Tuesday noon we arrived in Page and allowed ourselves a quiet afternoon at the hotel pool and with a walk to the frozen yogurt store. But after some hours we couldn’t leave it like that, so we went to the Glan Canyon dam overlook, the Horseshoe Observation Area and checked out the rental possibilities at Lake Powell. Looks like we’ll go for a Kajak tour tomorrow. But first the Antilope Canyon. I think it’s around 25 years ago that friends came back home from a US trip with pictures from this impressive canyon. Since then I knew I have to visit this place, tomorrow is the day and I hope I won’t be disappointed.

Antelope Canyon, a magnificent slot canyon with tall winding walls, it’s like a monumental sandstone sculpture. The canyon is known for its wave-like structure and the light beams that shine directly down into the openings of the canyon, creating a supernatural appearance. The canyon is the product of millions of years of water erosion and once home to herds of pronghorn antelopes. The walls climb 120 feet above the streambed, making it a cathedral of red-hued, swirling sandstone. It’s absolutely awesome, amazing, unique, unbelievable, breathtaking, simply beautiful. Unfortunately my vocabulary isn’t as wide as it should be to show enough respect for this place. It’s magic down there!

Another senic ride trough the beautiful desert landscape brought us close to Zion National Park. The bright red color from the canyon walls matched perfectly with the yellow from the dirt and the dark green from the bushes. The beauty and calmness from the open countryside is balm for the soul. Our next adventure: camping! Yep, I said yes to a night in a tent under the beautiful clear starry sky. It was a lovely experience, especially because we had a proper queen bed in our tent and is there something more romantic than a wake up call from a rooster? In the afternoon we made a hike up the nearby canyon, unfortunately I forgot how nerve racking hiking with a teenager can be… Afterwards we visited coral pink sand dunes state park and played a bit with the sand and we ate pizza in the bakery from Hidale. The pizza was delicious but everything else around a bit strange so I started googling: A fundamentalist religious sect (a breakaway fundamentalist faction of the Mormon Church) that commands its women members to wear pioneer-era dresses and that became infamous for mass polygamy and child marriage controls since decades this town… Yep, it’s creepy and you can see the results of their efforts, another part of the land of the free.

Zion National Park: a paradise for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. Mountains, forests, waterfalls, flora anf fauna at its bests and this all over 229 square miles. I love this place but not my older daughter: “Hiking again, really? Not with me!!” I think it turns when they get double digits and I felt relieved when I saw the expression of other kids faces, following their enthusiastic parents…

And finally back to the civilization: welcome to Las Vegas.. First some hours at the pool to get rid of the dirt and sand. After that we walked down the whole strip because mum liked to take a picture in front of the Vegas sign. I think we did a couple of miles more than at Zion… Not really my favorite town by the way, the contrast between morning and afternoon was enormous, not healthy for the mood of a nature child.

Now at the airport waiting for our flight to Charlotte. A backpack filled with beautiful impressions and memories. Nervous because of the upcoming flight, I think I have to use the bathroom again…