Our Visit to Page Arizona

In the middle of our vacation week Shana and I drove up to Page, Arizona. I had scheduled a float trip for us from the Glen Canyon Dam to Lee's Ferry through Colorado River Discovery. Careful examination of our schedule and budget argued against a river trip into the Grand Canyon, but through Colorado River Discovery we were able to book a half day trip at a very reasonable price that gave us a bottom-of-a-canyon experience we could fit into our trip. I was very satisfied with our tour. It was not a thrilling roller coaster ride through roiling rapids, but it was a slow paced smooth water ride down the river with a knowledgeable guide. The scenery was beautiful and our guide played the flute for us, which I enjoyed very much. We went through a Department of Homeland Security checkpoint which I found interesting although the checkpoint itself was not much to look at.

On the way up to Page Shana expressed a desire to alter our schedule to include one night in Page instead of driving back after dinner. After some discussion I agreed, and we set about planning another activity to see more of the area. I had seen pictures of Antelope canyon, but had not thought that we had time for a visit. Since we were staying through the next day I suggested that it would be a good place to go. To visit there you have to go with a Navajo Guide, and tours are scheduled at selected times. Luckily it was still early in the season and we had no trouble getting set up for a tour. We used Antelope Slot Canyon Tours, and went in a Suburban with our guide in a group of eight. The canyon is every bit as beautiful as it appears in photographs, and the small size of our group made it a very pleasant and personal experience. The crowd jammed into the tour office/trading post made me wonder if our trip would be a mob scene, but once we were underway the groups were well spaced out and I did not feel crowded at any time. We were picked up at our hotel at no extra charge, which was actually a big plus. Page is not very big and the tour departure point was easy to find, but parking there may have been difficult.