ANTELOPE CANYON...BOTTOM AND TOP

By

Gypsy Rhapsody

(a 1977 Airstream experiencing R and R)

Rest and Recoop

Ahhhhh

Shhhhhhh...silence is golden...

Wait...I think I just heard my phone ding...
must be a text from Vannie...Hold on...Yes, it is.

Vannie's text...
Hello, Gypsy...what's up?

Gypsy:  Now, what kind of question is that for me?

                                                      Sometimes I wonder about Vannie.

V's text continued...

We are in Page, AZ.  Page is in northern Arizona...

not far from the Grand Canyon.

After we checked into our motel, we headed out to

Antelope Canyon for a highly recommended tour.

This canyon is a "slot canyon".

A slot canyon is very narrow.  It is formed by water

rushing through rock.  It is much deeper than it is wide.

Gypsy, this tour is "OUT" for you.

It was a tight squeeze for us at times.

ANTELOPE CANYON

We were about in the middle of the canyon when this picture was taken.

No one could go into the canyon without a guide.

This was our group.  You can see Dave off to the left.

Our guide was named Vernon.  His Indian name was "wood gatherer".

He was a full blooded Navajo Indian.

We were on Navajo land.

He is the one wearing the gray jacket...hat...and gloves

The heat was brutal, so he was protecting his skin as much as possible.

We started out on top in a normal setting...

Then we headed down these very steep steps.

Mother Nature has been hard at work in Antelope Canyon.

She has used her wind and water to sculpt some of the

most magnificent sculptures imaginable. 

Somehow staircases appeared off and on during the tour.

Gypsy, if you look closely to the left of the stairs,

you can see holes.  These were made to use as foot/hand holes

before the stairs were installed.  Even through the stairs

were treacherous, we would soooo thankful we had them.

Those little holes just would not have cut it.  

Every turn was a new and different masterpiece. 

It was so beautiful...like flowing fabric.

Sometimes a little spot of light would show it's face.

Our gang...breathing hard.!!!!

After that tour, I didn't know if I was coming or going.

...and Dave thought he was starting to see double...

LAKE POWELL

Gypsy, we visited Lake Powell on our second day in Page. 

Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River

between Utah and Arizona.  It is the second largest reservoir

in the U.S.  It was named after John Wesley Powell,

a one-armed American Civil War veteran who explored 

the river by 3 wooden boats in 1869.

We were waiting to board the tour boat that would

take us out into the lake and through Antelope Canyon... top side.

Our partners...Jan and Chester.

Heading into the canyon.

The colors and massive size of the cliffs were so impressive.

Gypsy, if you could have gotten on the boat, 

you would have loved this tour.

It wasn't nearly as strenuous as the one under ground. 

Heading back to the dock...

We ended our day seeing a Navajo Hoop Dancer.

He was world famous and very skilled in his art.

He could make those hoops talk.

Dave said he would get so tangled up in the hoops, 

he would never get out.

The boy on the left was the drummer and chanter during the hoop dance ceremony.

Down in the bottom...

Up on top...

and

in the hoops...

Time to go to bed and dream of the beauty of this earth.

Hope you have a good night, Gypsy...