Antelope Canyon – A Rich Life

The Grand Circle Tour – Final Post

It is said that all good things must come to an end and sadly, our Grand Circle Tour did as well. It was an amazing trip, covering three states, over 1,600 miles, six national parks, multiple state parks, and so many other points of interest along the way. We were in awe of nature’s beauty and felt honored to be able to experience landscapes that took literally millions of years to be created.

It was a humbling experience. For anyone who is overly impressed with themselves or their worldly accomplishments, I suggest standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon. It might serve to put things back into perspective.

1GCMap — The Grand Circle Route – Starting and ending in Las Vegas

As we traveled in our trusty Kia Sedona, we were treated to a constant and ever-changing display of nature’s beauty. The panoramas were dramatic and diverse and never failed to deliver unexpected surprises throughout the trip. As the journey came to a close, a few thoughts came to mind:

The U.S. system of national parks is an amazing treasure available to everyone – whether you are a U.S. citizen or not. The National Park Service should be proud of the wonderful work it does today, as well as its long tradition of service. The NPS has ensured that these natural wonders will be protected and preserved for future generations to enjoy. Take advantage of it. Consider an annual pass or a lifetime senior pass if your plans include multiple parks. (Our passes paid off after three visits.)

Our trip was definitely an “overview” trip. We barely scratched the surface. You could easily spend a week or more in each of the national parks and not run out of things to do. The parks are vast areas with numerous hiking trails allowing closer inspection of sites, time permitting. Staying multiple days in one park might allow you to catch that perfect sunrise or sunset or get up close and personal with your favorite arch or natural bridge.

3EIMG_7936 — Sunrise over the Grand Canyon.

For our itinerary, traveling in the minivan and staying in hotels was the right choice. Parking in the more popular parks at scenic overlooks was much easier than it would have been in an RV. For a trip covering fewer parks and fewer miles, an RV might have been the right choice.

KIA — The Crew and our Kia minivan atop the Moki Dugway.

Being prepared for a flexible itinerary and changing weather conditions was a huge plus. We carried small backpacks with us in case our “limited” hiking turned out to be not-so-limited. We suggest carrying water, fruit, granola bars, trail mix, etc. We also suggest having a fleece and a waterproof jacket. We experienced warm and sunny days with temperatures in the 70s and 80s, but we also experienced snow and freezing rain with temperatures in the low 30s.

snow — Snow near the Utah-Arizona border.

4EIMG_7676 — Threatening weather as we approached Monument Valley.

We really loved the mom-and-pop, family-owned businesses like Austin’s Chuck Wagon in Torrey, UT and the Stone Lizard Lodge in Blanding, UT. They really went out of their way to make us feel like they appreciated our business.

EIMG_7338 — Austin’s Chuck Wagon in Torrey, Utah.

EIMG_7340 — Historic cabin at Austin’s Chuck Wagon.

Jan 1 — No extra charge to watch the hummingbirds at the Stone Lizard Lodge in Blanding, UT.

In closing I would like to offer up these two extremely important tips:

Always close the hatch to the minivan securely to avoid launching flying duffel bags into oncoming traffic.
Always close the door behind you to prevent uninvited guests from joining the party.

This was my first attempt to document my travels in a blog format. I hope you have enjoyed the photos and the commentary. My hope is that this information will inspire others to travel to the American Southwest and assist them with their travel planning. I always read and appreciate comments and suggestions.

A huge thanks to Jan for planning and organizing the trip. Many thanks to Dawne, Stefan and Ann for providing so much entertainment and so many laughs and memories along the way!

The Grand Circle Tour – Day Eight (Part 2) – Antelope Canyon

There are several companies that offer tours of Antelope Canyon in and around the town of Page, AZ. We booked a 5:00 p.m. tour with Antelope Slot Canyon Tours for the upper canyon through the Visitor Center. We drove a few blocks from our hotel to the pickup location for the 4:30 check in. The tour was scheduled to take 90 minutes.

We were instructed to board trucks that had been specifically modified to transport people to the entrance of the canyon. The truck beds contained two rows of back-to-back benches that were arranged parallel to our direction of transport. Each bench had space for six people, while two lucky people were allowed to sit in the cab with the driver. Jan, Dawne and I were assigned to truck #2, while Stefan and Ann were assigned to truck #6.

We left for the 15 – 20 minute trip to the canyon and the paved road turned into a bumpy and dusty dirt road. People began to hang on for dear life and I began to question the decision to forgo the use of a seatbelt. When we arrived at the site, we found ourselves coated with a thin layer of red dust.

Antelope Canyon is actually a pair of slot canyons. The upper canyon is nicknamed “The Crack” and the lower canyon is nicknamed “The Corkscrew.” Access to the canyons is strictly controlled by the Navajo Nation, since the site is on their land. To view the canyons, you must participate in a guided tour.

