20211011_111524Horseshoe Bend (October 2021)

Tucked away at the very northern point of Arizona, the small town of Page is a popular tourist spot to visit some of the most-iconic sites in the western United States: Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell, and Antelope Canyon. It’s also just an hour or two from the world-renown Grand Canyon, all the while being a mere 15 miles/24 km from Utah to continue a road trip throughout the rest of the country.

I was especially excited to head to Page last October, during my week-long road trip throughout the southwestern US states. I was really looking forward to visiting Antelope Canyon, as it’d been high on my bucket list for years. I’d originally booked to go in March 2020, but unfortunately, the trip got cancelled due to COVID-19, so I intended to make it around this time…

After securing my *expensive* tickets ($120 USD/person), I headed over to Page with my dad after two nights in Sedona. We had beautiful, temperate weather in Sedona, and we were anticipating it to remain consistent during our one-night stay in Page. Heading north, we actually passed the Grand Canyon, a place that I haven’t returned to since I was a kid. However, this trip didn’t allow enough time for a stop there, so I’ll have to come back someday– at least I got a glimpse of it!

Three hours later, we arrived in Page and proceeded to visit our first stop: Horseshoe Bend. This distinctive landmark is located on the turquoise Colorado River, with its bend shaped as– of course– a horseshoe. Parking is $10 USD, and apparently, the site just began charging visitors beginning that year, in 2021– before, it used to be free. Goes to show that timing is everything!

Any case, it was a short, 0.6-mile/1 km walk to Horseshoe Bend from the parking lot. The walk is flat and paved, very accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels, even being wheelchair-friendly. With Horseshoe Bend being such a well-known US landmark, I’m not surprised that the tourism board would choose to make it easy for visitors to check it out, for a chance to admire the state’s rugged beauty.

Weather was absolutely brilliant that morning, without a cloud in the sky (and absolutely no shade during the walk). Despite the bright sun, it was actually a temperate 65°F/18°C, which was the perfect weather for sightseeing. Plenty of couples, families, and individual travelers were out-and-about, going to and coming from the site while enjoying the freedom outdoors.

We reached Horseshoe Bend within 15 minutes on foot and proceeded to walk the perimeter of the area, along with cliff that overlooks the bend. Although there were hoards of people late that morning, the area is quite spacious, so you can easily find an isolate spot to take unobstructed photos. It’s also important to note that the site has no guardrails to prevent people from falling off. That’s why it’s essential not to get too close to the cliff’s edge while taking a photo!

My dad and I captured a few lovely photos and walked around on the layered, sloped earth (due to crossbedding over millions of years) before making our way back to the parking lot. Since Horseshoe Bend is such a short walk over, you don’t need to spend a whole day there– perhaps just an hour or two. All the same, I was glad to have visited the site, for it, along with Antelope Canyon, had been on my bucket list for a long time.

20211011_113128Relaxing by Horseshoe Bend

We had a quick lunch in the car before driving into Page and exploring the rest of its sites. Part of the afternoon was spent at Glen Canyon to admire the beautiful blue of Lake Powell, an artificial reservoir that’s the water supply to the western US states (Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, even California). Unfortunately in recent years, the water supply has dropped to one of the lowest in over 50 years, with it currently holding only 30% of its capacity as of 2021. Call it drought or global warming (or both), but it’s a sad case for this reservoir to provide our basic needs.

20211011_141909Glen Canyon Dam

20211011_140943Turquoise waters of Lake Powell

Another afternoon stop took us to Hanging Garden, an oasis-like sanctuary in the middle of the barren desert. It was a smooth, one-mile/1.6 km hike from the trailhead, and it was really fascinating see the views shift from dry sandstone to lush vegetation. From the trailhead’s information, Hanging Garden is maintained by a local Puebloan woman, due to her love for the native land. Based on what I observed at the site, the verdant and seemingly gravity-defying vines, I could see that much attention is taken to care for the nature there.

