Exploring Antelope Canyon

>> A friend passed on a quote that made me realize: the process of getting somewhere is important and defining. "A good traveler has no set plans and is not intent on arriving." Sometimes, half of enjoying a destination is getting there. And just sometimes you can't help but laugh at how incredibly unique that journey turned out to be.

>> The drive from Flagstaff to the Utah/Arizona border is a picture book. Fields of muted mustard plains line a skyline of purple hued mountains. Around every bend is another breathtaking snapshot. As the temperature is getting warmer around this time of year, the combination of turned down windows and your favorite song makes the drive ultimate bliss. Until you come to a road block. And the reroute takes you another hour. And you have to unexpectedly pay for a guided tour once you get there. Then it becomes a little frustrating. All of this only made for an interesting story about how we arrived to Antelope Canyon and we couldn't help but laugh when our tour guide turned out to be a little cooky.
My friend and I, thinking we are adventure pros, thought it'll be no problem "just finding the place." Obviously wrong. As we drove down a red dirt road to the rim, we passed by a sign that read "Adventure Antelope Canyon Tour" which earned us a few stares.  We continued on. Then, we were approached by two hair braided, bulky men in a jeep. Apparently we needed a tour since it was private property.  Oops. Tail between our legs, we reluctantly forked over thirty dollars and loaded into an old suburban with an Asian family.

>>Antelope Canyon has only recently, within the past five years, become a popular tourist attraction.  Since the slot canyons are only accessible by way of Navajo guide, history plays a large role in the canyons' beauty.  Erosion of Navajo Sandstone formed the pottery-like canyon walls, a look that makes it the most visited and photographed slot canyon in the Southwest. To the elder Navajo, the sacred canyons are like cathedrals. Our tour guide explained he was never allowed to play in them because of their superstition. He also mentioned the dust devils that frequent are manifestations of the devil or skin walkers... we just wanted to see some cool canyons.
We weren't disappointed. As our feet sink into the red pigmented dirt, a cool brush of air reveals that the canyon is quite delicate and your voice can be heard from the other end. It is awe-inspiring. Our jaws literally dropped and our necks became stiff from gazing upward and snapping pictures.  The way the sunlight peaks through the top of the canyon makes you believe that these canyons are indeed sacred. Even though the journey to Antelope Canyon was longer than intended, it was far more worth any monetary or timely value. You should definitely journey on and enjoy these blissful canyons!

          

 

  

  

cheers-

A Natural Wonder of the World

I was so thankful that this last weekend was a long one, thank your Dr. Martin Luther! With the extra day off I made a quick trip up to Flagstaff and to my surprise the Grand Canyon! My co-pilot thankfully objected from any sneak peaks as we were driving up.  It was supposed to be taken in all at once, and for that I couldn't be more appreciative. The Grand Canyon is something more vast and beautiful than I can now or could then fully comprehend.  Stretching over its entirety of 277 miles is the almost fluorescent blue sky.  The contrast of the purple pink and red stained canyon to the cloudless sky was nothing short of a heavenly sight. No picture could fully capture or should capture the complexity of the canyon.  I noticed there was something serene happening as I was looking from behind the barred viewpoint.  It was relatively frigid and there were remnants of snow fall on the ground.  I saw no life other than the fellow visitors and large black birds. It's hard to believe that there are over 1500 plant, 355 bird, 89 mammal, 47 reptile, 9 amphibian and 17 fish species found in the park, as well as 4 Indian Reservations. Where were they all?  A somewhat strange encounter with such a life filled canyon only added to the mystery of it all.  Since the visit was an impromptu one every second looking below made me wish i had brought my tennis shoes! There is so much more to be explored hiking through the canyon, but hopefully none of the 47 reptiles. I now realize that after living in Arizona for most of my life yet never seeing the canyon has undoubtedly dubbed me worst Arizonan ever. Thankfully I no longer have to say that I've never seen the Canyon and turn my head in embarrassment. Next on the list is hiking to the ever talked about Havasupai Falls!

xoxo,
Kasondra