Saw Some Stuff

After visiting the Grand Canyon, Ian and I headed to Page, Arizona, about a 2 hour drive North from the Grand Canyon. In Page, we visited the Antelope Canyons. We booked the tours to see the slot canyons way ahead of time, because they get filled up pretty quickly.  We did two different tours of the Antelope Canyons, both the upper and lower canyons, which are in different areas and different tour companies. Both similar, yet very different and unique, equally amazing, and both definitely worth it to see. Still one of the most amazing things i’ve seen and truly makes me appreciate how beautiful this world is.

Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon in the American Southwest. It is on Navajo land east of Page, Arizona. Antelope Canyon includes two separate, scenic slot canyon sections, referred to individually as “Upper Antelope Canyon” and “Lower Antelope Canyon.”

First we did the upper Antelope Canyons and did the sightseers tour through Roger Ekis Antelope Canyon tours.  The tour was $45.50 per person. The upper canyons are level with the ground when you walk through, meaning you don’t have to climb down or up into the canyons. As you walk through, you will see the twists and turns of the extraordinary rock formations created by wind and water elements. Since the slots are so narrow and tall, the light just barely peaks through the canyon walls and create amazing colors and shadows all inside the antelope canyons, which is what makes it such a beautiful experience.

Every time of the day is different when going through the antelope canyons because of the way the sun hits inside the canyon. After some research, we decided to do the 10am-12pm time tour, because we read it was the best time that the lighting from the sun hit inside the canyons. We started the tour meeting up at a location in Page, Arizona. Then, they took us in little dune-buggie-looking trucks through the sand to the canyons. The Canyon’s are on Navajo sacred grounds and you’re supposed to go through the guided tours to see them. You can’t really wander there on your own. Although, I’ve heard of people kayaking there from Lake Powell to explore, but I’d recommend the tour for your first time.

Once we arrived, the tour guide did a really good job explaining the history behind the canyons and how the rocks are formed. He also gave the photographers and iPhone advice for the best camera settings/iphone filter to capture the rocks. During the tour he showed us the best shots to capture the slot canyons. We left with some pretty amazing photos of the Antelope Canyons and he was a great tour guide.

For the lower Antelope Canyons, we did Ken’s Tours. For the lower canyons, you have to climb some steep steps and ladders to get down into the canyon’s. Because of how narrow the canyon walls are and how deep it goes, they have to be careful of any rain or flash floods, because any water would fill up the slots quickly and become dangerous. We went on a nice, sunny day and had no rain on the radar.

The lower canyon’s were just as amazing as the upper. Because we went in March during in the winter, this was a less popular time and we were the only people in our tour group. In the summer during the busier peak times, our guide said tours can get very crowded, which makes it a lot harder to take pictures without people in the way. Our tour guide was really great and took a lot of pictures for us, while giving us photography tips and best angles to take of the rock formations.