20211011_134151Hanging Garden

Funny anecdote: a family with a small girl, about eight years old, was also at Hanging Garden when we arrived. I was minding my business when the little girl approached me, holding up a small rock in her hands. I was a bit confused and asked her, “is that for me?” She then started telling a story about how the Hanging Garden was a magical place with fairies and sprites– this little girl was building a complex fantasy world, and it was incredible (and endearing) that she had such a wild imagination. She then also asked me if I was traveling with my “grandpa,” which made me laugh, as it was my dad. Either I look really young, or my dad looks a lot older than he is! The little girl was cute, and we bid her and the family goodbye as we left the garden.

Despite it only being 14h30, we decided to call it a day and head into town to get some groceries at Safeway and to check into our hotel for the night. Antelope Canyon wouldn’t be until the following early morning, so we wanted to get settled and rest up. Even though we’d arrived right at check-in (15h00), our rooms were not ready yet. We waited for perhaps 15-20 minutes at the lobby, which wasn’t so bad, but after a long day of travel, we were kind of irritated– even other visitors were waiting to be checked in.

As for our room, it was…way below sub-par. In fact, I don’t think I’ve come across a hotel room that was so old and dirty. The place was run-down, with the bathroom sink’s faucet loose and running water (even after trying to shut it off), the bedsheets not completely clean (I saw some foreign stray hairs), and even a few ants by the Keurig coffee maker! Granted, the place was the cheapest in town at about $150 USD for the night, but still, I was not very happy about it. I was also worried about bed bugs, so for that night, we slept with the light on– you can bet that I didn’t get a good night’s sleep!

We had made reservations for dinner in Page, but we decided to cancel it and stay in for the night. We’d bought some pre-made wraps at Safeway and had those for dinner– I will say this, but the random chicken chipotle wrap I got was SUBLIME. It astounded me that I would get something so tasty at a grocery store, but it was absolutely flavorful with a smoky and savory chipotle sauce that went along with the tender chicken and grilled corn. The wrap was so good that I got it one more time before we left Page the following day.

20211012_114259Chicken chipotle wrap– SO GOOD

It was rise-and-shine at 5:30 the next day: we checked out of the hotel (thank goodness) and headed over to the meeting point for the Antelope Canyon tour, which would be at 7:30. Unfortunately, weather was not in our favor that morning, as it was pouring rain. It was a surprise considering just the previous afternoon, it was sunny and pristine. And even more unfortunate was that the Antelope Canyon tour ended up getting cancelled! Due to rain, it would be unsafe to go, as the canyon runs the risk of flash floods. Although it was understandable for our safety, I was extremely disappointed that I couldn’t make it– again!

My dad and I had no choice but to leave and continue our drive early to our next destination. Luckily, I was able to get my full refund from the tour company, but I was still disappointed in not being able to see Antelope Canyon. It’s uncertain when I’ll go back to Arizona, but at least I’m only a state away and that, hopefully, third time will be the charm when I do.

We are leaving Arizona and crossing the state border over to Utah in the next post, so stay tuned!

— Rebecca

Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

52 thoughts on “Destination: Page, Arizona”

  1. Horseshoe Bend looks incredible! What a cute story with the little girl. It’s a shame that you didn’t make it to Antelope Canyon…but as you said it means you will just have to go back again 🙂 but not stay at the same place!

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  2. Too bad your Antelope Canyon tour had to be cancelled — but flash floods are nothing to mess around with. I saw one once when I was hiking in New Mexico. It wasn’t even raining where I was, and the creek bed was completely dry until a 2 1/2 foot wall of water came roaring down. Fortunately my hiking trail was up high enough to be out of danger, so I could see the flash flood without getting caught up in it.

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  4. Loved your photo by Horseshoe Bend; you’re brave to sit on the edge! My knees were shaking just looking at it. I agree, the wraps from Safeway deli are good. Looking forward to your Utah posts!

