Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, and Lake Powell

After the unparalleled Grand Canyon, we continued towards Page. There we spent two nights at a fantastic campsite by Lake Powell - what a great place 😍

First on the agenda was Antelope Canyon - we had never had to get up this early before, these tours are so fully booked that there was only one available at 8 AM - check-in at least 30 minutes beforehand 🤪

Once there, all the tourists were divided into groups - we knew this would once again be one of those 'mass events' that we really don't enjoy 😉 But: The canyon is Navajo Nation Territory (the largest Indigenous tribe here) and may only be visited with a guide. So, we hopped onto the 13 mini-buses, driving 20 minutes over sandy roads to the canyon entrance. Our guide, a round-faced Navajo in his 30s, was 'in good spirits' today, he said. He repeatedly praised the marvelous achievement of fiber optics, saying it was the very best in the whole world, and he could never live without it (Ha, I know that too #bestnetwork #swisscom) 😂

Once we arrived, it started right away, everything was timed, and at each spot in the canyon, we only had a few minutes because the 12 other groups were behind us.. 🙈 Our guide was an absolute photo whiz, he knew exactly how to hold the phone and which settings were needed to take the perfect picture. A layman (me) tends to get just a black 'something' because it's so dark in the canyon at that time 😂🙈 The midday tours, when the light falls directly from above into the canyon, are also fully booked several months in advance. Despite planning early, we were too late.. 🤪
'Come on guys, move on,' he had to urge our group because the group behind us wanted to pass to get their 'perfect' photo. (You really shouldn't get lost here, the canyon is a maze, and the last 'disobedient' tourist was found only 3 days later.. 🙈) So it took about 30-40 minutes until we reached the other end of the canyon. The boys found it 'very boring,' we were particularly amused at how they shuffle 2000 (!!) tourists daily at a fast pace. The guides probably have to do that about 6 times a day.. always the same lines, the same photos, the same explanations - and always be cheerful, because otherwise, there's no tip 🙈 But yes, it was beautiful nonetheless, and the structures and colors of the canyon (in the photos) are truly incomparable!
After that, we wanted to go to Monument Valley. It wasn't on our route, so we made it a day trip. What is 2.5 hours one way in the USA, it's practically 'next door'.. 🤪
The rock formations there are really stunningly beautiful and unique. The red rock and red sand in contrast to the blue sky - wow 🤩 Then we drove another 20 minutes to Forrest Gump Point - who recognizes the scene from the movie? 😉 Really cool!!

After the return trip, we enjoyed a wonderful evening with BBQ at the campsite, and I took a jogging round down to Lake Powell 😍 We really liked it here - travel tip for everyone who passes by 😊 Now we continue on to Bryce Canyon, where we'll need our jackets again; at 2400 meters above sea level, it's still quite cold, and unfortunately, the weather for the next two days isn't looking so good (for the first time!) - let's see 😉