title. Antelope Canyon
date. 2016
city. Page, Arizona
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A hidden treasure in the heart of Navajo land east of Page, Arizona. The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, meaning "the place where water runs through rocks." This is because the unique nature of these caves is formed by the erosion of Navajo Sandstone caused by flash floods and land changes in the area. The beautiful lines of this progressive process is visible on the towering walls that surround it. The red nature of the sandstone native to Arizona, especially the surrounding areas in Page, has a way of morphing the light upon entry. The effect is breathtaking, making it look like you have just landed on a new red planet never before touched by man. The yellow light of the dessert sun floods in through cracks overhead creating beams of light that are visible in the kick up of the dessert dust. This feature is what attracted the Navajo people to this land. It is also what attracts the thousands of tourists and photographers worldwide.
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When my family and I created our itinerary for our Arizona & Nevada road trip we had sights like the Grand Canyon and the Las Vegas Strip. We had not, however, planned a visit to Antelope Canyon. We knew we were going to be driving through Page, Arizona that day but we did not know the hidden treasure it held. We arrived in Page late in the afternoon to grab some lunch, when we heard people talking about this amazing Canyon they had just seen. We looked it up and the pictures took our breath away. We decided to add a little detour, and see it that afternoon even if it meant we wouldn't get to our next stop until midnight that night. We put it into maps and drove all the way out to Page Arizona. Upon arriving, however, we discovered that the only way to view the Canyon was through a booked tour! With the constant threat of flash floods plaguing this area the only way to safely maneuver the terrain is with an experienced guide. We, however, were not phased. We called the hotel that we had booked for the night and cancelled our reservation. We then proceeded to book any room we could get in the next town over and boy was the trouble worth it. The next morning we woke up bright and early and proceeded to the sight. We checked in with the company we had booked for the tour the night before and proceeded on Jeeps to the Canyons opening. After about a 20 minute drive we arrived at a site that looked like a cliffs edge with a crack in the side. This was the way in. We entered the crack and was instantly amazed. The view was breathtaking and the pictures were beautiful. It really was a hidden gem and in my opinion even better than the Grand Canyon.
