The Hidden Gems of Arizona
I always hear about people visiting Sedona and the Grand Canyon, but I rarely hear of anyone visiting Page. Interestingly, this city has some of the most beautiful sights in the state. The only way I learned about them, it’s because I saw them on Instagram.
After having spent the day before at the Grand Canyon, we were eager to arrive at our next destination. Our goal was to arrive early enough to have time to explore. So to spend less time and money, we took a McDonald’s breakfast meal “to-go” and ate it on the way. Well.. it turned out that Mcdonald’s at the Grand Canyon isn’t cheap. We paid approximately $30.00 USD grabbing a few items from the menu. That is about the price I would have paid to eat at a seat-down restaurant. Anyways… I guess that is the premium price one pays for eating fast food at the Grand Canyon.
We drove for approximately two hours to arrive at Page, Arizona. The road was very scenic and it gave us a chance to watch the Grand Canyon a few more times. The city itself was not very impressive; it seemed a little dated and welcomes you with a junkyard.
Hanging Garden Trail
The hotel was not ready upon arrival, so we went for a short hike at the Hanging Garden trail. The hike was very family-friendly since it was nice, short, easy to walk, and fun. It offered very beautiful views of the desert, hills, and a bit of Lake Powel. Near the top of the hill, the trail rewards you with an interesting vertical garden hanging from the side of the hill.
Denny’s
Having developed some appetite from the hike, we decided it was time to eat lunch. I introduced Paulina to the all-American favorite Dennys restaurant. Paulina had never been to Denny’s before but a movie she watched had referenced it as a bad restaurant. Interestingly, Paulina did not know that she was about to eat a very delicious pancake. She, of course, changed her thoughts on Denny’s after her visit.
After ordering our food, we began investigating the implications of coronavirus spreading in the United States. We were not sure how this was going to affect our road trip.
Antelope Canyon
After that, it was time to head over to Antelope Canyon. For this sight, I booked our tickets months in advance, but unfortunately, they only had late-afternoon times available. Unbeknown to us, people try to be at the canyon when sunlight beans shine inside the rupture of the canyon. This occurrence creates astonishing reflections in the canyon’s walls, making this natural wonder gain popularity. We walked the whole canyon, with frequent stops to take pictures, in approximately 30-40 minutes.
We then headed to Horseshoe Bend. I was first introduced to it through a travel channel in instagram. When I saw it on the phone, I thought it was one of the most impressive sights and, immediately, became a bucket list goal. Interestingly, I never would have thought that it was located in the same state where I live.
Horseshoe Canyon
After a short 20-minute drive from Antelope Canyon, we arrived to the parking lot and had a little over an hour before sunset to capture a marvelous view of the Colorado river. We hiked a relatively short half a mile trail when we began see an impressive canyon in the shape of an enormous horseshoe. Its beauty was just as impressive as in the pictures. With massive cliffs and a horseshoe shaped river underneath, it was a scene like no other.
Final Thoughts
While the City of Page, itself, does not have much to offer, the surrounding sights make a trip here worth it. Paulina and I only spent one night here and prioritized the closest sights. However, if time is not a problem, making a 2-hour trip to Monument Valley, or spending a day at Lake Powell should likely evoke equally awe-inspiring moments.
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