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    1. I was actually a good distance away from the edge; the photo makes it look like I’m right on the edge! 😆 Safeway wraps were a godsend, and I’d get them again. Utah post will be up starting next week!

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    1. Thanks! I was especially disappointed with the hotel I stayed at in Page, just because the other hotels we stayed at on our road trip were great, some even exceeding expectations! Thankfully, Page’s was just for one night!

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  8. Nice pictures of Horseshoe Bend and I’m sure you’ll get another chance for Antelope Canyon. I was also disappointed not to see your photos of the Canyon, a great and unique place.

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    1. I was especially disappointed that I couldn’t visit Antelope Canyon, as I was really looking forward to it as the highlight of my trip. All the same, it gives me the reason to return and (hopefully) see it! One day…

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  11. Wow, such amazing photos, Rebecca! I’ve been long fascinated by the Horseshoe Bend. I know it attracts a few million visitors every year, but there is a good reason why it’s one of the most photographed sites in northern Arizona – who doesn’t want to see the Colorado River looping around an impassable sandstone escarpment? Thanks for sharing and taking me on tour! Aiva xx

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  12. Such dramatic scenes, you really had a great trip last October. That’s a killer angle of you looking over Horseshoe Bend. It’s a bummer about the canyon but safety has to come first of course. Overall, this looked like a beautifully composed trip with stunning views, a cute girl and an expectation-busting supermarket purchase. Bring on Utah!

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    1. I appreciate your enthusiastic readership, Leighton! Although it was a bummer with Antelope Canyon, I was glad to at least visit Horseshoe Bend. Definitely planning on returning to Page someday…post on Utah is up next week!

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  13. Too bad about the cancelled tour and the bad hotel room. Some places are so popular they seem to be able to get away with highway robbery for accommodations. Similar thing happened to me in Moab. Booked a room on the main street. Room wasn’t bad or dirty, but was very basic and had a view of a small parking lot and a retaining wall. It was around $350 per night. Because they could.
    On a more positive note, the pictures are gorgeous. Love the Southwest.

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    1. Sorry to hear that you had a less-than-stellar experience in Moab with accommodation. I agree with you that these places, renown for their stunning natural wonders, would always have visitors and be high in demand. Expensive, but what can you do about it? 🤷‍♀️ Thanks for reading!

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  14. Oh no! That’s so frustrating about Antelope Canyon. Hopefully third time will be the charm. Horseshoe Bend looks well worth the stop though. I’m glad to know that it was manageable even with all the people.

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  22. Roy and I were astounded by the beauty of the Antelope caves. We bought our tickets on the reserver our guide did make us aware that flash flooding could take place at any time. This certainly made us feel uneasy when deep down in them. Better safe than sorry. I hope you see them sometime they are lovely. We loved our time in that part of America.

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  24. I love these posts about your trip with your dad! The Horseshoe bend looks incredible – but weren’t you scared sitting at the top of the cliff?? The Hanging Gardens also sound like such a beautiful place and I loved the interaction with the little girl – people also think my dad is my grandpa all the time ahahah! Your hotel sounds absolutely terrible and I find that 150 USD for that is still quite expensive! Good thing that you only stayed one night! Can’t wait to read about your next destination!

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    1. I wasn’t that close to the edge! The photo makes it look closer than it actually was, haha. Page was a bit disappointing with the hotel and Antelope Canyon, but I hope to give it another chance! Next post is coming very soon! 😊

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  25. Pingback: Destination: Zion National Park, Utah (Caught in Snowstorm & Scenic Drive- Part 1) – Rebecca Goes Rendezvous

  26. I loved your photo looking at the Horseshoe Bend. You were brave being on the edge! The dark blue waters below were dramatic. I’m sorry you didn’t get to go to Antelope Canyon. Maybe it’s a sign for another visit?

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    1. I wasn’t that close to the edge! The photo makes it seem closer than reality! As for Antelope Canyon: despite the letdown, I believe it’s a good sign that I have to return!

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