explore the other Antelope Canyon offerings – and take even more photos.

Boarding the bus for the long ride back to Sedona, we meet up with Paul again for a last night’s dinner and preparation for our return home.  The drive back down into Phoenix

This has been a spectacular first visit to Sedona and the surrounding areas, and it will absolutely not be our last.  We’re already talking about how our kids and grandkids would love the area, and we can’t wait to share it with them one day soon!

Until next time travel fans!