Friday, May 11, 2012

Glen Canyon, Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon and a stone

As we did for our visit to Yosemite, where we left the RV in a park and drove off with the Jeep and stayed in a lodge, we left Monument Valley and drove to Page, Arizona, to visit that area.

Over a week ago we had, visited Hoover Dam.  There is another dam farther farther up the Colorado River, at Glen Canyon.  The dam created Lake Powell (named for the one-armed John Wesley Powell who explored the Colorado River).  We spent the night in the lodge to be ready for a 7:30 AM boat ride to see Rainbow Bridge.

Here's the dam and some images of the lake.

 This is just downstream from the dam.  The canyon is about 500 feet at this point.

Here we are on the boat and some of the sights.



It's clear to see the high-water mark (sometimes called the "bath tub ring").  When the lake was first filled (it took 17 years), it was filled to the maximum point. The current level is about 50 feet below that.  The water bleached out the red rust from the stone!

There were lots of strange and wonderful shapes in the stone.



It was about a two hour ride up to Rainbow Bridge.  This is a true "bridge," created by a creek, as opposed to the many arches we saw at other parks.  It is huge.  Over 300 feet in height, the dome of the US capitol building could fit under it!
 To get an idea of the size, there are some people on a flat rock near the left side of the bridge.
 On our return, as we neared the harbor, it was interesting to see all the house boats.  It appears that water sides are mandatory!

Close to Page are some "slot canyons," very narrow canyons created by rivers.  We took a tour of one of these, Antelope Canyon. This is a favorite place for photographers because of the interesting groves in the sandstone and interesting lighting.

Our driver seemed to think she was the reincarnation of Mario Andretti as we tore across a sandy valley to get to the canyon.
 These images give an idea of what it's like in the canyon.




Our guide knew of special places to take pictures.  This is known as "the heart."
 We could also see a "sandfall" by tossing some sand up on the ledge.
 The following were also recommended by our guide.  Maybe leaning toward the artsy side.

We enjoyed our time at Page and area, but it was a two hour drive back to Monument Valley.  On the way, a stone hit our windshield and left a noticeable hole.  I guess that gave us more memories of Page!

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