Page, Arizona
After two convenient nights sleeping in a Walmart parking lot, we were ready to move on. The city of Page is the gateway to popular attractions including Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Dam and Horseshoe Bend so we weren’t expecting to do much in Page itself.
We checked out a couple of quirky places – the first was the Street of Little Motels, filled with motels built in the 1950s to house workers constructing the Glen Canyon Dam. We drove through this street and saw that the majority are now private homes, although there are at least a couple that are still functioning as motels. We also checked out the Boiler Tube Slot Canyon, a funky art installation made out of boiler tubes made to resemble Antelope Canyon.
Our last stop was a free grey/black water dump at the Maverik gas station in Page, where we met a friendly Swiss family – father, mother and 3 kids traveling for a year around the world, including about a month in the US. Michael exchanged phone info should we bump into them again on our travels.
Glen Canyon Dam and a Wahweap Overlook
Did you know that Glen Canyon Dam is bigger than its more famous cousin, the Hoover Dam? While Hoover Dam is slightly taller, Glen Canyon Dam is considered larger due to its greater volume and width. Hoover Dam is 221 meters (726 feet) tall and 379 meters (1,244 feet) long, while Glen Canyon Dam is 216 meters (710 feet) tall and 475 meters (1,560 feet) long. Since we were high up on a bridge looking down at only a small part of the canyon, it was hard for us to put in perspective that Glen Canyon was indeed bigger, particularly as we’d seen the Hoover Dam in more of its entirety when we visited.
To see the Dam, we parked on the side of the road just before the bridge. We crossed over to see it from both sides of the bridge, feeling small looking at the tiny specks of rocks (probably boulders) below us. There’s also a section of the bridge that has a rectangular opening to take a photo or video through, uninterrupted by the wire fence. Michael was brave enough to stick his hand through, potentially sacrificing his phone to a long, sheer drop below had it fallen from his grip!
Not far from Glen Canyon Dam we drove up to Wahweap Overlook, a beautiful vista point where we could absorb the views of the terrain and lake below us, with the occasional sight of a boat sailing through the water, or a jet soaring above us. It’s a popular spot for people to drive up and take photos, but when we arrived there weren’t many vehicles parked around, which gave us the opportunity to set up our camping chairs facing the lake, and enjoy a relaxing, long lunch overlooking this glorious view.
Horseshoe Bend: An Incredible Rock Castle
Just like Antelope Canyon which we’d visited the day before, Horseshoe Bend has exploded in popularity, thanks largely to the litany of social media posts showcasing its beauty. It’s a craggy, rock formation surrounded by the Colorado River, positioned like a formidable rock castle sitting within its moat.
It costs $10 per vehicle ($5 per motorcycle) to park at the trailhead (National Park passes don’t apply). From here, it’s a short, gravelly, 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) to get to this incredible natural wonder. We took Sheila with us, although we had to be conscious of the furry little squirrel that would occasionally pop out in along the trail!
There’s a viewing area directly facing Horseshoe Bend, where the majority of visitors were congregated around to take their numerous photos. But all the perimeter, there are many other viewpoints that don’t have barriers in front of them. Sure, they can make for more impressive photos – although the overlook is 1,300 meters (4,200 feet) above sea level, and the Colorado River is at 1,000 meters (3,200 feet) above sea level, so the drop would be a long 300 meter (1,000 feet down)!
Of course, we were one of the many people who decided to sit close (but still safely!) to the edge, mesmerized by the view in front of us. Lisette (and quite a few other visitors) was a bit put off by the several ladies, faces thick with makeup, who hogged a particular section of unexposed views, taking a billion photos of themselves in every angle imaginable. We get it, everyone wants to take a great photo, but keep it moving for others to also have the opportunity!
Navajo Bridge: Twin Steel Bridges
Navajo Bridge are actually twin steel arch bridges that cross the Colorado River, in Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona. The bridges were initially called Grand Canyon Bridge, but renamed five years later. The dual spans of the Navajo Bridge are tied in ninth place among the highest bridges in the US, at 142.3 meters (467 feet) and 143.3 meters (470 feet) tall respectively. We could walk from the start of the bridge to the other side, where there’s a Visitor Center and some signposts along the way detailing the history and cultural significance of the bridge and the area.
We drove across the bridge and found an incredible open space, parked alongside rising red rock formations. It was a huge space, and we were amazed that only one other car with two people were our only neighbors! Making the most of the beautiful weather, gorgeous scenery and golden sunset, we put out our camping chairs and sat outside for dinner, until the sun disappeared from the horizon on this wonderful day.
Route Map