1EIMG_7753 — This was nicknamed The Baby Elephant.

Our guide for group #2 was Earnest Yellow Horse, who was very personable and entertaining. He pointed out distinctive rock features along the way – some were nicknamed after U.S. presidents, while others were nicknamed after animals. Earnest was the master photographer, with a keen sense for finding just the right angle to capture the light perfectly. Photography was difficult in the low-light conditions and tripods were strictly prohibited. Earnest offered to take pictures for guests using their cameras and smartphones. As it turned out, our best shots were taken by him.

EIMG_7822 — Jan with Earnest Yellow Horse.

EIMG_7819 — Stefan with the guide from group #6.

I suspected that this must have been a very sacred place, where the Navajo people had been visiting for hundreds of years. However, Earnest explained that the canyon was only discovered in the 1950s by a young girl tending sheep. After many of her flock went missing, she finally found them huddled inside the cool canyon walls.

2EIMG_7763 — I believe this was nicknamed King Kong.

2EIMG_7776 — This was nicknamed The Bear. Look closely and you can spot the raised arms of a bear looking up toward the opening of the canyon.

2EIMG_7784 — I believe this was nicknamed George Washington.

2EIMG_7787 — This is my favorite photo and it was taken by our guide. If you look closely, you can spot the namesake antelope in the middle of the shot on the left wall. If you use your imagination, you can see a smaller one just above it on the right wall.

The canyons were formed by the erosion of Navajo sandstone and are still impacted by flash flooding today during monsoon season. We learned of the tragic story that occurred on August 12, 1997. Eleven tourists from France, the UK, Sweden, and the U.S. were killed in Lower Antelope Canyon by a flash flood. A distant thunderstorm had dumped a large amount of rain into the canyon basin over seven miles away. The water was then funneled toward the site and then ripped through the lower canyon, washing the tourists and their guide away. The lone survivor of the flood was tour guide Francisco “Pancho” Quintana, who had prior swift-water training.

Thankfully, we were transported safely back to town. We were covered in red canyon dust, but were none the worse for wear.

The Grand Circle Tour – Overview

The Adventure Begins

I recently had the pleasure of taking a trip to the American Southwest with some very good friends of mine. The trip was planned by our fearless leader, Jan (pronounced “yawn”), who is an extremely organized and regimented Swede. We needed someone to take charge and he certainly did. He spent countless hours researching potential routes, points of interest, accommodations, and modes of transportation.

In the months leading up to the trip, Jan would regularly send out emails with suggestions and options and ask for our input. We would, in turn, respond with, “Sounds great,” or, “Whatever you think is best,” and then carefully file away the emails for future reading. It is a wonder he did not get frustrated with our lack of input and decide to either go it alone or find other more-engaged travel partners. Luckily for us, he did not. He deserves full credit for the bulk of the planning and the ultimate itinerary.

3Jan Bryce 2 — Jan – Our Fearless Leader

After careful consideration (mostly by Jan), it was determined that we would start and end our tour in Las Vegas and make a big loop (The Grand Circle) covering over 1,600 miles. We would visit six national parks, multiple state parks and several other sites along the way. We decided to forgo the use of an RV and rent a minivan, which would be more flexible and practical when accessing the parks.

KIA — Our stylish Kia Sedona with Plastic New York in the background. Also available for viewing while in Vegas: Plastic Paris and Plastic Venice.

The other members of our crew included Jan’s lovely American wife, Dawne, and the ever-pleasant Swedish couple, Stefan and Ann. I always say that you never really know someone until you travel together. Spending day after day on the road with people can result in some uncomfortable and awkward moments, unless you have similar temperaments and expectations. Having known all of the crew for many years, I knew we would be a great fit – and we were.

We had so many laughs along the way as we took in the breathtaking scenery and landscapes. On some days, our plans were pretty nailed down and we would visit a specific national park for the bulk of a day. On other days, our plans were more open-ended and flexible with only a general direction in mind and a list of potential places to investigate along the way. On the open-ended days, Jan would typically ask for input and he was usually met with four blank stares. He would then politely remind us that we had not completed our homework assignments. This then resulted in four of us frantically searching the internet (when we had coverage) or leafing through travel brochures to find suggestions for the day.

After gathering in Las Vegas (one of my least favorite places on the planet), we headed out in late April, in our trusted Kia Sedona. The contrast between the man-made, plastic, neon world of Vegas and the sights we were about to experience could not have been more stark.

Note: Photo credits to all Grand Circle Posts go to Jan, Dawne, Stefan, Ann and me.

In closing I would like to offer up these two extremely important tips:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

The Adventure Begins

Share this:

Like this: