Why you need to visit Page, Arizona

There are plenty of gorgeous places in the world, and even just in Arizona, but Page, AZ ranks very high for me in places you have to see.

Day ONE

R D's Drive-In

I set out on the four hour drive to Page from Phoenix early in the morning. My Antelope Canyon tour was booked for 12:00pm, the "prime time" to see the canyon because you get to see the amazing light streaks that come down through the canyon walls. Before I could do that, though, I needed food. My first food stop was at "R D's Drive-In" off Navajo Drive and Lake Powell Boulevard. I chose this place and got a yummy burger and milkshake. Then, I dropped off my bags in my room at the Red Rock Motel.

GLEN CANYON DAM

Now that I was fed, I was ready to tackle the canyon! But wait.. I still had a few hours to kill before the tour. So, I followed Highway 89 up to check out the Glen Canyon Dam. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting such an amazing view! I was able to park near the dam and walk onto the bridge that the highway crosses. Along the bridge was a tall chain-link fence, but it had little peek holes to look through! Below, you could see boats fishing, tall rock walls, and a calm, beautiful river.

UPPER ANTELOPE CANYON

Finally, it was time to head to the canyon! After signing in, listening to a guide go over the general rules, and being separated into our groups, we loaded into an old army transport truck and headed off into the desert. A bumpy ride led us to a tall rock wall with a thin crack running down it. When our guide walked toward the narrow passageway and motioned us to follow, I realized we were all going in there! It was a tight squeeze, but in a single-file line there was plenty of room.

Inside the canyon, tall red walls tower over you on either side. As you walk through, every twist and turn is a completely different sight. Under your feet, the ground is covered in a deep sand and above your head you can only see a small sliver of the sky overhead between the canyon walls.

I visited the upper side of the canyon, but you can also tour the lower side as well as some other smaller canyons. On the upper side, the tour leads you through the canyon which opens up to a clearing at the end, which is where I got this unique image below of the lone rock with the blue sky. After you reach the end, you turn around and trek back through to the beginning, seeing the canyon in a totally new way.

Day TWO

RANCH HOUSE GRILLE

For breakfast, I headed down Bee Hive Way to a cute family-owned restaurant. I got a simple eggs and bacon breakfast but the food was amazing, and the atmosphere was genuine to the southwestern Navajo town.

GLEN CANYON DAM OVERLOOK

After breakfast, I grabbed gas at the cutest pink gas station and then followed Lake Powell Boulevard to a small road called Scenic View Drive. This led me to a small parking area across from the dam. I walked down some of the rocks in front of the parking lot and wandered around the area. I was so excited about some of the unique views and really cool rock structures that I found!

UTAH - LAKE POWELL

The weather was so hot when I was walking around the rocks, so when I got back to the car I decided a swim would be amazing. I took Highway 89 all the way up into Utah, which was super exciting because I've never been to Utah and now I can say I went (even though it was just on the bottom edge!). After turning right on Lone Rock Road, I found a nice sandy beach on the edge of Lake Powell perfect for swimming!

I threw on my swimsuit and jumped in right away. The water was a little chilly at first for July, but I got use to it - until the wind started blowing! Just as I was deciding to leave, dark storm clouds started rolling in and I was glad I came when I did!

FIESTA MEXICANA

All that swimming made me hungry so of course I had to get some Mexican food! Another family-owned place with amazing food, and great drinks!

HORSESHOE BEND

I knew that storm was blowing in, but still hadn't seen any signs of rain or lightning. On my way up to Page, I decided to visit Horseshoe bend on my second afternoon, which has been a pretty high priority on my bucket list for a long time. I decided to head down and check it out, maybe I could get lucky and the storm would be a dud. When I arrived, the weather was fine, which was awesome! I made the short hike and immediately realized a problem. The wind was super strong, and it was blowing sand everywhere; in my eyes, my mouth, and it even stung when it hit myskin. I tried desperately for about 10-15 minutes to make a photo, but finally decided the wind was too much and gave in.

Day THREE

Lucky for me, Horseshoe Bend was along the path home. After a huge breakfast at Denny's I headed south to try again and I am so glad I did.

MARBLE CANYON - VERMILLION CLIFFS

Of course, I had to stop by the Grand Canyon on the way home, even though it ended up being a little out of the way since I decided to visit the North Rim. I followed Highway 89 South until I was able to take Highway 89A North and eventually Southwest. Along the way, I stopped in a cute little town called Marble Canyon for gas and ice (even in my Hydroflask, my water was warm by now). I decided to check out a small road called Lees Ferry Road, just to see where it went. After a small drive, I ended up at this gorgeous little beach on the Colorado River. The water was so much colder here than at the lake! It was really hard to tear myself away, but I had to get to the Grand Canyon.

A little further along Highway 89A, I passed the Vermillion Cliffs which truly are an amazing view.

Grand Canyon - North Rim

I passed through the Kaibab National Forest which was breathtaking, and quite a bit more driving later I finally arrived! I had never been to the North side of the canyon, it is so different from the South side! There are tall pine trees everywhere which is opposite from the desert landscape of the South Rim.

THE FINAL STRETCH

Leaving your last destination to head home is always bittersweet. I wish this trip could have lasted forever, but I am so glad to have the memories and photos to take home with me. After such a unique and fun experience, I can't wait to see where the next adventure takes me.